Who is affected and how:

• Noncitizen F‑1 students and OPT participants: The bill ends OPT, removing authorized post‑study work opportunities in the U.S. for F‑1 students. People who already registered and were selected for OPT before enactment would have that authorization revoked and receive refunds of fees they paid. That means immediate loss of planned work and employer relationships for many international students and reduced practical training options for academic programs.

• H‑1B workers and petitioning employers: Employers filing covered H‑1B petitions (initial petitions, most change‑of‑employer requests, many extensions) will owe a new $100,000 fee starting in FY2026. This large fee will increase the cost of hiring foreign skilled workers, likely prompting employers to change hiring plans, shift jobs offshore, renegotiate wages/benefits, or pass costs to operating budgets. H‑1B employees could see fewer job offers or transfers to the U.S.

• Diversity visa (DV) applicants: The DV lottery is repealed. People already notified of selection before enactment will have their selections revoked and fees refunded. This eliminates a pathway used by many applicants from underrepresented countries and will reduce the number of immigrant visas allocated via the lottery.

• Family‑based and other immigrant categories: The bill conditions reopening of visa/status access on changes including limits on family‑based status; if implemented, these changes would reduce family‑reunification pathways and restrict who qualifies for benefits or status.

• Higher education institutions and research employers: Universities that enroll international students and use OPT as a recruiting and retention tool may see lower international enrollment and reduced on‑campus workforce for research and teaching. Research centers and tech employers that rely on foreign graduates may face talent shortages and higher hiring costs.

• Federal agencies and consular posts: USCIS, State Department consular posts, and Treasury/finance offices will need to implement revocations, process refunds, collect the new H‑1B fee, and issue guidance. This creates near‑term administrative burdens and likely litigation over interpretation and retroactive revocations.

• Labor markets and industries: Technology, engineering, health care, and other sectors that commonly use H‑1B workers and OPT talent may experience recruitment challenges, wage effects, and potential relocation of work. Small and mid‑sized employers who depend on H‑1B hires could be disproportionately affected by the $100,000 fee.

• Individuals already in process: The bill’s refund/recission provisions for people already selected for OPT or DV create sudden changes in personal plans, contracts, and employer commitments; affected individuals will have to seek alternative status or depart the U.S.

Broader implications:

• Legal and administrative challenges are likely, especially over retroactive revocations and the scope of the visa/status bar.
• The combination of ending OPT and raising H‑1B costs could reduce the attractiveness of U.S. study and employment for international STEM talent, with downstream effects on university revenues and industry R&D staffing.
• Denying federal benefits and altering birthright citizenship or school access (as specified conditions) would raise constitutional, civil‑rights, and federal‑state coordination questions if enacted.

Overall, the bill radically reshapes several long‑standing pathways for foreign students, workers, and immigrants and shifts significant costs and administrative tasks to employers, educational institutions, and federal agencies.