Archive · 8 Oct 2026
DHS Proposes OPT Fees Reaching $100,000 for Students
The US government has proposed very large fees for a program that lets some international students work while studying or after finishing school.
The first time a student uses OPT, the fee would be $70,000.
A later period of OPT could add another $30,000.
A student who uses OPT both before and after graduation could therefore lead to $100,000 in fees.
The college would pay first, but it might ask the student or an employer to cover the cost.
The fee would have to be paid before the school recommends the student for OPT.
The proposal is not yet a final rule and could change.
The government says the fees would help prevent misuse and protect US workers.
An immigration lawyer says the high costs could effectively make the program unusable.
The Department of Homeland Security proposed fees of $70,000 for initial OPT and $30,000 for a subsequent OPT participation.
The proposed fees apply when a school recommends an F-1 student for OPT, not when a particular employer hires the student.
Using both pre-completion and post-completion OPT could trigger a total of $100,000 in fees; using OPT only after completion would cost $70,000 under the proposal.
Schools would have to pay before entering an OPT recommendation in SEVIS, though DHS says they may pass the cost to students or employers.
DHS says the fees would deter fraud and protect US workers, while immigration lawyer Emily Neumann argues they could make OPT prohibitively expensive.
- Who
- The Department of Homeland Security proposed the fees for F-1 international students seeking OPT recommendations from eligible schools.
- What
- A proposed $70,000 initial OPT fee and $30,000 subsequent OPT fee.
- When
- The proposed rule is scheduled for Federal Register publication on October 8, 2026, and would take effect 60 days after the final rule is published.
- Where
- The United States.
- Why
- DHS says the fees would deter OPT fraud and abuse, strengthen immigration-system integrity, protect US workers, and reduce investigative burdens.
DHS rationale
Criticism and concerns
Purpose and likely impact of the fees
DHS rationale
DHS says the fees would discourage fraud and misuse of OPT, protect US workers, strengthen immigration-system integrity, and reduce investigative burdens.
Criticism and concerns
Immigration lawyer Emily Neumann says fees as high as $100,000 could make the program prohibitively expensive and amount to eliminating it in practice.
Who ultimately bears the cost
DHS rationale
The school must pay before making the OPT recommendation, while DHS says it may pass the expense to a student or employer.
Criticism and concerns
The article warns that schools could decline to recommend students they consider weaker candidates, leaving students uncertain about access and who will bear the cost.
- Initial OPT fee
- $70,000, proposed for a student's first OPT participation.
- Subsequent OPT fee
- $30,000 for a later OPT participation, including a STEM OPT extension.
- Potential combined fee
- $100,000 for pre-completion OPT followed by post-completion OPT.
- Who pays first
- The school must pay before its Designated School Official enters the recommendation in SEVIS.
- Possible cost transfer
- DHS says schools may pass the cost to students or employers.
- Refunds
- A school may request a refund if the student has not received a work permit; no refund is available after one is issued.
- Proposed publication
- October 8, 2026, in the Federal Register; the date stated in the article.
- Effective date
- 60 days after publication of the final rule.