- The Trump administration is considering a one hundred thousand dollar fee for international graduates seeking OPT work authorization.
- A separate rule ending duration of status admissions will take effect on September fifteenth, twenty twenty-six.
- Federal courts recently blocked a similar fee for H-1B visas, labeling the massive payment an unauthorized tax.
The Trump administration is weighing a $100,000 fee for foreign graduates seeking to work in the United States after completing their studies, a proposal that could put the program beyond the reach of many international students.
The charge would apply to Optional Practical Training, known as OPT. The program allows F-1 students to work in the United States for 12 months after graduation, or up to 36 months for graduates in qualifying STEM fields.
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The proposal has not been finalized. A White House official said July 30 that there was “no imminent policy change,” but did not deny that officials were considering the plan.
The administration is weighing the idea after a federal appeals court rejected its effort to revive a similar charge for H-1B visas. The case could shape how officials approach another large payment tied to immigration benefits.
On July 24, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit denied the government’s motion to restore the H-1B fee. The ruling left in place a lower-court decision in State of California v. Mullin that characterized the payment as an unauthorized tax.
The proposed payment would tower over existing OPT charges
Applicants currently pay far less for employment authorization and faster processing. The relevant charges include the following:
| OPT-related charge | Amount | Timing or status |
|---|---|---|
Form I-765 employment authorization application | $410 | Current fee as of July 2026 |
| Optional premium processing | $1,780 | Effective March 1, 2026 |
| Proposed OPT payment | $100,000 | Under consideration, not finalized |
The $410 payment covers the employment authorization application. Premium processing remains optional, and USCIS set that charge at $1,780 effective March 1, 2026.
A $100,000 payment would exceed the typical annual starting salary for most graduates, according to the proposal’s projected effect. It would likely place the program beyond the means of the vast majority of middle-class international students.
Approximately 419,000 international graduates worked through OPT in 2024. The proposed cost could therefore reach a large group of workers who use the program to gain post-graduation employment in the United States.
Universities have expressed alarm about the possible effect on recruitment. They have warned of a “precipitous drop” in international enrollment, which provides a major revenue source for higher education.
A separate rule will replace duration-of-status admissions
The fee proposal is separate from a student rule that the Department of Homeland Security finalized on July 17, 2026. The rule, titled “Establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission and an Extension of Stay Procedure for Nonimmigrant Academic Students,” changes how long many nonimmigrant academic students may remain under their initial admission.
The rule takes effect September 15, 2026. Students will no longer receive admission for “Duration of Status.” Instead, they will receive a fixed period, typically 4 years.
Students seeking to remain beyond that period, including to complete OPT, will need to submit a formal Extension of Stay application to USCIS. The requirement creates a separate procedural hurdle from any future payment attached to post-graduation work authorization.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin described the rule as an enforcement measure in a July 23 statement:
“For decades, foreign students have been admitted into the US indefinitely, allowing thousands to abuse our immigration system by perpetually enrolling in courses to avoid having to leave. This final rule restores federal oversight and closes a longstanding immigration loophole.”
The fixed-admission rule is already scheduled for implementation. The proposed OPT charge remains under consideration.
The H-1B litigation gives the proposal a legal backdrop
The First Circuit case involved H-1B petitions rather than student employment authorization. The court refused to restore the $100,000 H-1B payment while the dispute continued.
USCIS addressed the ruling in a July 28 alert. The agency said DHS disagreed with the court’s decision but would follow it while considering next steps.
“DHS strongly disagrees with the First Circuit’s order denying the stay request but will comply with the court’s order while DHS considers next steps. If this order is later lifted, DHS still plans to collect the payment [for H-1B petitions].”
That statement concerned H-1B petitions, not OPT applications. It also showed that DHS continues to defend collection of the separate H-1B payment if the court order is later lifted.
As of July 30, 2026, USCIS and DHS had issued no regulation or proclamation establishing the proposed OPT fee. The existing $410 application charge and $1,780 optional premium-processing charge therefore remain the official OPT-related fees listed for July 2026.
The administration’s next concrete student-immigration change is scheduled for September 15, 2026, when the fixed-admission rule takes effect. Any separate payment for post-graduation work would require its own final policy action.
