DHS proposes $70,000 OPT fee for schools, plus $30,000 for later recommendations

The Department of Homeland Security has proposed a $70,000 fee for a school’s first Optional Practical Training (OPT) recommendation for an F-1 student, followed by a $30,000 fee for each subsequent OPT recommendation for that student. The proposal, published on October 8, 2026, is not a final rule: schools do not have to pay these new fees under current OPT requirements.

OPT allows eligible international students to seek temporary work authorization for training related to their field of study, either during or after their academic program. The proposed fees would apply to institutions certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, rather than being charged directly by DHS to students or employers.

When would a school pay the proposed OPT fees?

Under the proposal, a school would pay $70,000 before its designated school official enters a student’s first OPT recommendation in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, known as SEVIS. The first recommendation could be for OPT during a course of study or after its completion.

After the initial $70,000 fee has been paid, a later recommendation for the same student would carry a $30,000 fee. That includes a recommendation for a 24-month STEM OPT extension, if the student is eligible. A student who receives an initial post-completion OPT recommendation and later seeks a STEM extension would therefore generate $100,000 in proposed school-paid fees across those two recommendations.

The charge is tied to an OPT recommendation, not to a particular employer. Changing employers alone would not trigger another fee. The proposal would also require payment before the student applies to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for employment authorization; USCIS would not grant that authorization if the required school payment had not been made.

Would students have to pay $70,000?

The school would be responsible for paying DHS, but that does not guarantee students would be shielded from the cost. DHS says the proposal would not restrict how schools obtain the money, subject to other applicable laws, and acknowledges that institutions could pass costs to international students, other students or employers. How an individual school would respond remains uncertain.

The proposed fees would be separate from the existing steps students take to obtain OPT work authorization. An eligible student would still need a school official’s recommendation and would still apply to USCIS using Form I-765.

What happens to students who already have OPT?

The proposal would not impose a fee retroactively on an OPT recommendation issued before a final rule takes effect. But it could affect a student who already has OPT and seeks a new recommendation later. As written, the $70,000 fee would apply to the first recommendation dated on or after the rule’s effective date; the $30,000 rate would apply to later recommendations after the initial fee has been paid. That distinction matters for students planning a STEM OPT extension.

DHS proposes making the rule effective 60 days after publication of any final version, not 60 days after the October 8 proposal. There is currently no final-rule effective date.

Why is DHS proposing the change?

DHS says the fees are intended to discourage fraud and misuse of OPT, encourage schools to scrutinize their recommendations and protect U.S. workers. Those are the agency’s stated reasons for the proposal, not findings that every OPT placement involves abuse. DHS also acknowledges that the large increase in cost could reduce participation, though it says it cannot confidently predict by how much.

The public can comment on the proposed rule through November 9, 2026. DHS must review comments before deciding whether to issue a final rule, which could differ from the proposal. Until then, students and schools should follow the OPT requirements currently in force rather than treating the proposed $70,000 and $30,000 charges as payable fees.