The administration is proposing a $100,000 fee for the Optional Practical Training program.

What we found

Contradicts. The proposed fee is $70,000 for initial OPT and $30,000 for subsequent OPT, per the Federal Register, DHS, Reuters and AP, so a single $100,000 fee is not what is proposed.[1][2][3][4]

Supports. DHS published a proposed rule on October 8, 2026 creating new fees for F-1 students engaging in Optional Practical Training, confirmed by the Federal Register notice and DHS's own announcements.[3][4][5]

Supports. Science and Forbes describe $100,000 as the combined total for OPT plus STEM OPT ($70,000 plus $30,000), so the $100,000 figure holds under a cumulative measure of the proposal.[7][8]

Context. Under the proposal, the fees would be paid by schools for each student, and the rule has a comment period ending November 9, 2026. Non-OPT details such as the rule's finalization are still pending.[5][6]

Context. The WSJ reported in July that the government was contemplating such a fee, so the proposal was not public when the August 29 post was made.[7]

Sources

8 sources: 2 fact-checkers, 4 primary, 1 tier 1, 1 tier 2

1. 1Trump administration plans to charge international students $70,000 for work authorizationreuters.com · fact-checker · cited for: contradicts
2. 2DHS proposes a $70,000 fee for international students to work ...apnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: contradicts
3. 3Optional Practical Training Feesfederalregister.gov · primary source · cited for: contradicts, supports
4. 4DHS Proposes Fees for Foreign Student Work Program to ...dhs.gov · primary source · cited for: contradicts, supports
5. 5DHS Publishes Proposed Rule Establishing Fees for Optional ...studyinthestates.dhs.gov · primary source · cited for: supports, context
6. 6DHS Proposes New Fees for Optional Practical Training (OPT)oiss.yale.edu · primary source · cited for: context
7. 7Trump administration proposes $100,000 fee for work authorization for international studentsscience.org · tier 1 · cited for: supports, context
8. 8DHS Immigration Rule Proposes $100,000 In Practical Training Feesforbes.com · tier 2 · cited for: supports

Where this claim was made

Said in 1 published post

• Bulwark Takes · Aug 29, 2026“Some gigantic fee for this program that's never been seen before. Rumors are $100,000, something.”Post →

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