The Department of Homeland Security proposed new fees for Optional Practical Training in a Federal Register notice published October 8, 2026. Under the proposal, an F-1 student at a Student and Exchange Visitor Program-certified institution would pay $70,000 for initial OPT and $30,000 for any subsequent period of OPT. The notice describes the fees as a way “to combat fraud, strengthen the integrity of the immigration system, and protect U.S. workers.” The proposal is here .
OPT lets F-1 students work in their field of study after graduation, usually for 12 months, with a 24-month extension for eligible STEM graduates. It is a common bridge between a student visa and an H-1B petition. The government’s current charge is far lower; the Los Angeles Times reported that students now pay about $500. The proposal does not change who is eligible for OPT. It would attach a payment to each OPT period, charged for each F-1 nonimmigrant student who engages in OPT.
The document is a notice of proposed rulemaking, not a final rule, and it is not in effect. Written comments must be received on or before November 9, 2026. Comments on the information-collection portion are due December 7, 2026. A rule at this stage can still be changed, delayed or withdrawn, and the department must review the comments before it issues a final version.
For readers on the F-1 to OPT to H-1B path, the proposal is a cost item to watch rather than a change to plan around today. It does not alter the rules for pending H-1B petitions, EB-2 NIW or EB-1A petitions, or family and employment green-card cases. It also does not change the separate, older proposal to replace the “duration of status” rule for F-1 students, which remains in litigation and rulemaking.
The fee proposal was announced the same day the administration named nine universities in a federal J-1 visa fraud investigation and suspended PERM labor certifications for eight large employers. Those are separate actions. The OPT notice is the only one of the three that runs through the formal notice-and-comment process, which is why it has a public comment deadline.
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Source: Federal Register