# US proposes $70,000 fee for student work programme OPT

2026-10-08T05:37:20+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 2 independent outlets

The US Department of Homeland Security has proposed a $70,000 fee for international students seeking initial participation in the Optional Practical Training programme, with a $30,000 fee for any subsequent participation. DHS announced the proposal on Wednesday, 7 October, saying it aims to combat fraud, strengthen immigration integrity and protect US workers. The fees are not yet in effect, DHS will accept public comments from 8 October through 9 November before issuing a final rule. The OPT programme allows F-1 students to work in the US for up to 12 months after graduation, with a 24-month extension for STEM graduates. Under the proposal, SEVP-certified schools would pay the fee before recommending a student. Higher-education groups have warned the move will hurt innovation and economic growth. DHS described the programme as a ‘pipeline for cheap foreign labour’ that was never intended as a back door to the American workforce.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

Siasat.com leads with the proposed $70,000 fee and frames the DHS rationale, fraud control, worker protection, largely through the agency’s own statement, giving little space to institutional critics. The Federal leads with the same fee but adds the NAFSA CEO’s warning that the rule will hurt innovation and economic growth, and notes potential legal challenges from colleges. Siasat omits the broader Trump-administration crackdown on international students that The Federal details, status revocations, deportations, a blocked four-year-limit rule, which puts the fee in a more contested political context. Both agree on the fee’s structure and the 60-day comment period closing on 9 November.

## Coverage

Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
- siasat.com (neutral report) <https://www.siasat.com/us-proposes-usd-70000-fee-for-student-work-programme-3554060/>
  Leads with DHS rationale, omits college opposition
- thefederal.com (neutral report) <https://thefederal.com/category/international/us-proposes-usd-70000-fee-for-international-students-to-work-after-graduation-258904>
  Adds NAFSA criticism and Trump-crackdown context

This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry.

Tags: Donald Trump, F-1 visa, Optional Practical Training, SEVP, STEM, US Department of Homeland Security
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How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/