DHS Proposes Significant Fees for Optional Practical Training (OPT) for International Students

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking for 'Optional Practical Training Fees,' which would impose a $70,000 fee on schools the first time they recommend an F-1 nonimmigrant student for OPT, and an additional $30,000 for each subsequent recommendation for the same student. DHS states these fees are necessary to prevent fraud and protect American workers, warning that the program could be shut down entirely without them.