Only a day before the new academic-year OPT filing window opens, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a proposed rule that would impose a staggering **US $70,000 fee on every initial Optional Practical Training (OPT) petition** and an additional US $30,000 for each renewal. Under current rules, F-1 students (or their employers) pay a US $410 Form I-765 filing fee plus an $85 biometrics charge. DHS argues that the dramatic increase will “fully recover national-security vetting costs,” but higher-education leaders warn that the price tag could devastate enrollment at U.S. STEM programs that depend on OPT to attract foreign applicants. Universities—not students—would be liable for the payment, yet most institutions say they would have no choice but to pass the cost along through tuition or abandon OPT sponsorship entirely for all but the wealthiest programs. The Association of International Educators (NAFSA) projects a 35 % drop in STEM graduate enrollment if the fee is finalized. For U.S. employers, the rule could shrink an important talent funnel; nearly half of all H-1B holders begin their careers in the United States on OPT. Companies should reassess campus-recruiting strategies and budget for alternative visa pathways such as the J-1 intern/trainee or TN where available. Stakeholders have 60 days to submit comments. Mobility teams should coordinate with university partners and trade associations to quantify the economic impact and advocate for exemptions or sliding-scale fees for nonprofit institutions.
Source: Associated Press
