DHS Proposes $70,000 Fee for International Students to Work in the US, Up From $500

The Department of Homeland Security posted a proposed rule on October 7, 2026 that would require international students on F-1 visas to pay at least $70,000 to a certified institution for Optional Practical Training (OPT) work authorization, plus $30,000 for additional work-training periods. Enrollees currently pay roughly $500. DHS said the fees are meant "to combat fraud, strengthen the integrity of the immigration system, and protect US workers." The proposal follows a $100,000 H-1B petition fee that two federal judges have since struck down.

The roughly 140-fold increase would put OPT authorization out of reach for most students and the employers who hire them after graduation, immigration attorneys said. OPT is the main path many international graduates use to gain US work experience, so the fee would narrow a decades-old visa category through cost rather than through any change to the underlying statute.

The rule is open for 30 days of public comment and would take effect 60 days after finalization. Doug Rand, director of the Talent Mobility Fund, predicted it "isn't going to fare well in the courts," citing the H-1B fee's fate. No legal challenge has yet been filed.