USA08 October, 20262 min read
U.S. Department Of Homeland Security Proposes $70,000 Fee For International Students’ OPT Work
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DHS proposes a $70,000 fee per international student for OPT. Schools would pay the fee for each student participating in OPT.
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DHS proposes $70,000 fee
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security proposed on Wednesday to impose a $70,000 fee on international students who wish to work in the United States through the Optional Practical Training program.
The proposal would require educational institutions to pay $70,000 for each student participating in OPT for the initial admission application, and it would require an additional $30,000 fee at each renewal.
The proposal would cover OPT work that is related to students' fields of study during or after their studies, with students generally permitted to work for one year after graduation and STEM graduates eligible for an additional two-year extension.
The Department of Homeland Security described the fees as a measure to curb visa fraud and abuse, calling OPT "a channel for bringing in cheap foreign labor."
Institutions pay, USCIS blocks
The proposal would require SEVP-certified educational institutions to pay the fee before their authorized school official recommends the student for OPT in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System.
The proposal text says that without that prepayment, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services could not grant the employment authorization corresponding to the student.
The proposal would set a $70,000 fee for the first access to OPT and a $30,000 fee for each subsequent recommendation, and it would apply to STEM extension as part of the same scheme.
The proposal would also face a 60-day public comment period before the department approves and implements it, and it could face possible legal challenge from higher education associations or trade groups.
NAFSA and courts push back
NAFSA executive director Dawn Taub said the OPT program gives international students a chance to gain hands-on experience and helps address shortages in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics sectors.
Taub warned in a written release that “draining talent and attacking the ambitious pursuits of international students will only harm American innovation, economic growth, workforce development, and global leadership.”
Doug Rand, a former senior advisor at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services during the Biden administration, predicted that courts would strike down the new fee, just as they did with the previous $100,000 work visa fee.
Sarah Spreitzer, vice president of the American Council on Education, said international student enrollment has seen a notable decline, with the number of new international students coming to the United States for the first time falling by 17% last fall.