Published Oct. 7, 2026, 1:18 p.m. EDT. The Department of Homeland Security has proposed requiring colleges and universities to pay $70,000 for each international student’s initial participation in Optional Practical Training and $30,000 for subsequent participation.
The fees are not in effect. DHS released an advance version of a notice of proposed rulemaking Wednesday, with publication in the Federal Register expected Thursday, Oct. 8. The Associated Press reported that the public will have 60 days to comment before DHS can finalize and implement the rule.
What the OPT fee proposal would do
Optional Practical Training, usually called OPT, allows eligible F-1 students to work in jobs related to their field of study during or after completing an academic program. Students generally can receive up to 12 months of OPT, while qualifying science, technology, engineering and mathematics graduates may seek an additional 24-month extension.
Under the proposal, the school—not the student or employer—would be responsible for the new program fee. An initial OPT request would carry a $70,000 charge, and any subsequent OPT period would carry a $30,000 charge, according to the public-inspection notice described by the American Immigration Lawyers Association and reporting by the AP.
Those proposed charges are separate from existing immigration-form fees. Because the rule is only at the proposal stage, universities should not collect or remit the new amounts unless DHS completes the rulemaking process and announces an effective date.
DHS says the plan targets fraud and labor-market abuse
DHS described the proposal as an attempt to address fraud and what it called misuse of the student-visa system as a source of lower-cost labor. That is the department’s stated rationale; the proposal has not yet been tested through public comments, litigation or implementation data.
International-education organizations argue that the fees could sharply reduce participation by making it impractical for many schools to sponsor students. Fanta Aw, chief executive of NAFSA, said the change could harm U.S. innovation, economic growth and workforce development, according to the AP.
Technology companies, universities and research institutions frequently recruit graduates through OPT, especially in STEM fields. The practical effect would depend on the final rule, including how DHS defines a “subsequent” period, whether any exceptions are adopted and when payment would be due.
What happens next
The proposal is expected to be formally published Oct. 8. The public comment process allows schools, employers, students and other interested parties to submit evidence and legal or economic arguments. DHS may revise the proposal before issuing a final rule, or it may decline to finalize it.
The plan also could face court challenges from higher-education or business groups. Until a final rule survives the required process and takes effect, current OPT rules remain the operative framework.
Readers can follow related developments in AskNovus U.S. News, Politics and Business.
Sources
- Federal Register public-inspection copy, scheduled for publication Oct. 8, 2026.
- Associated Press, Oct. 7, 2026.
- American Immigration Lawyers Association, Oct. 7, 2026.
Featured image: Photo by Christian Lendl on Unsplash. Image is illustrative.