CPT收紧之后：一纸指引如何改写留学生的实习路
一、波士顿法庭，一个没有答案的下午
2026 年 11 月 6 日下午 3 时，波士顿，麻省联邦地区法院。Julia E. Kobick 法官主持听证，审理四家高等教育组织对国土安全部提起的诉讼，争议是两份收紧留学生校外实习（CPT）资格的内部指引是否合法。原告请求法院暂缓执行这两份指引，并发布初步禁令。
截至本文发稿时（美西时间 2026 年 11 月 7 日上午），法官尚未作出裁决。两份指引继续有效，各校仍按收紧后的口径审批 CPT。
这宗案子名叫 Association of American Universities v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security，案号 1:26-cv-14520，2026 年 10 月 5 日起诉。原告是四家组织：美国大学协会（AAU，71 所研究型大学）、国际教育者协会（NAFSA，9,000 多名会员）、高等教育与移民校长联盟（Presidents' Alliance，近 600 所院校、覆盖 42 个州）、麻省独立学院大学协会（AICUM，麻省 55 所私立院校），由 Jenner & Block 律所代理。被告是国土安全部、移民与海关执法局与司法部。
二、两份指引说了什么
2026 年 8 月 12 日，学生与交流访问学者项目（SEVP）发布第一份 Broadcast Message（BCM 2608-01），题为《提醒：DSO 在 CPT 授权方面的责任》。SEVP 称发现越来越多不符合规定的 CPT 授权，"specifically those not constituting an integral part of an established curriculum"。指引写明，CPT 只有在"if its absence would make the attainment of a degree an impossibility"（缺了它就拿不到学位）时才可批准；培训须为"a core and essential part of the student's studies, without which, they would be unable to complete their degree"。
同时，指引提醒指定学校官员（DSO）：其在 I-20 表上的签字是在伪证罪罚则下证明 CPT 信息真实准确；不合规授权可能招致 SEVP 与国土安全调查局的行动，包括撤销学校认证。
8 月 24 日，第二份指引（BCM 2608-02）以问答形式发布，重申不合规 CPT 授权数量上升是"a matter of great concern"，并新增关键口径："all students" 包括美国学生—若同一项目的美国学生不必做该实习，则该实习对任何人都不是真正"必需"；实习须通过学校与雇主之间的合作协议安排；选修学分实习一般不符合。
两份指引均带有声明：本消息"不是规则、也不是 SEVP 的最终行动"。法规本身未变：8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(10)(i) 原文未修改。
三、三十五年，两个口径
原告在起诉状中称，2026 年 8 月，国土安全部在新学年开学前夜，"abruptly changed a position that the federal government had held for more than thirty-five years"，且无实质解释、无征求意见、无承认改变，同时以刑事追责威胁学校官员。
这三十五年的做法源于 1991 年的规则制定。移民局 1991 年 6 月 13 日的拟议规则（56 Fed. Reg. 27,211）把 CPT 定义为"for which students are awarded academic credits"（授予学分的培训）；同年 10 月 29 日的终局规则（56 Fed. Reg. 55,608）回应评论意见，新增了非学分必修实习—酒店管理、护理、法律、工程、教学等专业 routinely 要求学生做非学分实习—以"拓宽 CPT 定义、纳入这类非学分培训项目"。由此形成两条路径：学分路径与非学分必修路径。原告称，新指引把仅适用于第二类路径的要求嫁接到第一类上。
2014 年 SEVP 给 DSO 的培训材料写得更直白："'integral part of an established curriculum' means an opportunity must be required by the curriculum or, if not required, the student must receive credit for the training"（必修，或不计必修但计学分）。这份官方旧口径与 2026 年新指引直接冲突，是原告在法庭上的核心证据之一。
起诉状还写道，联邦政府近八十年来一直认可国际学生参加实践学习项目—"For nearly eighty years, the federal government has recognized the importance of these opportunities and authorized international students' participation in such programs"。这是原告方的表述。
四、法庭上的两方
原告方提出四项违法理由：恣意武断（推翻数十年既定解释而不承认、不解释、不考虑信赖利益）、溯及既往、违反法规本身、程序违法（实质立法规则，未经公告征求意见）。原告随初步禁令动议附了 15 份声明，描述具体损害：密歇根州立大学一门课程因博士生讲师被拒 CPT 而取消；威斯康星大学雇主在最后时刻失去学生实习生；有学生计划转学到国外院校。起诉状称，学校被迫中途叫停 CPT 授权，取消学生数月前已落实的实习；临近毕业的学生永远失去机会。
政府在 2026 年 10 月 28 日的反对意见（27 页）中提出五项抗辩：原告无起诉资格（没有任何执法行动发生过，成员学校"可以继续批准 CPT"）；两份指引不是终局行政行为（带有"不是规则、也不是 SEVP 最终行动"的声明）；不违反法律（CPT 必须是"integral part"，且须由"与学校签有合作协议的雇主"提供）；无不可弥补损害；衡平与公共利益站在政府一边（防范欺诈与国家安全）。
政府反对意见原文写道："The broadcasts do not constitute final agency action, the broadcasts are not arbitrary and capricious and are in accordance with law and applicable regulations, Plaintiffs have not shown irreparable harm, and the equities and public interest favor Defendants."
政府承认两份指引仅向前适用。原告在 11 月 4 日的回复状中指出，只向前适用的政策就是新政策。回复状还指出，政府对 15 份声明"从未承认、更未讨论"。
五、数字：先跌后升，唯独 CPT 在降
ICE 的 SEVP 年度数据显示，CPT 授权数七年间先跌后升：2018 年峰值 151,525 人，2021 年低谷 91,352 人，2024 年 130,586 人，仍比峰值低约 14%。
2024 年的三类实习对照更值得注意：OPT 就业 194,554 人（增长 21%）、STEM OPT 95,384 人（增长 54%）、CPT 130,586 人（下降 0.4%）—三类中唯一不增反降。2024 年在读 F-1 与 M-1 学生 SEVIS 记录总数为 1,582,808 条。
中国籍学生方面：2024/25 学年全美留学生 1,177,766 人，中国 265,919 人（下降 4%）；中国籍学生 OPT 人数 61,981 人，约占中国在美留学生总数的 23%。需要明说的是：SEVP 不公布 CPT 授权的分国别数字，公开渠道无法得出中国籍学生获 CPT 授权的人数，本文不写这个数字。
另一组数字在同一收紧链条上：国土安全部提议向学校收取每名学生首次 OPT 推荐 7 万美元、之后每次推荐 3 万美元；2022–2024 年间有 2,478 所学校的学生上过 OPT；国土安全部估计费用每年将从学校向联邦政府转移 84 亿至 165 亿美元。拟议规则通知 2026 年 10 月 8 日登《联邦公报》（91 FR 64566），公众意见截止 2026 年 11 月 9 日。
2024 年 SEVP 认证学校为 7,234 所，较 2023 年少 183 所；其中 1,082 所认证学校当年未招收任何留学生。
六、学校与学生的现场
指引发布后，各校的反应写在各自的官网上。哈佛大学五所学院不再批准 CPT：哈佛学院、法学院、医学院、设计研究生院、文理研究生院。麻省理工学院暂缓处理 2026 年 8 月 24 日当日及之后收到或待办的全部新 CPT 申请，并逐一联系已获 2026 年秋季 CPT 的学生商讨方案。加州大学伯克利分校暂停"课程学分 CPT"申请，继续受理有文件证明为毕业要求的实习，后将暂停延长为"可预见的未来"不定期暂停。宾夕法尼亚大学先暂停 CPT 申请审批，后恢复受理符合"不可分割且必修"标准的申请。波士顿大学、韦尔斯利学院、乔治城大学亦有暂停或收紧动作。
学生方面：加州大学伯克利分校国际学生 Leander Hirsch 接受 NBC 湾区采访，称希望能去实习。原告的声明还提到，全职 CPT 累计满 12 个月者，失去毕业后 OPT 资格；而毕业前 OPT 不是现实替代品：学生须同时获学校与政府批准，流程漫长且不可预测，且会消耗毕业后 12 个月 OPT 额度。
七、不要认错案子
同一法院、同一时期还有另一宗与留学生有关的诉讼，容易混淆，必须区分：Presidents' Alliance v. DHS，案号 1:26-cv-13799，Saylor 法官，诉的是国土安全部终止"身份有效期"（Duration of Status）制度、改固定期限的最终规则。2026 年 9 月 14 日，Saylor 法官作出全国性命令，暂缓该规则实施。国土安全部已上诉。
9 月 14 日的初步禁令是那宗案子的，不是 CPT 案的。两案原告部分重叠、同一法院，但案号、标的、法官均不同。
八、收束：等待裁决
回到波士顿的法庭。听证会已经开过，裁决尚未作出。Kobick 法官的裁决将决定两份指引是暂缓执行、还是继续有效；败诉方可向第一巡回上诉法院寻求复审。
另有两个时间点值得留意：OPT 费用提案的公众意见截止 2026 年 11 月 9 日；固定期限规则案中，国土安全部的上诉状同日到期。
After the CPT Crackdown: How Two Memos Rewrote the Internship Path for International Students
1. A Boston courtroom, an afternoon without an answer
At 3 p.m. on November 6, 2026, in Boston, Judge Julia E. Kobick of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts presided over a hearing in a lawsuit brought by four higher-education organizations against the Department of Homeland Security. At issue: whether two internal guidance documents narrowing Curricular Practical Training (CPT) eligibility for international students are lawful. The plaintiffs asked the court to stay the two documents and issue a preliminary injunction.
As of this writing (the morning of November 7, Pacific time), the judge has not ruled. The two documents remain in effect, and schools continue to adjudicate CPT under the narrowed standard.
The case is Association of American Universities v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, No. 1:26-cv-14520, filed October 5, 2026. The plaintiffs are the Association of American Universities (AAU, 71 research universities), NAFSA: Association of International Educators (more than 9,000 members), the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration (nearly 600 institutions across 42 states), and the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts (AICUM, 55 private institutions in Massachusetts), represented by Jenner & Block. The defendants are the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Department of Justice.
2. What the two documents say
On August 12, 2026, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) issued the first Broadcast Message (BCM 2608-01), titled "Reminder of Liability for DSOs Regarding CPT Authorization." SEVP said it had observed a growing number of CPT authorizations that do not meet the requirements, "specifically those not constituting an integral part of an established curriculum." The message states that CPT may be authorized only "if its absence would make the attainment of a degree an impossibility," and that the training must be "a core and essential part of the student's studies, without which, they would be unable to complete their degree."
The message also reminded Designated School Officials (DSOs) that their signature on Form I-20 certifies, under penalty of perjury, that the CPT information is true and accurate, and that noncompliant authorizations could draw action from SEVP and Homeland Security Investigations, including revocation of a school's certification.
On August 24, a second message (BCM 2608-02) followed in question-and-answer form, restating that the rise in noncompliant CPT authorizations is "a matter of great concern," and adding a key standard: "all students" includes American students — if American students in the same program are not required to complete the training, then it is not truly "required" for anyone; the training must be arranged through a cooperative agreement between the school and the employer; and internships taken for elective credit generally do not qualify.
Both messages carry a disclaimer: the message is not "itself a rule or a final action by SEVP." The regulation itself has not changed: the text of 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(10)(i) is unamended.
3. Thirty-five years, two readings
The plaintiffs' complaint states that in August 2026, on the eve of the new academic year, DHS "abruptly changed a position that the federal government had held for more than thirty-five years," without substantive explanation, without notice and comment, and without acknowledging the change, while threatening school officials with criminal liability.
The thirty-five-year practice traces to a 1991 rulemaking. The Immigration and Naturalization Service's proposed rule of June 13, 1991 (56 Fed. Reg. 27,211) defined CPT as training "for which students are awarded academic credits." The final rule of October 29, 1991 (56 Fed. Reg. 55,608) responded to comments by adding non-credit internships required for a degree — in fields such as hotel management, nursing, law, engineering, and teaching, where students routinely complete non-credit internships — in order to "broaden the definition of CPT" to include them. Two paths resulted: the credit path and the non-credit required path. The plaintiffs argue the new guidance grafts requirements that applied only to the second path onto the first.
A 2014 SEVP training document for DSOs put it more plainly: "'integral part of an established curriculum' means an opportunity must be required by the curriculum or, if not required, the student must receive credit for the training." That official prior reading directly conflicts with the 2026 guidance and is one of the plaintiffs' central exhibits.
The complaint also states that for nearly eighty years the federal government has recognized the importance of practical training opportunities for international students: "For nearly eighty years, the federal government has recognized the importance of these opportunities and authorized international students' participation in such programs." That is the plaintiffs' characterization.
4. The two sides in court
The plaintiffs advance four grounds under the Administrative Procedure Act: arbitrary and capricious action (reversing a decades-old interpretation without acknowledging it, explaining it, or considering reliance interests); retroactivity; conflict with the regulation itself; and procedural violation (a substantive legislative rule issued without notice and comment). Filed with their motion for preliminary relief were 15 declarations describing concrete harm: a course at Michigan State University was cancelled after a doctoral student instructor was denied CPT; an employer at the University of Wisconsin lost a student intern at the last moment; some students plan to transfer to institutions abroad. The complaint states that schools were forced to halt CPT authorizations midstream, cancelling internships students had secured months earlier, and that students near graduation have lost the opportunity permanently.
The government's opposition, filed October 28, 2026 (27 pages), advances five defenses: the plaintiffs lack standing (no enforcement action has occurred, and member schools "can continue to approve CPT"); the two messages are not final agency action (they carry the disclaimer that they are not "a rule or a final action by SEVP"); they do not violate the law (CPT must be an "integral part" of the curriculum and provided by "an employer that has a cooperative agreement with the school"); there is no irreparable harm; and the equities and the public interest favor the government (fraud prevention and national security).
The opposition states: "The broadcasts do not constitute final agency action, the broadcasts are not arbitrary and capricious and are in accordance with law and applicable regulations, Plaintiffs have not shown irreparable harm, and the equities and public interest favor Defendants."
The government concedes the two messages apply only prospectively. The plaintiffs' reply, filed November 4, notes that a policy that applies only prospectively is a new policy. The reply also states that the government "never acknowledged, much less discussed" the 15 declarations.
5. The numbers: down, then up — except CPT
SEVP annual data show CPT authorizations falling then rising over seven years: a peak of 151,525 in 2018, a low of 91,352 in 2021, and 130,586 in 2024 — still about 14% below the peak.
The 2024 comparison across the three training categories is more striking: Optional Practical Training employment reached 194,554 (up 21%), STEM OPT reached 95,384 (up 54%), and CPT reached 130,586 (down 0.4%) — the only one of the three to decline. Total F-1 and M-1 student SEVIS records in 2024 stood at 1,582,808.
For Chinese students: total international students in the United States reached 1,177,766 in the 2024/25 academic year, including 265,919 from China (down 4%); 61,981 Chinese students were on OPT, about 23% of the Chinese student total. It must be stated plainly: SEVP does not publish CPT authorizations broken down by nationality, so no figure for Chinese students on CPT can be derived from public sources, and this article does not state one.
Another set of numbers sits on the same tightening chain: the Department of Homeland Security has proposed charging schools $70,000 for a student's first OPT recommendation and $30,000 for each subsequent recommendation; 2,478 schools had students on OPT between 2022 and 2024; and DHS estimates the fees would transfer $8.4 billion to $16.5 billion per year from schools to the federal government. The notice of proposed rulemaking was published in the Federal Register on October 8, 2026 (91 FR 64566), and public comments close November 9, 2026.
SEVP-certified schools numbered 7,234 in 2024, 183 fewer than in 2023; 1,082 certified schools enrolled no international students that year.
6. On campuses, with students
After the guidance issued, schools' responses were posted on their own websites. Harvard University stopped approving CPT in five schools: Harvard College, Harvard Law School, Harvard Medical School, the Graduate School of Design, and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology paused processing of all new CPT applications received on or after August 24, 2026, and contacted students who had already received CPT for fall 2026 to discuss options. The University of California, Berkeley paused applications for "curricular credit CPT" while continuing to accept internships documented as a graduation requirement, then extended the pause indefinitely "for the foreseeable future." The University of Pennsylvania first paused CPT adjudications, then resumed accepting applications meeting the "integral and required" standard. Boston University, Wellesley College, and Georgetown University also paused or tightened approvals.
Among students: Leander Hirsch, an international student at UC Berkeley, told NBC Bay Area he hoped to be able to take an internship. The plaintiffs' declarations add that twelve months of full-time CPT costs a student eligibility for post-graduation OPT, and that pre-completion OPT is not a realistic substitute: it requires approval from both the school and the government, a process that is lengthy and unpredictable, and it consumes part of the twelve months of post-graduation OPT.
7. Do not mistake this case for the other one
A second lawsuit involving international students in the same court at the same time is easily confused with this one and must be distinguished: Presidents' Alliance v. DHS, No. 1:26-cv-13799, before Judge Saylor, challenges the Department of Homeland Security's final rule ending the "Duration of Status" system in favor of fixed admission periods. On September 14, 2026, Judge Saylor issued a nationwide order postponing that rule's effective date. DHS has appealed.
The September 14 preliminary injunction belongs to that case, not the CPT case. The two cases share some plaintiffs and the same court, but their docket numbers, subjects, and judges differ.
8. Close: awaiting a ruling
Back in the Boston courtroom: the hearing has been held, and no ruling has issued. Judge Kobick's decision will determine whether the two messages are stayed or remain in effect; the losing side may seek review in the First Circuit.
Two dates are also worth noting: public comments on the OPT fee proposal close November 9, 2026, and the Department of Homeland Security's appellate brief in the fixed-duration case is due the same day.
来源：美国国土安全部与法院诉讼文件
发布：GSM·美国（发布链接）
图片来源：图：位于波士顿的 John Joseph Moakley 联邦法院大楼。Wikimedia Commons，CC BY 4.0。 / Photo: The John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse in Boston. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
GSM Global · 本篇英文版 English edition of this story
