United States of America

DHS Proposes $70K Fee on Colleges for OPT Work Permits

Does this close illegitimate doors to the job market or price out the talent that fuels U.S. innovation?

4 hours ago·Updated 1 hour ago

DHS Proposes $70K Fee on Colleges for OPT Work Permits

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Above: The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Building in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 5, 2023. Image credit: Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

The Facts

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed a rule on Wednesday that would charge SEVP-certified schools $70,000 for each F-1 student's initial Optional Practical Training (OPT) authorization and $30,000 for any subsequent OPT recommendation.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
LiveNOW from FOX
Inside Higher Ed
The amounts mark a substantial increase from the current charges of $520 for a paper filing or $470 for an electronic submission, which international students have traditionally paid themselves. Public comments on the rule will be accepted through Nov. 9.
USCIS
Politico
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Under the proposal, the fee must be paid before a designated school official enters an OPT recommendation in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System and before an F-1 student applies for work authorization with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Federal Register
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
The DHS confirmed that any revenue collected under the rule, estimated at $12.8 billion per year, will go directly to the U.S. Treasury. If the fees are unpaid, USCIS will not grant employment authorization.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Federal Register
The department said the change would tackle fraud and abuse, citing an investigation that found more than 10,000 F-1 students in OPT working for "highly suspect employers." It also said the introduction of fees aligns with Executive Orders 12866, 13563 and 14192.
Federal Register
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
According to the Institute of International Education, 294,253 students participated in OPT in the 2024-2025 academic year, a 21% rise from the previous year. The figure accounted for roughly a quarter of all international students in the U.S.
Institute of International Education

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The Spin

Pro-government narrative

Student visas are meant for studying, not for sliding into the American job market through the back door. Letting an uncapped work program balloon past the legal limits on skilled visas while young American grads scramble for jobs is indefensible. Putting real money on the line forces schools to vouch only for students who truly earn the opportunity.

Federal Register

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Government-critical narrative

Slapping an impossible price tag on early-career work experience protects no one and hands the world's best talent straight to competitors overseas. International graduates fill shortages in high-demand technical fields and spark growth that creates jobs for American workers. Pricing them out starves U.S. innovation and turns studying here into a bad bet.

Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)