The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a proposed rule in the Federal Register on 8 October 2026 that would put a fee on Optional Practical Training (OPT), the programme that lets F-1 students work in their field during or after their degree. A university would pay $70,000 for each student it recommends for OPT for the first time, and $30,000 for each later OPT recommendation, including the 24-month extension for STEM graduates.
The fee would fall on the school, not the student: a school official could not enter an OPT recommendation until the school had paid. DHS says schools could pass the cost on to international students, to all students or to employers, or decline to recommend a student. The money would go to the US Treasury, not to the immigration programme.
DHS gives fraud and the protection of US workers as its reasons. Its figures show 165,524 F-1 students on STEM OPT in 2024 and another 194,554 on OPT before or after graduation. For a student's first five calendar years in F-1 status, employers pay no Social Security or Medicare tax on their wages, which critics cited in the proposal say gives employers a reason to hire students over US workers.
Nothing has changed yet. Anyone can comment until 9 November 2026 on regulations.gov, under docket ICEB-2026-0100. DHS would then have to publish a final rule, which it proposes would take effect 60 days later and apply to OPT recommendations dated on or after that day.
Until then, OPT works as our United States guide describes: up to 12 months after graduating, plus 24 months for STEM degrees. Our guide to visas, money and work rules compares post-study work in ten countries, and US financial aid for international students covers what US universities pay.
