The White House last week cleared a proposal from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to fix a new fee on Optional Practical Training (OPT) in the US, signalling its imminent publication.
While details of the rule remain unknown, it started progressing through the regulatory process following reports that the administration was considering a new $100,000 charge for America’s post-graduation work stream.
In its current form, OPT offers international students on F-1 visas an opportunity to gain work experience in the US for 12 months after graduation, while remaining in student status. Those on STEM OPT have the option to extend the program for a further two years.
The work-stream is central to America’s appeal as a study destination, and its growing popularity has been the driving force behind rising international student numbers in recent years.
In 2024/25, OPT participation increased by 21%, largely driven by Indian students – who made up just under half (49%) of the total participants, according to the latest IIE Open Doors data.
The program has come under intense scrutiny from the Trump administration over claims it takes jobs away from American workers, as well as allegations of widespread visa abuse.
As such, the director of America’s notorious Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) recently branded OPT a “magnet for fraud”.
If enacted, it is expected the $100,000 fee would effectively bar thousands of international students from participating in work opportunities through OPT, having a potentially devastating impact on America’s appeal as a study destination.
But it remains unclear whether the charge would be burdened by international students themselves or prospective universities or employers.
Our immigration system is being reformed to serve American citizens, American workers, and American families and to preserve our national identity
DHS spokeperson
Strikingly, a recent NAFSA survey revealed that over half of current postgraduate students indicated they wouldn’t have enrolled at a US college if OPT had been rescinded.
The rule precedes a broader overhaul of the program, with new regulations anticipated in the coming months.
Speaking previously to The PIE News, a DHS spokesperson said the immigration system was “being reformed to serve American citizens, American workers and American families and to preserve our national identity – not to rapidly import foreigners who take American jobs, commit crimes, steal our intellectual property and engage in corporate espionage, and erode our cultural and social fabric”.
The news comes amid wider threats to the country’s education-to-workforce pipeline, following a tightening of internship opportunities for international students across the US, and a proposed $103,265 fee for all H-1B visas, after its previous $100,000 proposal was blocked by the courts.
