Washington | 16 Sep 2026
A proposed US OPT fee rule affecting post-study work authorisation for international graduates has cleared White House regulatory review. However, the widely reported $100,000 charge—about ₹88 lakh—has neither been officially confirmed nor implemented.
US OPT fee proposal awaits public release
The Department of Homeland Security’s US Immigration and Customs Enforcement submitted the proposed rule, titled “Optional Practical Training Fees”, to the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs on 20 August 2026.
The official OIRA record shows that the review concluded on 11 September with the designation “Consistent with Change”. The proposal is classified as economically significant and remains at the proposed-rule stage.
The government has not yet disclosed the proposed fee, who would be required to pay it, which OPT applications it would cover, possible exemptions or an implementation date. The OIRA record also does not list a date for publication in the Federal Register.
Reports that the Trump administration is considering a $100,000 fee originated before the regulatory review was completed. Until the proposed rule is published, the figure should be treated as a reported possibility rather than an approved government charge.
What the US OPT fee proposal means for Indian students
Optional Practical Training allows eligible F-1 students to obtain temporary employment directly related to their field of study. Standard post-completion OPT generally provides up to 12 months of work authorisation, while eligible science, technology, engineering and mathematics graduates may seek a 24-month STEM extension.
The programme is particularly important for Indian graduates. According to the 2025 Open Doors report, 363,019 Indian students were enrolled at US institutions during the 2024–25 academic year. ICE data for 2024 also showed that students from India accounted for 48% of STEM OPT participants.
However, claims that the proposal will automatically affect about four lakh Indian students are premature. Not every Indian student applies for OPT, and the rule’s scope, payment responsibility and treatment of existing participants remain undisclosed.
Is the reported $100,000 OPT fee effective?
No new $100,000 OPT fee is currently in force. Completion of the White House review does not itself create a charge or change the existing application process.
The next expected step is publication of the proposed rule in the Federal Register. That document should disclose the proposed amount and eligibility conditions. A public-comment period would ordinarily follow before the administration could consider issuing a final rule and setting an effective date.
Students, universities and employers should therefore continue following the existing OPT requirements and rely on official DHS, ICE, USCIS and Federal Register announcements before making financial or academic decisions.
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