NewsFlash! DHS Proposes $70,000 Initial OPT Fee and $30,000 Fee for Subsequent OPT
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a proposed rule on October 7, 2026, that would require Student and Exchange Visitor Program-certified schools to pay $70,000 before first recommending an F-1 student for optional practical training (OPT), and $30,000 before
Openbound perspective
A proposed OPT fee would change the job-search math for F-1 students
Murthy Law Firm reports that DHS has released a proposed rule tied to schools’ first OPT recommendation and later OPT requests; students and employers should read this as a planning signal, not a final outcome.
Murthy Law Firm reports that DHS released a proposed rule that would require SEVP-certified schools to pay $70,000 before recommending an F-1 student for OPT the first time, and $30,000 before a later OPT recommendation. [1]
That limited reporting matters for students and visa-dependent professionals because any school-side cost pressure could affect advising, timing, and which career paths are easiest to support. [1]
This preview does not establish whether the proposal will survive review, change in form, or affect any specific student or program. [1]
- Ask a school’s international office how it is modeling proposed DHS fee exposure for OPT-related decisions.
- If a U.S. job offer depends on OPT timing, compare backup options early: a different start date, another training path, or a role outside the narrow OPT window.
- Employers should ask whether the school’s internal approval process could become slower or more selective if the proposed fee remains part of the rulemaking.
School cost pressure may shape OPT advice
Murthy Law Firm’s reporting describes a DHS proposal that would place a large fee burden on schools before an OPT recommendation is made. The practical question for students is not only what the rule says, but how schools might react if the cost becomes part of their decision-making.
For international students, that could affect when a school is willing to support a work-based plan, even if the student is otherwise ready to move forward. The key tradeoff is between staying on a preferred job timeline and preserving flexibility if the school tightens its process.
Questions to bring to career planning conversations
A proposal like this can matter long before any final policy takes effect, because job searches often start with assumptions about when work authorization support will be available. Students should ask whether their current program has a backup recommendation timeline and whether any delays could affect start dates.
The more useful conversation is about contingency planning: What happens if the school pauses, slows, or limits OPT recommendations? Which employers are open to a later start? Which roles can tolerate a longer runway?
What this preview cannot prove
This preview only reports that DHS released a proposed rule and gives the fee figures cited by Murthy Law Firm. It does not establish the rule’s final text, whether it will become final, or how any individual school will respond.
That means students should treat the preview as a prompt to review planning assumptions, not as proof that every OPT path will be affected in the same way.