U.S. proposes $70,000 OPT fee per student, charged to schools
- ICE proposed a $70,000 fee for each student’s first OPT period.
- Any subsequent OPT period would carry a $30,000 fee.
- SEVP-certified schools that recommend students for OPT would pay the fee.
- 194,554 F-1 students reported OPT employment in 2024.
WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES — United States schools would pay $70,000 for each international student they recommend for Optional Practical Training (OPT) under a new federal proposal, putting a steep price on a program that lets international students gain work experience in the U.S. Any later OPT period would carry another $30,000.
A fee aimed at schools
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) published the proposed rule in the Federal Register on Oct. 8, saying the fees would combat fraud, strengthen the integrity of the immigration system and protect U.S. workers. Comments are due by Nov. 9.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said a fee would push schools to exercise greater oversight and selectivity when recommending students, curbing what it calls “visa mill” activity. It considered exempting small schools, which it estimates make up 56% of certified institutions, but said that could leave significant fraud vulnerabilities unaddressed. It cited an investigation that identified more than 10,000 F-1 students in OPT working for highly suspect employers.
A program that outgrew forecasts
In 2024, 194,554 F-1 students were granted work authorization for OPT and reported working for an employer, up from 160,627 in 2023. Another 165,524 were in STEM OPT, far above the roughly 92,000 DHS had projected for 2026 when it expanded the extension in 2016.
DHS argued that OPT has become a channel to get around employment visa caps, noting that H-1B visas are capped at 65,000 a year plus 20,000 for holders of U.S. master’s degrees or higher, while OPT has no statutory limit. It also pointed to critics who say the FICA tax exemption for students in practical training gives employers an incentive to hire them instead of U.S. workers.
When the cost of hiring foreign graduates in the U.S. climbs, offshore outsourcing and business process outsourcing (BPO) partners become a more practical way to reach the same technical talent. When visa routes narrow, buyers comparing the top BPO companies worldwide can ask providers how quickly they can staff roles from their own delivery centers.
The proposed OPT fee would put a steep price on a pathway that has grown far beyond official forecasts. For enterprise buyers that rely on early-career foreign talent, it adds pressure to plan for more offshore delivery. BPO operators with deep technical benches abroad are positioned to absorb that demand.
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