US Unveils $70,000 OPT Fee For Foreign Students Seeking US Jobs

Colleges must now cover graduates’ first OPT fee, plus $30,000 later, hitting Chinese students hardest.

A Costly New Rule For International Graduates

The United States wants certified schools to pay $70,000 for every foreign student who joins a post study work programme. This steep new fee could sharply raise costs for thousands of Chinese graduates. These students often seek valuable work experience inside the country. The plan targets the Optional Practical Training programme, widely known as OPT.

How The New OPT Fee Structure Works

The Department of Homeland Security announced the proposal on Wednesday. Schools would pay $70,000 for a student’s first OPT application. A further $30,000 fee would apply to any later OPT request. DHS published the full proposed rule in the Federal Register this week.

Chinese Students And Fraud Concerns Cited

The proposed rule also raises concerns about Chinese students and Beijing. Officials used this reasoning to justify tightening the OPT programme. DHS pointed to a 2020 visa fraud case involving at least 2,693 people. Most of them were Chinese F-1 students applying for OPT. One student linked to that case was later convicted. Authorities found the student had acted as an unregistered agent for the Chinese government.