Key points
- The key change: Schools would pay US$70,000 per F-1 student for initial OPT and US$30,000 for any later OPT, including STEM OPT
- Schools could pass the cost on to students or have employers help pay it
- It's a proposal, not a final rule; public comments close on November 9, 2026
- What stays the same: US tourist visas and ESTA aren't affected
The proposed fees would apply to F-1 students’ Optional Practical Training, the program that lets them work in the US after their studies
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed new fees for Optional Practical Training (OPT): US$70,000 per F-1 student for initial OPT and US$30,000 for any later OPT. The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on October 8, 2026.
OPT lets international students on F-1 visas work in the US in a job related to their field of study, and it’s often how graduates move on to an H-1B visa. Right now, students pay a fee of around US$500 themselves to apply for OPT, according to Politico, and schools currently pay no OPT-specific fee. Under the proposal, a school would have to pay before it could recommend a student, and USCIS wouldn’t grant work authorization until the fee is paid.
Who would pay the OPT fee?
The school would pay. The fee applies to schools certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), but DHS says in the proposed rule that schools may pass the cost on to F-1 students. The rule also doesn’t stop schools from funding the fee through employers or other organizations.
Schools also aren’t required to recommend students for OPT, and can choose not to pay the fee. Changing employers wouldn’t trigger a new fee, and the money would go to the US Treasury.
Does the fee cover STEM OPT extensions?
Yes. The US$30,000 fee applies to any OPT a student takes after their initial OPT, including the 24-month STEM OPT extension for science, technology, engineering and math graduates.
The proposal doesn’t cover Curricular Practical Training (CPT), the work authorization students use during their studies.
Why is DHS proposing the fees?
DHS cites fraud in the program, including “pay-to-stay” schemes, worksites that don’t exist and employees who never show up to work. A DHS spokesperson said OPT “was never meant to be a back door into the American workforce, a subsidy for cheap labor, or a prize for those who game the system.”
DHS says the fees would push schools to “exercise greater oversight and selectivity” when recommending students. Immigration and Customs Enforcement identified more than 10,000 cases of potential OPT fraud earlier this year, Politico reported.
According to the proposed rule, 194,554 F-1 students received OPT work authorization in 2024, across 2,478 schools. DHS estimates the fees would raise US$8.4 billion to US$16.5 billion a year.
When would the OPT fees take effect?
Not yet. DHS proposes that the fees start 60 days after a final rule is published, and it may change the rule after reviewing public comments.
Students already on OPT, or recommended or approved before the final rule takes effect, wouldn’t be charged. The proposal follows a July 2026 DHS rule that set fixed end dates on US student visas.
How can the public comment on the OPT fee proposal?
Comments are open until November 9, 2026, through regulations.gov under docket ICEB-2026-0100, according to the Federal Register notice.
Does this affect US tourist visas or ESTA?
No. The proposal only covers OPT for F-1 students. Travelers applying for a US B1/B2 visa or visiting on an ESTA aren’t affected.
