The Department of Homeland Security proposed a new rule imposing significant fees on the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program for international students: $70,000 for initial F-1 student applications and $30,000 for any subsequent OPT extensions. These costs must be covered by educational institutions rather than individual students. The proposal aims to combat fraud and abuse within the system but has sparked controversy among critics who argue it will harm STEM talent recruitment in the U.S.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed a rule on October 8, 2026, that would require universities and other certified schools in the United States to pay a $70,000 fee for each foreign student seeking Optional Practical Training (OPT) after graduation. For subsequent OPT authorizations including STEM OPT extensions, an additional $30,000 fee would be required. Schools must cover these fees before recommending students for the program and before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services grants employment authorization. DHS argues that this move aims to prevent the exploitation of international student labor and ensures that foreign workers justify their value to employers. The proposal has significant implications for thousands of Chinese graduates who rely on OPT for post-graduation work experience in the U.S., potentially raising costs dramatically.
Written for “US Student Visa Work Fee Proposal” on 2026-10-07,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it +0.35, but 1 quote(s) could not be found in the article and the other 1 are attributed speech rather than the article's own narration, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
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Leaning score withheld for article 63081: no verified evidence · logged 2026-10-07
The Department of Homeland Security announced a proposed rule that would impose a $70,000 fee for F-1 students seeking to participate in the OPT program and $30,000 for each subsequent OPT authorization including STEM OPT extensions.
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that → announce → extensions
Schools will have to pay this fee, not the international students.
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Schools → have → fee
The proposed rule is scheduled for publication in the Federal Register on October 8, 2026, and DHS will accept public comments for 30 days.
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DHS → propose → days
“Optional Practical Training was never meant to be a back door into the American workforce, a subsidy for cheap labor, or a prize for those who game the system,” said a DHS Spokesperson.
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Spokesperson → mean → system
“DHS is upskilling OPT to require foreign students to justify their worth to employers.
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DHS → upskille → employers
American workers should not have to compete against a program that has been turned into a pipeline for cheap foreign labor.
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that → have → labor
”
What does new DHS proposal say?
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proposal → say → What
Existing federal regulations allow eligible F-1 nonimmigrant students to engage in OPT if the OPT is directly related to the student’s major area of study.
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OPT → exist → study
To participate, F-1 nonimmigrant students must receive a recommendation from their designated school official (DSO) and apply for employment authorization with U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the proposal said.
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proposal → participate → Services
F-1 students may apply for OPT during their academic program (pre-completion OPT) or after completing their program (post-completion OPT).
uncertain
students → apply → program
Eligible F-1 nonimmigrant students may receive up to 12 months of OPT at each education level.
uncertain
students → receive → level
Those who earn degrees in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics fields may be eligible for an additional 24-month extension.
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who → earn → extension
DHS said the proposed rule is in response to fraud and abuse identified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP).
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rule → say → Program
As more F-1 nonimmigrant students have participated in OPT, SEVP has encountered schools, designated school officials, employers, and F-1 nonimmigrant students engaged in schemes to exploit current regulations, including problematic worksites and “pay-to-stay” visa schemes.
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SEVP → participate → worksites
DHS believes the proposed fees would encourage schools to exercise greater oversight and selectivity when recommending F-1 nonimmigrant students for OPT, helping reduce fraud and strengthen program integrity, it said.
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it → believe → integrity
Who will pay?
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Who → pay → ?
DHS clarified that under the proposed rule, SEVP-certified schools must pay the fee before designated school officials recommend F-1 nonimmigrant students for OPT in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and before F-1 nonimmigrant students apply for employment authorization with USCIS.
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students → clarify → USCIS
USCIS would not grant employment authorization to F-1 nonimmigrant students if schools have not paid the required fee.
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schools → grant → fee
The proposed fee would not be tied to a specific employer.
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fee → propose → employer
Instead, it would apply when schools recommend an F-1 nonimmigrant student for any type of OPT.
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schools → apply → OPT
Collected fees would be deposited in the Treasury of the United States.
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fees → deposit → States
'This will decimate our STEM talent ecosystem'
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This → decimate → ecosystem
Labor and mobility policy manager Sam Peak commented on the proposal saying that it will decimate America's STEM talent ecosystem.
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it → comment → ecosystem
Manhattan Institute researcher Daniel Di Martino said this will be bad for innovation and will cost taxpayers.
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this → say → taxpayers
What was the earlier $100K OPT fee proposed?
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fee → propose → ?
The $100K fee was a proposal which cleared White House review and now the DHS has published the details of it giving a clear break up of the $100K and clarifying that the schools recommending OPT for students will have to pay it.
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schools → clear → it
The Aporia
