Overview
- The Department of Homeland Security published a proposed rule in early October that would require SEVP‑certified schools to pay $70,000 for a student’s first Optional Practical Training recommendation and $30,000 for each subsequent recommendation.
- Under the proposal the institution must pay before an authorized school official can enter the OPT recommendation into SEVIS and the fee is triggered by the school’s recommendation rather than by any particular employer.
- Universities and higher‑education groups warned the rule could push schools to pass costs to students or employers, cut the number of OPT recommendations, or reduce admissions of international students, especially in programs that feed STEM and technology employers.
- Advocates such as NAFSA say restricting OPT risks economic harm, noting that international students and their families contributed $42.9 billion and supported more than 355,000 jobs in 2024–25, figures used to argue the rule could weaken U.S. innovation and labor pipelines.
- The proposal is not final and is open for public comment through November 9, 2026, after which DHS may revise, finalize or withdraw it and stakeholders have signaled likely legal and political challenges if it moves forward.