The Aporia · Public comments flood US government websites over proposed H-1B, OPT fee hikes

Thousands of people have submitted comments to U.S. government websites regarding proposed fee hikes for H-1B visas and Optional Practical Training (OPT) programs. Chinese students and other graduates are particularly concerned about the steep costs, which could prevent them from working in America after graduation. Kana Liu, a Canadian living in the US on a work visa, opposes the suggested fees of $70,000 for initial OPT and $30,000 for subsequent renewals, arguing they unfairly hinder students and institutions while failing to address fraud or protect American workers effectively.

Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-13, using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the same event (that is the story summary below).

Story summary

In October 2026, a Department of Homeland Security proposal to charge up to $100,000 in fees for international students under Optional Practical Training (OPT) drew widespread criticism. Kana Liu, a Chinese Canadian on a work visa, expressed her opposition by submitting comments online. She argued against the proposed initial OPT fee of $70,000 and subsequent fee of $30,000, saying these fees create unnecessary barriers for legitimate students and institutions while not effectively addressing concerns about immigration fraud or protecting American workers.

Thousands of individuals, including Chinese students and other graduates, have joined Liu in submitting comments to the government’s public comment portal. These submissions highlight growing concern over steep new costs that could jeopardize international students’ prospects of working in America post-graduation. The proposals aim to raise fees for both OPT programs and H-1B visas, adding significant uncertainty for those seeking to study or work in the US.

Written for “H1B OPT Fee Hikes Comments” on 2026-10-14, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

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The model judged this article politically coded and scored it -0.35, but all 1 of its quote(s) are attributed speech - words the article quotes from someone, not the article's own narration, so the score is not published.

Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.

Leaning score withheld for article 77789: attributed speech only · logged 2026-10-13

📰 H1B OPT Fee Hikes Comments

Economy/Business · 1 article(s) covering the same event.

Nothing to compare against. No article is close enough to this one for the pipeline to have linked or judged the pair.

APA MLA Chicago

Li, H. (2026, October 13). Public comments flood US government websites over proposed H-1B, OPT fee hikes. South China Morning Post. https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3370790/public-comments-flood-us-government-websites-over-proposed-h-1b-opt-fee-hikes?utm_source=rss_feed

Dated from the outlet's own feed. Check the original for its byline.

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability

Source leaning vs. consistency

Han Li

10 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

🔮 Public comments flood US government websites over proposed H-1B, OPT fee hikes Chinese students and other graduates voice concerns over steep new costs that could threaten their prospects of working in America Kana Liu, a Chinese Canadian living in the US on a work visa, felt compelled to speak up.

2026-10-13 · mixed framing · Public comments flood US government websites over proposed H-1B, OPT fee hikes

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2026-10-06 · assertive framing · China’s economy to slow as global growth stays solid, US think tank report says

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Also by Han Li

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Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 10 articles by Han Li →

Faced with a Department of Homeland Security proposal to charge up to US$100,000 in fees for international students to work in the US after graduation under Optional Practical Training (OPT), she rushed to the government’s public comment portal.

framing: mixed · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-13

2026-10-13 · South China Morning Post

Public comments flood US government websites over proposed H-1B, OPT fee hikes · mixed framing

Public comments flood US government websites over proposed H-1B, OPT fee hikes Chinese students and other graduates voice concerns over steep new costs that could threaten their prospects of working in America Kana Liu, a Chinese Canadian living in the US on a work visa, felt compelled to speak up. uncertain

Liu → flood → visa

she → face → portal

“I firmly oppose the proposed $70,000 initial OPT fee and $30,000 subsequent fee,” she wrote on the federal comment site on October 12. asserted

she → oppose → October

“They create undue barriers for legitimate students and educational institutions while failing to effectively address the stated goals of preventing immigration fraud and protecting American workers.” asserted

They → create → workers

Liu is among thousands weighing in on two contentious proposals that could sharply raise fees for international students and employers of skilled foreign workers, fuelling debate and adding uncertainty for those hoping to study, work or remain in the US. uncertain

that → weigh → US

Public comments flood US government websites over proposed H-1B, OPT fee hikes

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