DHS Proposes $70,000 First-OPT and $30,000 Later School Fees
A DHS proposed rule would block F-1 OPT recommendations and work authorization until a sponsoring university pays $70,000 for a student's first OPT and $30,000 for each later recommendation, including STEM extensions.
On October 8, 2026, DHS published a proposed rule (Docket No. ICEB-2026-0100) requiring SEVP-certified institutions to pay a $70,000 fee before a student's first optional practical training (OPT) recommendation and a $30,000 fee for each subsequent recommendation, including the STEM extension. Designated school officials would be barred from entering an OPT recommendation in SEVIS until payment, and USCIS would be barred from issuing the OPT employment authorization document without it. Implementation is proposed 60 days after any final rule, with students approved or recommended before that date grandfathered in. DHS estimates 2,478 affected schools and $8.4 billion to $16.5 billion in annual fees, invoking fraud and worker-protection rationales and INA 214(a) authority.
For employers that sponsor OPT graduates, and for universities with large international enrollment, the practical effect is a cost pass-through question affecting staffing pipelines and budgets. The fee magnitude and deposit into the general treasury are widely expected to draw litigation if finalized. Comments are due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern on November 7, 2026, via regulations.gov only; the figures above are DHS's own estimates as reported by counsel, and the rule is proposed, not final.