Comment Period on Proposed OPT Fees Ends Nov. 9: $70,000 for a First Period, $30,000 for Each Additional Period
A proposed rule by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), that would impose new fees on Optional Practical Training (OPT) for international students closes its public comment period at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on November 9. The proposal was published in the Federal Register on October 8, and GSM reported its main points at the time.
Under the proposal, a school would have to pay the fee before its designated school official (DSO) recommends a student for OPT in the SEVIS system: $70,000 for a first period of OPT and $30,000 for each subsequent period, including STEM extensions. Schools could absorb the cost or pass it on to the student applicant, to students generally, or to employers.
DHS estimates the fees would raise between $8.4 billion and $16.5 billion a year and would affect 2,478 certified schools nationwide. OPT is the main channel through which F-1 students work in the United States after graduation, generally for 12 months, with a further 24-month extension available to STEM graduates.
As of November 2, the docket (ICEB-2026-0100) had received 4,844 public comments on the federal rulemaking portal. Comments may be submitted through the portal until the deadline; comments on the information-collection aspects of the proposal are due by December 7.
The proposal is not yet in effect. After the comment period closes, DHS will review the submissions before deciding whether to issue a final rule and what the final fee levels will be.
(Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security)
Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：美国国土安全部总部大楼（资料图）。 / Photo: The headquarters building of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (file photo).
