Rumored OPT Fees: What You Need to Know About Current Charges

Recent discussions have raised concerns about significant new fees for Optional Practical Training (OPT) and STEM OPT. Rumors of a $70,000 OPT fee and a $30,000 STEM OPT fee have circulated widely. However, as of October 7, 2026, these figures remain unconfirmed and are not currently in effect. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has not published any official rule or proposal that includes these amounts.

It is important for international students to understand the current situation regarding OPT fees and to rely on official sources for accurate information. The process for implementing any new fees involves specific regulatory steps that have not yet been completed for the rumored charges.

Understanding the OPT Fee Rumors

The proposed fees of $70,000 for OPT and $30,000 for STEM OPT have caused considerable anxiety among international students. These figures have appeared in various reports and discussions, leading many to believe they are imminent. However, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) submitted a proposal regarding “Optional Practical Training Fees” (identified as RIN 1653-AB01) to the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) on August 20, 2026. OIRA completed its review of this proposal on September 11, 2026.

This review is an internal administrative step and does not constitute a published policy or a finalized fee structure. The public record does not contain details about the charges or payment terms associated with this proposal. Therefore, the rumored amounts are not based on any officially confirmed or published rule.

The Path to New Fee Implementation

Before any new fees can be implemented, DHS must follow a formal regulatory process. This process begins with the publication of a proposed rule in the Federal Register. This public notice allows students, employers, and other interested parties to review the proposed terms and submit comments.

A published proposal would need to clearly outline the specific fee amounts, identify who would be responsible for payment (students, employers, or both), and specify whether the fees cover initial OPT applications, STEM extensions, or both. Additionally, details such as exemptions, hardship provisions, a proposed start date, and the comment period deadline would need to be included. None of these details are present in the unpublished review record for the current proposal. Figures as high as $100,000 have also been mentioned in some reports, but these are equally unconfirmed.

Current OPT and STEM OPT Fees

International students currently applying for employment authorization through OPT and STEM OPT must continue to use Form I-765 and adhere to the existing filing fees. The current fee for filing Form I-765 online is $470. For paper filings, the fee is $520. These are the established charges, not the speculative amounts that have been circulating.

For those eligible, optional premium processing is available at a cost of $1,780, following an adjustment that took effect on March 1, 2026. Post-completion OPT typically allows for up to 12 months of employment authorization. Graduates in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields may be eligible for an additional 24-month extension, bringing the total potential authorization to 36 months.

What to Expect Moving Forward

The publication of a proposed rule would initiate a notice-and-comment period, not an immediate activation of new payments. DHS would typically review public feedback and issue a final rule before any new charges become effective. Students who are currently filing or planning to file their OPT or STEM OPT applications should continue to follow the established procedures and pay the current fees. An OPT or STEM OPT application does not currently trigger a $70,000 or $30,000 payment under any publicly confirmed rule. Any future official proposal would clarify the intended charges, who they apply to, and when they might take effect. Until then, the reviewed proposal remains an unpublished document, and no final agency decision has been made regarding these rumored fees.

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