$70,000. Read it again: seventy thousand dollars. That is what your university would have to pay the federal government before you can work legally in the United States after graduation — if you study on an F-1 visa.
It is not law. Not yet. It is an official proposal already published in the Federal Register, and this Friday Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended it from New Delhi with a line that applies to every country — Latin American ones included: the measure, he said, is not aimed at any country in particular. “It applies to any country, every country in the world.”
What the proposal says, exactly
The rule is called “Optional Practical Training Fees.” It was published by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) — through ICE, which runs the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) — in the Federal Register on October 8, 2026 (91 FR 64566, docket ICEB-2026-0100).
The plan, in numbers:
- $70,000 the first time a university recommends an F-1 student for OPT (before or after graduation).
- $30,000 for each later recommendation for the same student, including the 24-month STEM extension.
The full math? A student who completes 12 months of OPT and then the STEM extension would cost $100,000 in fees. And here is the fine print: DHS itself acknowledges in writing that universities could pass that cost on to the F-1 student, to all students, or to the employer. The rule does not require them to absorb it.
For perspective: today a student pays roughly $470 online (or $520 on paper) to apply for the work permit with Form I-765.
Who it hits hardest
OPT (Optional Practical Training) is the authorization that lets F-1 visa students work in a job related to their field of study: up to 12 months after graduation, plus an extra 24 months for science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) degrees.
This is not a marginal program. DHS’s own figures in the proposal cite 165,524 F-1 students on STEM OPT and 194,554 on pre- or post-completion OPT in 2024 alone.
And the point Rubio underlined today: this does not distinguish nationalities. A Colombian, Venezuelan, Dominican or Mexican student on an F-1 visa is covered exactly the same as one from any other country.
What Rubio said today
Interviewed by India Today during his visit to New Delhi, Rubio defended the measure as part of the “America First” policy. His exact words, according to the ANI news agency:
“It’s not one that’s built on India. It’s not one that’s focused on India… It happens to impact Indians that want to come to the United States and work and that our businesses are trying to bring in, but it’s not geared towards India. It is global.”
The government argues the program has seen fraud and abuse — students working outside their approved field or staying without a legitimate training opportunity — and that charging the university for each recommendation would give it a financial incentive to scrutinize each case more closely. The government’s short version: protect American workers and the integrity of the immigration system.
It is not the only October move: on October 9, the Department of Labor suspended several large tech and outsourcing firms from the green card Permanent Labor Certification Program — including Cognizant, Infosys, Tata, Wipro, HCL and Capgemini, and also Microsoft and Adobe — over ongoing federal investigations.
What did NOT change (and the date that does matter)
This needs to be said out loud: nothing changed today. This is a proposal, not a final rule. The current OPT process stays exactly the same unless a final rule is published — and if one ever is, it would take effect 60 days later.
The date that does count is November 9, 2026: until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, anyone can submit public comments on the proposal to docket ICEB-2026-0100. After that, DHS decides whether to turn it into a final rule, modify it, or shelve it.
What to do today, in order
- If you are on OPT or plan to apply: nothing changes for your case today. Follow the normal process with your university’s designated school official (DSO).
- If you study on F-1 and graduate in 2027: ask your university’s international students office how they are tracking this proposal. They are the ones who would have to pay.
- If you want to weigh in: the comment period closes November 9. It is the official way to get your voice into the record.
- Watch the Federal Register, not viral headlines: the real signal of change would be a published final rule, not a rumor.
If you are going to work in the United States on OPT, that paycheck is taxed: our English tax guides walk you through filing step by step. And if you wonder how immigration status can affect what the IRS sends you back, we already analyzed another federal proposal connecting taxes and immigration status.
Official sources
- Federal Register — “Optional Practical Training Fees” (91 FR 64566), docket ICEB-2026-0100, published October 8, 2026: https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2026-20660
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s October 23, 2026 remarks (ANI news agency, via Republic World): https://www.republicworld.com/world-news/not-aimed-at-india-marco-rubio-defends-changes-to-us-work-visa-rules-says-aim-is-to-put-america-first-2026-10-23-139481
- Littler’s analysis of the proposal (comment deadline: November 9, 2026): https://www.littler.com/news-analysis/asap/dhs-proposes-impose-new-opt-fees-sevp-certified-schools
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