Trump Administration Proposes $70,000 OPT Fee For International Students, Indians Face Major Impact

The Trump administration has proposed a $70,000 (Rs 67.75 lakh) fee for international students seeking Optional Practical Training (OPT) in the United States, a move that could sharply increase the cost of the pathway from an American university degree to employment. For Indian students, who make up the largest group of international students in the US and a major share of STEM OPT participants, the proposal could have significant financial and career implications.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed that Student and Exchange Visitor Program-certified institutions pay $70,000 (Rs 67.75 lakh) for an F-1 student's initial OPT recommendation and $30,000 (Rs 29 lakh) for any subsequent recommendation. Eligible STEM OPT extensions would also be covered by the proposed charges.

The proposal is not yet in effect. DHS is seeking public comments before deciding whether to finalise the rule. If implemented, the measure would fundamentally change the economics of OPT, which currently requires students to pay an application fee of around $500 (about Rs 48,000).

OPT is important because it provides a bridge between US education and employment. F-1 students can generally work for up to 12 months after completing their studies, while graduates in qualifying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields can receive an additional 24-month extension.

That means a student eligible for the full 36-month STEM OPT period could potentially face $100,000 (about Rs 96.79 lakh) in proposed fees for the initial and subsequent recommendations. The amount is vastly higher than the current student application cost.

Although the proposed fee would technically be charged to universities and colleges, DHS says institutions could recover the cost from students, employers or other sources. This means international students could ultimately bear some or all of the additional expense if universities pass on the cost.

The Trump administration says the proposal is intended to combat fraud and abuse and protect American workers. DHS has argued that OPT has become vulnerable to misuse and should not function as a pipeline for low-cost foreign labour.

Indian students could be particularly affected. According to the Open Doors 2025 report, 363,019 Indian students studied in the US during the 2024-25 academic year, making India the largest source of international students in America.

India's presence is also particularly strong in STEM employment. ICE data cited in recent reports show that 48 per cent of the 165,524 students participating in STEM OPT in 2024 were from India, compared with 20.4 per cent from China.

For Indian families that borrow or use substantial savings to finance US education, a possible Rs 67.75 lakh initial OPT-related cost could significantly alter the calculation of studying in America. If a subsequent recommendation also attracts the proposed Rs 29 lakh fee, the total could reach Rs 96.79 lakh over the relevant OPT period.

The proposal could also affect US universities and employers. Higher education groups have warned that making post-study employment dramatically more expensive could discourage international students from choosing American institutions and make the US less competitive against destinations such as Canada, the UK and Australia.

The OPT proposal comes amid a wider Trump administration push to tighten rules governing international students. A separate DHS rule that sought to replace the longstanding duration-of-status system with fixed periods of admission, generally limiting F-1 stays to four years, was blocked by a federal judge in September.