What DHS is proposing
The US Department of Homeland Security announced a proposal on 7 October 2026 to introduce new fees for F-1 students seeking Optional Practical Training, or OPT.
The proposed amounts are $70,000 per student for initial OPT and $30,000 per student for any subsequent OPT. DHS describes OPT as temporary employment authorisation connected to a student’s field of study.
The agency says the proposal is intended to address fraud and abuse, strengthen immigration-system integrity and protect US workers. Those are the Government’s stated reasons for the measure, not independently established conclusions about international students.
What is the legal status?
The Federal Register published ‘Optional Practical Training Fees’ on 8 October and explicitly labels it a proposed rule. Its listed comment deadline is 9 November 2026.
As of 21 October, that deadline is still ahead. Nothing in the supplied snippets establishes a final rule or an operative date for collecting these proposed fees.
The correct distinction is therefore straightforward: the fee amounts have been proposed, but the supplied evidence does not show that they are payable now. A government announcement can be important without already changing an applicant’s immediate bill.
Important details remain outside the extracts
The supplied material does not reproduce the full proposed rule, its detailed treatment of different OPT situations or any final implementation arrangements. Applicants should not fill those gaps with assumptions about existing authorisations or future applications.
The proposal also should not be described as an enacted abolition of OPT. Its subject, as presented in the official snippets, is the introduction of fees for participation in the programme.
What this means for you
Indian students considering US study should recognise the proposal as a significant planning risk, especially where a financial plan depends on post-study employment. However, do not treat the proposed amounts as confirmed current charges or pay an intermediary claiming to collect them.
Current students should discuss application planning with their designated school official. Read the Federal Register proposal and confirm the current requirements through official DHS and USCIS guidance before filing.
If you wish to comment, use the official process before 9 November and remember that submitted comments are public.
Source: federalregister.gov — always confirm details on the official website.
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