Now Reading: DHS proposes $70,000 OPT fee, $30,000 for STEM extension
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DHS proposes $70,000 OPT fee, $30,000 for STEM extension
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has announced a proposed rule that would require SEVP-certified schools to pay a $70,000 fee for each F-1 student's first Optional Practical Training authorization and $30,000 for each subsequent OPT, including STEM OPT extensions. The rule is scheduled for publication in the Federal Register on October 8, 2026, with a 30-day public comment period.
DHS said the fee is meant to address fraud and abuse, including 'pay-to-stay' visa schemes, and that OPT 'was never meant to be a back door into the American workforce.' Schools must pay before recommending students. Critics said the proposal will hurt the U.S. STEM talent ecosystem and innovation. The fee is not yet in effect.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Times of India's report leads with the DHS announcement and the stated rationale of curbing fraud, giving the official framing the first word. M9.news leads with the impact on Indian students, emphasising the financial burden and the uncertainty of finding a job, and notes that courts have blocked a separate $100,000 H-1B fee. Times of India includes a DHS spokesperson quote framing OPT as a 'back door' and a subsidy for cheap labour, while m9.news omits that justification entirely. Both report the fee is only a proposal. The balanced reading is that the rule faces an open comment period and possible legal challenge, as m9.news signals.
Coverage: 2 sources, 1 neutral, 1 sensationalist
Sources (2): timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report), m9.news (sensationalist)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
