Sunita Somvanshi
The Department of Homeland Security has proposed charging $70,000 for an international student’s initial Optional Practical Training recommendation and $30,000 for any subsequent OPT recommendation. The rule is a proposal, not law.
What DHS proposes
DHS filed the proposed rule, Optional Practical Training Fees, on October 7, 2026, and it was published in the Federal Register on October 8 under Docket No. 2026-20660.
Optional Practical Training, or OPT, is temporary work authorisation available to eligible F-1 international students after they complete their studies. A subsequent OPT recommendation can include an extension, but the proposed $30,000 fee is not limited in the rule summary to the 24-month STEM OPT extension.
The proposal would require payment before a designated school official recommends OPT. The stated payer is a Student and Exchange Visitor Program-certified educational institution, not the student or an employer.
When would it take effect?
The proposed fees would not apply now. Under the proposal’s transition provision, they would apply 60 days after publication of a final rule.
Comments on the proposed rule are due by November 9, 2026. A separate comment deadline of December 7, 2026 applies to the related information-collection request.
What it means for students
F-1 visa holders, prospective international graduates and US academic institutions face a major potential cost under DHS’s proposed training-fee regulation. If finalised, a certified school would be assessed $70,000 for an initial post-graduation practical-training recommendation and $30,000 for a subsequent recommendation. Affected students should contact their university’s international student office, review pending applications and submit formal regulatory comments by the relevant deadline.
The proposal does not currently prevent eligible students from applying for OPT. Its practical effect depends on whether DHS finalises the rule and on any resulting legal or administrative process.
Claims about the number of affected graduates, the nationalities most affected, the rule’s stated economic rationale and likely court challenges were not verified in the available rule text and have been removed.
