Is OPT Cancelled?
Search interest in “is OPT cancelled,” “is OPT discontinued,” and “is OPT getting cancelled” spiked after the fee proposal made headlines. This page gives you the calm version: what is true, what is not, and what would have to happen for the answer to change.
Direct answer: No. OPT is not cancelled. F-1 students apply for Optional Practical Training today the same way they did last year, at the same price ($520/$470 I-765 fee). What exists is a proposed $70,000/$30,000 fee published October 8, 2026, with comments closing November 9, 2026. A proposal is not a law, no fee is being collected, and no authorization has been cancelled.
Why the “cancelled” rumor spread
Three numbers collided in the news: a $70,000 OPT fee proposal from DHS, the separate $100,000 fee on new H-1B petitions from 2025, and headlines like “DHS wants universities to pay.” Read quickly, that stack sounds like OPT is finished. It is not — but the confusion is rational. A fee set at $70,000 per authorization is not really a fee; it is a price tag designed to make schools think twice, which is why DHS’s own cost analysis models declining OPT participation. “Priced out” and “cancelled” feel similar from the outside. They are legally very different.
Community sentiment makes it louder. Threads titled “OPT is dead” on r/h1b and “OPT seems to no longer be a viable option” on r/MBA went up within days of the announcement, and students returning from those threads often repeat “OPT is cancelled” as fact. The threads are worth reading for the planning ideas (commenting on the rule, backup countries, employer conversations) — but their headlines are predictions, not status reports. There is also a second rule students fold into the panic: DHS’s separate “Fixed Time Period” proposal, which would replace the open-ended “duration of status” of F-1 admission with fixed admission periods. That rule has been postponed and changes nothing about OPT today. When someone says “they’re ending student visas too,” they are usually thinking of that proposal — which is also not in effect.
What would actually have to happen for OPT to end
OPT is created by regulation (8 CFR 214.2(f)), so it could be ended the way it was created: a new regulation that survives notice-and-comment review and any litigation, or a statute from Congress. The current proposal does neither — it leaves OPT in place and attaches a charge to the school’s recommendation. For OPT access to actually shrink under this rule, a final rule would need to be published, survive its 60-day runway and likely court challenges, and schools would need to respond by capping or declining recommendations. Each step is a separate event, tracked on our status tracker.
What to do while the rule is pending
If you are within your OPT application window, the rational move is to apply on current rules — the proposal’s transition language keys the fee to the DSO recommendation date, so an early recommendation predates any future effective date. If you are earlier in your program, watch two things: your school’s public position on the rule (their comment-letter posture predicts their future policy) and the final rule text if it comes. Our fee rule explainer covers the mechanics, and who pays the OPT fee covers the payer question in depth. If you are already mapping alternatives, start with Day 1 CPT — and read its risks carefully — before assuming it is a substitute.
Frequently asked questions
Is OPT cancelled in the U.S.?
No. As of October 14, 2026, Optional Practical Training exists exactly as before. What happened is that DHS published a proposed rule on October 8, 2026 to charge $70,000 for initial OPT and $30,000 for subsequent OPT. A proposed rule is a draft, not a law, and no fee is being collected.
Is OPT cancelled for F-1 students who apply now?
No. Students applying for OPT now pay the normal I-765 fee ($520 paper / $470 online) and are adjudicated under current rules. Even under the proposal's own transition language, only DSO recommendations dated after a future effective date would trigger the charge.
Could OPT actually be cancelled in the future?
Ending OPT entirely would require either new regulations going through the same notice-and-comment process or an act of Congress. What the 2026 proposal does is price OPT near the point where many schools would stop recommending it — a functional restriction without formally cancelling the program. Whether that happens depends on the comment period (closing November 9, 2026), the final rule, and certain litigation.
Should I skip applying for OPT and wait?
Almost certainly not. Applying now is the cheapest OPT application that will ever exist, and the proposed fee keys to the DSO recommendation date, not to when you eventually use your OPT work authorization. Consult your DSO about your specific timeline.
One caution: bad actors exploit panic cycles in international-student communities with “guaranteed alternatives” and fake fee-waiver schemes. No school, agent, or consultant can opt you out of a federal rule. Verify anything you are told against the Federal Register document (docket 2026-20660) or your school’s international student office.