If you are an Indian engineer or analyst with a US MBA shortlist for the 2027 intake, you have probably asked one question this month: will a $70,000 fee land on my bill before I can work in America? Here is the OPT fee update. Public comments on the DHS proposal closed on 9 November 2026. Nothing has changed yet for students, but the proposal has now moved from debate to drafting, and that changes how you should plan.
Where the OPT fee proposal stands today
ICE, part of DHS, published "Optional Practical Training Fees" on 8 October 2026 under docket ICEB-2026-0100. As PERM Tracker summarises it, a school would pay $70,000 before its designated school official recommends a student for initial OPT, and $30,000 before each later recommendation, which includes the STEM OPT extension. DHS says schools "may" pass that cost to F-1 students, to all students, or to employers. It does not choose among them. A school can claim a refund if the student never receives the work permit.
The comment window closed at 11:59 p.m. Eastern on 9 November. Immigration Analytics counted 4,844 comments on 2 November, up from 2,508 in mid-October per PERM Tracker. A separate paperwork comment period runs to 7 December. DHS's own primary estimate is $12.4 billion a year in fee revenue, which tells you this is designed as a large, structural charge, not a processing fee.
Two other rules closed in the same week. Comments on ending the 60-day H-1B grace period closed on 10 November, and a rule on removing deference for repeat petitions closes on 13 November. Read together, the three proposals target every stage of the path from F-1 student to US employee.
Who pushed back, and what they argued
On 9 November the Economic Innovation Group filed a comment letter asking DHS to rescind the rule. EIG argues DHS offers no evidence that the fee reduces fraud, and cites economist Michael Clemens's estimates that new OPT starts could fall by between 32.3% and 72.4%. That range matters. At the low end, OPT becomes more selective. At the high end, it stops being a normal part of a US master's degree.
The wider economic argument is landing at state level too. Borderless reported on 10 November that NAFSA projects a $3.4 billion economic loss and nearly 40,000 fewer jobs from the current fall in international enrolment, including more than $190 million in Illinois alone. Those figures cover visa policy broadly, not this fee specifically, but they show the case universities will make to Congress and in any court challenge.
What happens next, and how long it could take
Our reading, based on how DHS has handled recent student rules, is that three steps follow. DHS must respond to significant comments before it can publish a final rule, and with thousands of comments that usually takes months. The final rule would then need to clear review, and the fee would apply only to OPT recommendations dated 60 days or more after it takes effect, per F1Jobs. Students already on OPT, or already recommended, are outside the proposal.
The third step is litigation. The duration-of-status rule was blocked by a federal court on 14 September, and the AAU is already suing over CPT restrictions. We think a final OPT fee rule would face a similar challenge quickly. That does not mean it will be stopped. It means the effective date is uncertain, and uncertainty is what you have to plan around.
For a candidate starting a two-year MBA in August 2027, the first OPT recommendation would come around early 2029. That is a long runway for a final rule, an injunction, or both. For a one-year MS starting in 2027, the recommendation could come in 2028, which is closer to the plausible window for a final rule.
What this means for Indian applicants
If you are an IT services engineer targeting a US M7 or T15 MBA, this fee does not change whether the degree is worth applying for, but it does change your financial model. Add a scenario where the school passes $70,000 to you and your loan rises by roughly that amount. If your post-MBA plan only works when everything goes right, it is too thin. Our earlier explainer on the original $70,000 proposal walks through the fee mechanics in more detail.
If you are a STEM MS applicant counting on three years of OPT, you are most exposed, because the $30,000 STEM extension charge stacks on top of the initial fee. Ask each school's international office, in writing, how it would handle the cost if the rule becomes final. A clear answer now is a useful signal of how the school will treat you later.
If you are a career switcher weighing the US against the UK or Europe, this is the moment to build a real comparison rather than a default. The UK Graduate Route is shrinking, as our note on the 18-month Graduate visa explains, so no destination is free of risk. The question is which risk you can carry. A profile evaluation can help you stress-test a mixed US, UK and European shortlist before Round 2 deadlines.
Do not withdraw US applications on the strength of a proposal. Do apply with a funding plan that survives the fee.
Common questions
Is the $70,000 OPT fee in force? No. It is a proposed rule. Comments closed on 9 November 2026 and no final rule has been published. Current OPT rules still apply.
Will students pay the fee directly? The proposal makes the school the payer. DHS says schools may pass it to students or employers, and each school will decide.
Does it affect students already on OPT? No. Per the proposal, it applies only to recommendations dated 60 or more days after a final rule takes effect.
Should I still apply for a 2027 US MBA? Yes, if your goals need US recruiting. Build a budget that assumes the fee and choose schools with strong scholarship history. Our MBA and MiM advisory team can help you weigh that list.
Related reading
- DHS proposes $70,000 OPT fee: the original breakdown
- What ending the 60-day H-1B grace period would mean
- Talk to us about a global shortlist: Profile Evaluation
Sources verified on 11 November 2026. Next review: 1 January 2030. Comment counts are as reported by Immigration Analytics and PERM Tracker and were not checked against regulations.gov. Timeline estimates and analysis are WePegasus's own.