The U.S. plan just got harder. Have a second one.
Updated Oct 19, 2026
For years the plan was simple: study in the U.S., work on OPT, get picked for an H-1B. In the past twelve months, every step of that plan has changed or come under a proposal to change.
What's changing
- H-1B selection now favors higher pay. Since the FY2027 season, a registration at the top wage level goes into the selection four times, and one at the entry level goes in once. Most first jobs out of school pay at the lower levels.
- The $100,000 H-1B fee is back on paper. A September 2026 proclamation extended it to September 2027. A federal court has blocked it, so nobody is paying it today. It never applied to students changing status inside the U.S.
- A new fee proposal would reach students too. In August 2026, DHS proposed a fee of about $103,000 on every cap-subject H-1B petition, including F-1 students switching status inside the U.S. The earliest it could start is the season that opens in April 2027.
- OPT could cost $70,000. On October 8, 2026, DHS proposed charging $70,000 for initial OPT and $30,000 for STEM OPT. Schools would pay, and could pass the cost on to students or employers. Comments close November 9. Students already on OPT, or approved before a final rule takes effect, would not be charged.
Only the new H-1B selection is in force today. The fees may change, stall in court or never arrive. But a career plan that only works if every one of them falls through is a risky plan.
What it means for you
Keep the U.S. plan. Add a second one. Your degree works in more than one country, and so can your job search. Employers in Singapore, Hong Kong, the UK, Japan, Germany and dozens of other countries hire international graduates, and many of them say in writing that they sponsor work visas.
The time to look is now. Many graduate programs abroad for 2027 close their applications this fall.
Where They Hire shows you both
- 331,712 open jobs in the U.S. and 85 other countries, straight from employers. Internships, new grad roles and jobs for experienced hires.
- We read every posting. When an employer says it sponsors visas or takes OPT and CPT, you see its exact words.
- We cut the dead ends. Jobs that shut out international students never make the board.
- One search, every country. The same filters and the same labels, from Texas to Tokyo.
Sources