US Proposes $70,000 OPT Fee for International Students — Would You Still Study in America?

Posted by Dylan Reed

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The Trump administration has proposed a major change to the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program that could significantly affect international students planning to work in the United States.

According to reports published on October 7, 2026, the proposed rule would introduce:

$70,000 fee for an initial OPT recommendation.
$30,000 additional fee for subsequent OPT participation or extensions.
Universities would be responsible for paying these fees, although costs could potentially be passed on to students or employers.

OPT currently allows eligible F-1 international students to gain work experience related to their studies, generally for up to 12 months, with an additional 24-month extension available to eligible STEM graduates.

Important: This is only a proposal, not an approved policy. The new fees are not currently in effect and would need to go through the federal rulemaking process.

If implemented, this could dramatically change how international students plan their education and careers in the US.

What do you think?

Would you still consider studying in the US if this proposal becomes law?
Should universities or employers be responsible for these fees?
Are you currently studying in the US or planning to apply? Has this news changed your plans?
Would you consider alternatives such as Canada, Australia, Germany, or the UK?

Share your thoughts and experiences, especially if you're an international student currently navigating the OPT process.

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Replies (10)

0
Andres Gomez
My decision would depend on the degree. For a fully funded PhD with strong research opportunities, the US might still make sense. For an expensive coursework master's where the main goal is finding employment afterward, I'd seriously reconsider. Those are two very different financial risks.
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Brian Otieno
There's another side to this that people aren't discussing enough. Universities depend on international enrollment for tuition revenue, research and graduate programs. If they stop recommending OPT because of the fees, some students may stop enrolling altogether. This could affect smaller universities particularly badly.
0
Diego Ramirez
I wouldn't cancel an admission application based on this news alone. Proposed rules can be revised, challenged or withdrawn, and this one hasn't taken effect. But I would definitely contact the university's international student office and ask how they're preparing for the possibility.
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Carlos Mendoza
For STEM students this is potentially even worse. An initial OPT recommendation could cost $70,000, followed by another $30,000 for a STEM extension. That's $100,000 across those two stages. I can't imagine smaller employers being willing to help cover costs at that level.
0
Emir Demir
Does anyone know how universities are supposed to handle students who are already halfway through their degrees? Imagine enrolling in a two-year master's program expecting to use OPT and then discovering that your university cannot afford to recommend you. That's the part I'd be most worried about.
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Wei-Chen Lin
Canada, Germany and Australia would definitely become more attractive to me, although none of them guarantees employment or permanent residency either. I'd compare the total tuition, living expenses and post-study work rules before making a decision. The US still has excellent universities, but career opportunities after graduation matter just as much.
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Ji-Hoon Choi
I can understand the government's argument about preventing fraud and misuse of OPT, but I don't see how charging $70,000 per student directly addresses fraudulent employment. Wouldn't stricter employer verification and compliance checks be more effective than making the entire program unaffordable?
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Soo-Jin Kim
One important clarification here. The proposed $70,000 isn't a fee students are currently required to pay, and it isn't automatically charged to an employer either. The proposal puts the payment obligation on the university, although institutions could potentially recover the costs elsewhere. Nothing has changed for current OPT applications yet.
0
Hao-Yu Chen
$70,000 just for a university to recommend someone for OPT sounds completely unrealistic. How many universities can actually afford that for every international graduate? And if they pass the cost on to students, I imagine many people will simply choose another country.
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Aarav Krishnan
I would still consider studying in the US, but only with a substantial scholarship. Spending thousands on tuition is already a huge financial decision for international students. If OPT becomes this expensive, the uncertainty of getting work experience after graduation makes the whole investment much harder to justify.

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