F-1 Visa: Washington proposes $70,000 fee per foreign graduate authorized to work, with Nigeria on the front line

On October 8, 2026, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a draft rule in the Federal Register that would charge $70,000 for a foreign student's first post-graduation work authorization, and $30,000 for each subsequent participation. The text, supported by the ICE agency, targets the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program, through which F-1 visa holders can work in the United States after their studies.

The bill is not addressed to the student but to their institution, which must pay before its advisor registers the recommendation in the SEVIS system. However, the DHS acknowledges that schools will be able to pass this cost on to students, employers, or both. A refund is provided if the employment authorization is not issued, but none after the document has been issued.

Why Africans are highly exposed

OPT is the most widely used gateway to the U.S. job market after graduation: 294,253 students participated in it according to data cited by Le360 Afrique, an increase of 21%, and 194,554 F-1 visa holders obtained an OPT or STEM OPT authorization in 2024.

However, the number of African students is significant. According to Open Doors figures for the 2024-2025 academic year reported by Le360 Afrique, Nigeria leads with 21,847 students in the United States, an increase of 9.1%, ahead of Ghana (12,825), Kenya (5,337), Egypt (4,518), Ethiopia (3,395), South Africa (2,952), Zimbabwe (2,712), Morocco (1,975), DR Congo (1,794), and Uganda (1,495). Rwanda (1,359), Ivory Coast (1,188), and Cameroon (1,181) are in the top 30.

For many of these students, the months of authorized work after graduation are what make the initial investment—tuition fees, family loans—economically sustainable. An entry fee of $70,000, even if paid by the university, changes the arithmetic: the least profitable programs for institutions risk being the first to stop recommending their graduates.

The official justification

The DHS cites the fight against fraud, the integrity of the immigration system, and the protection of American workers, and argues that the fees would deter the use of OPT to circumvent the H-1B visa cap. A ministry spokesperson stated that the program "was never designed to serve as a backdoor" to American employment, according to Le360 Afrique.

Nothing is set in stone yet. The public consultation runs until November 9, 2026, and the administrative phase until December 7. If a final rule is published, it would not take effect until 60 days later and would not apply to applications already approved.