DHS proposes $70k fee for first OPT, $30k for each extension
A DHS proposed rule would require SEVP-certified schools to pay $70,000 for each student's first OPT recommendation and $30,000 for every later STEM OPT extension, sharply repricing U.S. international student placements.
On October 8, 2026, DHS published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the Federal Register covering Optional Practical Training (OPT), which lets F-1 students work in the U.S. for up to 12 months after graduation, with a further 24 months for STEM graduates. The proposal would charge SEVP-certified schools $70,000 for a student's first OPT recommendation of any type and $30,000 for each subsequent recommendation, including STEM OPT extensions. DHS frames the fees as an anti-fraud and enforcement measure, but the practical effect would fall on institutions: potentially six-figure per-student costs that universities, and employers sponsoring interns, may seek to pass through or restructure. Nothing is in effect yet; the comment period closes November 9, 2026, and the existing OPT framework is unchanged unless DHS issues a final rule. Counsel for schools, employers, and student groups should assess budget and compliance exposure, prepare comment submissions if the burden warrants, and track whether DHS retains or revises the fee structure and its evidentiary basis, which is the most likely source of change.