Indian students and technology professionals planning to build careers in the US could face higher immigration costs as the Trump administration considers new fees for the H-1B work visa and F-1 Optional
Practical Training (OPT) programme.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has started the regulatory process for both proposals, according to immigration law firm Fragomen. The exact amounts have not been disclosed, and no new fee has been finalised yet.
The development is particularly important for Indians because they make up a large share of H-1B beneficiaries. According to a US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) report, people born in India accounted for 71% of H-1B petitions approved in fiscal year 2024.
The latest move follows months of uncertainty around the H-1B programme. The Trump administration had introduced a $100,000 payment requirement for certain new H-1B petitions in 2025. A federal court later struck down that policy.
What New H-1B And OPT Fees Are Being Considered?
Fragomen said on August 21 that DHS had moved ahead with proposals covering both immigration programmes.
According to the firm, a proposed rule on an OPT fee was sent to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review on August 20. A separate proposal concerning fees for certain H-1B petitions had been received by OMB and cleared its review on August 19.
The details of both proposals remain confidential. Therefore, there is currently no confirmed amount for either fee.
However, Fragomen referred to media reports suggesting that DHS could consider an OPT fee of up to $100,000. The firm also said the proposed H-1B charge could be connected to the administration’s earlier attempt to impose a $100,000 payment on certain H-1B petitions.
The reported $100,000 OPT figure is therefore only a possibility at this stage and should not be treated as a confirmed fee.
What Happened To The Earlier $100,000 H-1B Fee?
The administration introduced a one-time $100,000 payment requirement for certain new H-1B petitions in September 2025.
The measure mainly affected petitions involving beneficiaries outside the US or applications requiring consular notification. It generally did not cover existing H-1B workers, extensions or change-of-status cases, including the commonly used transition from F-1/OPT to H-1B.
The policy faced a legal challenge. A federal district court in Massachusetts later vacated the measure, ruling that the administration had exceeded its authority and that the payment amounted to an unlawful tax.
The government appealed the decision, but the First Circuit Court of Appeals declined to pause the lower court’s order in July. As a result, USCIS cannot currently collect the $100,000 payment under that policy.
The latest DHS proposal is significant because it suggests the administration may now be looking at a different regulatory route to introduce an H-1B-related fee.
How Much Does An H-1B Cost Now?
Even without the disputed $100,000 payment, sponsoring an H-1B worker involves several government charges.
Depending on the petition and employer, these can include the H-1B registration fee, Form I-129 filing fee, ACWIA training fee, fraud-prevention fee and asylum programme fee.
The mandatory government charges can amount to several thousand dollars. Certain employers with at least 50 US employees and where more than half of their workforce holds H-1B or L-1 status can also face an additional $4,000 fee.
Employers may have to spend more if they opt for premium processing or hire immigration lawyers.
For Indian professionals, one important point is that most mandatory H-1B petition fees are normally the responsibility of the employer, rather than the individual worker.
Why Indian Students Could Be Hit Hard By An OPT Fee
The proposed OPT fee could have a more direct impact on international students because the application is made by the student.
A common route for Indian students is to enter the US on an F-1 student visa, complete their degree and then use OPT to gain work experience in a field related to their studies.
Graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics can also qualify for a STEM OPT extension, allowing them to remain eligible to work for additional time before potentially moving to H-1B status.
At present, the USCIS filing fee for Form I-765, used for employment authorisation including OPT, is $470 for online applications and $520 for paper applications.
A major increase would therefore significantly change the cost of the OPT stage.
Unlike H-1B sponsorship, where employers generally cover the required petition costs, OPT is an individual application. The student therefore typically pays the filing fee.
This is why reports of a possible $100,000 OPT charge have caused concern among international students. Again, however, DHS has not confirmed that such a fee will be introduced.
Will Indian Applicants Pay More Than Others?
The proposed charges are not expected to be based specifically on nationality. Any new H-1B or OPT fee would generally be linked to the immigration category and circumstances of the application.
However, Indians could feel the impact more strongly because of their significant presence in the H-1B programme.
For Indian students in the US, the potential change is particularly important because the F-1 → OPT → H-1B route is one of the most common pathways into professional employment in the country.
Any increase in H-1B costs, changes to eligibility or additional OPT charges could therefore have a substantial impact on Indian students, technology professionals and US employers that rely on skilled foreign workers.
