国土安全部拟对留学生OPT收七万美元培训费，学校先缴费才能办毕业工签
<p>据路透社10月7日报道，美国国土安全部（DHS）当天公布新规提案：持F-1学生签证的国际毕业生若要参加毕业后实习培训（OPT），须先缴纳至少7万美元培训费。这笔费用由认证学校在推荐学生参加OPT之前支付，移民局（USCIS）在费用缴清前不得批准工作许可。后续任何额外工作培训，包括STEM专业24个月延期，另收3万美元。</p>
<p>目前，留学生申请OPT只需缴纳约500美元的工卡申请费（I-765表格在线470美元）。新规意味着参加毕业实习的门槛从几百美元跃升至数万美元。国土安全部称，此举旨在"打击欺诈、维护移民体系完整、保护美国工人"，并形容现行OPT项目是进入美国劳动力市场的"后门"，要求外国学生"证明自己对雇主的价值"。</p>
<p>OPT允许F-1学生在就读期间每周工作不超过20小时，并在毕业后获得12个月与其专业相关的工作许可；STEM毕业生可再延长24个月，最长三年。长期以来，OPT是许多国际学生——尤其是来自中国和印度的理工科毕业生——衔接H-1B工作签证的重要桥梁。</p>
<p>这项提案已进入30天公众意见征集期，目前只是提案，尚未生效。舆论普遍预期一旦推进，将迅速面临法律挑战。这也是本届政府近期连续对高技能外国劳工加码收费的最新一步：今年8月，国土安全部已提议对H-1B申请征收103,265美元费用；此前一项由白宫公告推出的H-1B收费已被联邦法院叫停。</p>
<p>GSM提醒：如果你或家人正持F-1签证在读，或即将毕业申请OPT，请以联邦公报与移民局官网公布的原文为准，不要轻信中介传言；新规在意见期结束后仍须发布最终规则才会生效，生效时间与豁免细节均待官方确认。</p>
DHS Proposes $70,000 OPT Training Fee for International Graduates
<p>The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday proposed charging international graduates at least $70,000 in training fees to work in the United States under Optional Practical Training (OPT), Reuters reported. Under the plan, a certified school would have to pay the fee before recommending an F-1 student for OPT, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services could not approve the work permit until the fee is paid. Any additional work training, including the 24-month STEM extension, would cost another $30,000.</p>
<p>Today, students pay only about $500 to apply for work authorization (the I-765 filing fee is $470 online). DHS said the rule is meant "to combat fraud, strengthen the integrity of the immigration system, and protect U.S. workers," calling the current OPT program a "back door" into the U.S. workforce and saying foreign students should have to "justify their worth to employers."</p>
<p>OPT lets F-1 students work up to 20 hours a week while school is in session and for 12 months after graduation in a job related to their degree; STEM graduates may extend for 24 more months. For many international graduates, particularly in science and engineering from China and India, OPT is the bridge to an H-1B work visa.</p>
<p>The proposal is now in a 30-day public comment period and is not yet in effect. Like similar DHS proposals, it is widely expected to face swift legal challenges. In August, DHS proposed a $103,265 fee on H-1B petitions, weeks after an earlier six-figure H-1B charge was blocked by a federal court.</p>
<p>GSM note: if you or a family member is studying on an F-1 visa or about to graduate, rely on the Federal Register and USCIS for the official text, mind agents' rumors, and watch for the final rule, which would set any effective date and exemptions.</p>
图片来源：Graduation photo via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)