DHS Proposes $70,000 Fees for Foreign Student Work

The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, proposed requiring schools to pay $70,000 for each new international student's initial Optional Practical Training authorization and $30,000 for each renewal, including STEM extensions. OPT generally allows 12 months of work after graduation; STEM graduates can receive an additional 24 months. Schools would owe the fees. The public has 60 days to comment before any final rule. Great Andhra reported combined costs could reach $100,000 for a STEM graduate seeking three full years of OPT. In a statement, DHS called the program a "pipeline for cheap foreign labor." Fanta Aw, CEO of NAFSA, an association representing international education, in a written statement: "Driving away the talents, perspectives, and aspirations of international students will only hurt American innovation, economic growth, workforce development, and global leadership." This summer DHS finalized a separate rule limiting international students to four years without federal approval; a federal court blocked it in September. Last year the administration began terminating legal status of thousands of international students, including detentions and deportations. The OPT fee proposal is not in effect.