Foreign Students in America May Now Have To Pay $70,000, Check Details

The US Department of Homeland Security has proposed a $70,000 fee for the first Optional Practical Training recommendation for an F-1 student, with another $30,000 fee for later OPT recommendations. The proposal is not yet in effect.

The proposed rule would require US educational institutions certified under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program to pay $70,000 when they first recommend an F-1 student for Optional Practical Training (OPT).

A $30,000 fee would apply to each subsequent OPT recommendation for the same student. This includes STEM OPT extensions.

Importantly, the proposed fees would not be charged directly to foreign students by the US government. The payment obligation would initially fall on the educational institution. However, schools could decide how to absorb the cost or whether to pass some of it on to students or employers.

What Is Changing for F-1 Students?

OPT allows eligible F-1 students to work temporarily in jobs related to their field of study. Students can generally receive up to 12 months of OPT, while eligible STEM graduates can seek a further 24-month extension.

Under the proposal, a school recommending a student for initial OPT would face the $70,000 fee. A later recommendation, including a STEM OPT extension, would carry the additional $30,000 fee.

The DHS says the proposed fees would help reduce fraud and abuse in the OPT system, strengthen immigration-system integrity and protect US workers.

The proposal comes as the Trump administration continues to tighten policies affecting foreign students and workers.

Proposal Open for Public Comment

The measure was published in the Federal Register and is now subject to public comment. The proposal is not a final rule, so the fees do not currently apply.

If finalized, the change could significantly affect universities that rely on OPT as a pathway for international graduates to gain US work experience, particularly graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The proposed rule also acknowledges uncertainty over how universities, students and employers would respond to the higher costs.