The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed a rule on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, that would require U.S. colleges and universities to pay a $70,000 fee for each international student seeking to work in the United States through the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program. Under the proposal, schools would also be required to pay $30,000 for each application to extend a student's participation in the program.
The OPT program allows foreign students on F-1 visas to work in jobs related to their major for one year after graduation, with students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields eligible for a two-year extension. Historically, students have paid the current fee of approximately $500 themselves. The new proposal shifts the financial requirement to the educational institutions, which must pay the fee before recommending a student for the program in federal tracking systems.
DHS stated in a press release that the fee is a response to fraud and abuse, with a spokesperson describing the visa program as a "pipeline for cheap foreign labor." The agency said the cost would compel schools to "exercise greater oversight and selectivity" when recommending students. According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agency identified more than 10,000 cases of potential fraud associated with the program earlier this year.
For international students and their prospective employers, the concrete day-to-day change involves an increase in the cost of securing work authorization. Employers in the technology and STEM sectors frequently use OPT as a bridge to transition graduates into H-1B skilled-worker visas. Sarah Spreitzer of the American Council on Education noted that new international enrollment fell by 17% last fall and suggested that further increases in cost or administrative burden could discourage students from choosing U.S. institutions over those in other countries.
The proposed rule follows other recent administration actions, including a rule finalized this summer to limit student stays to four years without federal approval, which was blocked by a federal court in September. Doug Rand, a former U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services adviser, suggested the new fee could face court challenges. The public has 60 days to submit comments on the DHS proposal, with the deadline set for November 9, 2026. The department must review these comments before it can finalize or implement the fees.