Washington, October 20, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Indian students seeking to work in the United States after graduation could face additional hurdles under a proposed US government plan that would impose a $70,000 fee for initial Optional Practical Training (OPT) and another $30,000 for a subsequent OPT period.
The proposal, published in the Federal Register on October 8 by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is not yet in force. The public has until November 9 to submit comments under docket ICEB-2026-0100 on regulations.gov. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must review the feedback before deciding whether to issue a final rule, and no implementation date has been announced.
Under the proposal, the fee would be charged to institutions certified under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program before a designated school official recommends an F-1 student for OPT. The additional $30,000 would apply to the 24-month extension available to eligible graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
A student using both pre-completion and post-completion OPT could trigger fees totalling $100,000, compared with $70,000 if the entire OPT period takes place after graduation.
DHS acknowledges that universities may pass the financial burden on to international students, other students or employers. Institutions could seek a refund if a student does not receive an employment authorisation document.
The department says the proposed charges are intended to curb what it describes as widespread OPT fraud and abuse, protect US workers and reduce the cost of investigations. It argues that the fees would discourage the use of OPT to bypass H-1B visa caps, fees and prevailing-wage requirements.
Using 2024 figures of 194,554 OPT participants and 95,384 STEM OPT participants, DHS estimates annualised transfers of $12.8 billion under its primary scenario, with a projected total of $109.4 billion over 10 years.
The proposal is particularly significant for Indian students, who form the largest group of international students in the US. OPT is a key route for graduates to gain work experience and potentially transition to H-1B employment.
Universities could reconsider their willingness to support OPT applications if required to pay substantial fees, particularly for non-STEM courses. The proposal comes amid separate legal challenges to a $100,000 H-1B fee policy and a DHS rule ending automatic extensions of certain work permits.
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