Month: October 2026

New Price Tag on OPT: Proposed $70,000 Fee and What It Means for Institutions

Vanessa Agudelo, Kate Lee Carey and Shannon Noonan On October 8, 2026, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that would impose substantial new fees on schools that recommend F-1 students for optional practical training (OPT). Under the proposal, a school would owe $70,000 for a student’s first OPT recommendation and $30,000 for each subsequent OPT recommendation for that same student, including a STEM OPT extension. The rule is not final, and institutions, employers and students that rely on OPT should understand what is being proposed, seriously consider submitting a comment and start planning now in case it is adopted. Comments are due by November 9, 2026, and can be submitted at the link above.