GoKawiilDHS proposes rule requiring universities to pay $100,000 for OPT work visas
The US Department of Homeland Security has published a proposed rule that would make universities pay up to $100,000 to let international graduates participate in Optional Practical Training (OPT), a program letting foreign students work in the US for up to three years after graduation. DHS estimates the change could cut OPT enrollment by as much as 44% and cost universities $8.4–$16.5 billion annually; roughly 420,000 students used OPT in 2025–26.
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Economist Michael Clemens projects the rule could halve bachelor's-level OPT participation and nearly eliminate master's-level participation, with outsized impact on STEM PhD graduates, who made up about 70% of OPT users in 2022. This could weaken a major pipeline of technical talent into US research and industry, though the rule's actual effects depend on whether it survives the federal rulemaking and legal process.
- DHS proposes universities pay up to $100,000 per student for OPT work authorization
- Government projects enrollment could fall by as much as 44%, costing institutions billions annually
- Independent analysis suggests the steepest impact would hit STEM PhD graduates and master's students
Source: nature.com — Garisto, 2026-10-08
Published there as: “US proposes $100,000 charge for international students to do post-graduate work”
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