DHS proposes $70,000 initial OPT fee, $30,000 for later requests

On October 7, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a proposal requiring schools to pay $70,000 before initially recommending Optional Practical Training (OPT). Later recommendations for an F-1 student, including STEM OPT extensions, would cost $30,000 after the initial fee.

Because this is only a proposed rule, universities and students do not have to pay additional fees for OPT at this time. Before issuing a final rule, DHS must go through the formal rulemaking process—which includes accepting public comments until November 7, 2026.

What new OPT fees could DHS require schools to pay?

The proposed rule establishes two fee levels that schools certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) would have to pay:

• $70,000 for the initial recommendation: The fee would cover first-time pre-completion or post-completion OPT.
• An additional $30,000 for later recommendations: This requires prior OPT participation and payment of the initial $70,000 fee.

If implemented as-is, the $30,000 fee could cover additional pre-completion OPT, post-completion OPT, or a STEM OPT extension. However, the proposed rule clarifies that changing employers alone would not trigger this additional cost.

Under the proposal, the fees would not apply until the final rule takes effect, which DHS proposes to be 60 days after the final rule is published. Students already on OPT, or already recommended or approved before that date, would not trigger the fee for that period of OPT.

Any new OPT recommendation on or after the effective date would trigger the fee, including a STEM OPT extension for a student whose earlier OPT predates the rule.

Could schools pass the OPT fees to students or employers?

DHS acknowledges that schools could pass the proposed fees to F-1 students, other students, or employers. Schools would remain responsible for paying DHS and complying with other applicable laws.

What would the proposal mean for F-1 students and their employers?

If finalized as-is, Manifest immigration attorney Ana Gabriela Urizar says schools will likely become stricter about recommending international students for OPT. “DHS’s proposed rule even admits that it suspects OPT enrollment to dip when this rule goes into effect,” she says. “However, this is just a proposed rule at the moment, which means that work authorization is left alone as of today.”

For schools, employers, and F-1 holders, this proposal does not change current OPT fees. However, Urizar recommends speaking with an immigration attorney before filing for work authorization or hiring an international student.