The OPT Fee Proposal Is Here.
If you're on F-1 and your group chat just exploded… well, that’s no surprise. Yes, the numbers have been announced for the proposed OPT Fee(s), and they are staggering. But, no one owes that fee today. If you are currently in OPT/STEM OPT, nothing is changed by what was released this morning.
This proposal has been expected since it cleared White House review in mid-September. Today, DHS released the text through ICE, the agency that runs SEVP. It's scheduled to publish in the Federal Register tomorrow, Thursday, October 8th.
What's Actually Being Proposed
Two fees are being proposed: $70,000 the first time a student is recommended for OPT, whether that's pre-completion or post-completion. Then $30,000 for any later OPT, which includes the STEM OPT extension.
The proposal puts the payment on the school, not on the student directly. Universities would have to pay before your DSO could enter the OPT recommendation in SEVIS, and USCIS couldn't approve your work authorization without it.
We should not be too quick to lean on "the school pays", as if students are off the hook. DHS says in the proposal that schools may pass the cost on to students or employers. We still do not have enough information to
Who Is and Isn't Affected
This is a proposed rule. DHS has to take public comments for 30 days, review them, and publish a final rule. Even then, it wouldn't take effect until 60 days after that final rule publishes.
DHS proposes to apply it going forward only. If you're on OPT now, or your DSO recommends you before the effective date, that period of OPT doesn't trigger the fee. Changing employers wouldn't trigger it either, because the fee isn't tied to an employer.
However, we do need to watch the STEM extension closely... If you're on OPT now and your STEM extension recommendation is dated after the effective date, the proposal treats that as a new request, and the full $70,000 fee would apply, not the $30,000. The lower rate only applies once the $70,000 has already been paid for you, and for anyone whose first OPT came before the rule, it never was. Talk to your DSO about your own timeline.
Please don't confuse thiswith the $100,000 H-1B fee. That's a presidential proclamation tied up in court. This is a separate regulation, about a separate program, at a much earlier stage.
"DHS Is Ending OPT"... No.
You'll likely see this headline floating around, but it isn’t true.
Here's where it comes from: In the proposal, DHS says that without these fees it "may shut down the program entirely." That's a statement inside a proposed rule. It's a warning about what DHS might do. OPT exists today exactly as it did yesterday.
TLDR
Nothing changes today. The proposal is $70,000 for initial OPT and $30,000 for later OPT, including STEM. Schools would be billed, but DHS says they can pass that expense on.
This is still a proposal, with a 30-day comment period (Docket No. ICEB-2026-0100), and it can't take effect until 60 days after a final rule. If you're eligible for OPT or a STEM extension soon, talk to your DSO now about timing. Please don't change your plans, your program, or your job until you have complete information. And remember, you can comment when it opens for comment tomorrow. That's what the comment period is for.
This post is for general information only and is not legal advice. For guidance on your specific situation, please consult a licensed immigration attorney or your school's DSO.
