加州总检察长牵头多州联盟反对OPT新规:高校须为每名国际学生付最高10万美元

加州总检察长 Rob Bonta 11月9日牵头一个多州总检察长联盟提交意见信,反对联邦政府一项拟议规则:高校须为每名参加毕业实习计划(OPT)的国际学生支付最高10万美元。
据总检察长办公室,OPT 允许持 F-1 签证的国际学生在毕业后从事与所学专业相关的工作,一般为12个月,科学、技术、工程与数学(STEM)毕业生可再延长24个月。美国国土安全部10月8日公布的拟议规则要求,高校首次推荐一名学生参加 OPT 时支付70,000美元,后续推荐(包括 STEM OPT 延期)再支付30,000美元,款项由高校向国土安全部缴纳,高校可向学生或雇主寻求补偿。
意见信认为,该规则超出联邦政府的法定权限:这笔收费实质上是国会从未授权的税,并非行政收费;同时规则没有充分考虑对各州与高校的经济后果,只给了30天公众评论期。意见信估算,若维持现有参与规模,2024至2025学年全美有超过29.4万名学生参加 OPT,高校每年可能要承担129亿美元。
意见信还指出,国际学生2024至2025学年为加州经济贡献63亿美元、支持超过52,000个就业岗位,新规会让 OPT 贵到难以参加,把国际学生挡在加州高校之外。此前,Bonta 牵头的联盟曾就 H-1B 签证10万美元收费打赢官司,法院于2026年6月作出终审判决,认定该收费违宪并将其推翻。参与本次意见信的还有亚利桑那、科罗拉多、康涅狄格等22个州及哥伦比亚特区的总检察长。
(来源:加州总检察长办公室)
California Attorney General Leads Coalition Opposing OPT Rule That Would Charge Colleges Up to $100,000 Per International Student
California Attorney General Rob Bonta on November 9 led a multistate coalition of attorneys general in submitting a comment letter opposing a proposed federal rule that would require colleges and universities to pay up to $100,000 for each international student seeking to participate in Optional Practical Training (OPT).
OPT allows international students on F-1 visas to gain practical work experience related to their fields of study, generally for 12 months, with an additional 24-month extension for qualifying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduates. Under the proposed rule published by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on October 8, 2026, institutions would pay $70,000 for each student they initially recommend for OPT and an additional $30,000 for a subsequent recommendation, including a STEM OPT extension, transmitting the payments to DHS while being allowed to seek reimbursement from students or employers.
The coalition argues the rule exceeds DHS's legal authority, characterizing the payment as an unconstitutional tax Congress has not authorized rather than a fee, and says DHS failed to adequately consider the financial and economic consequences and provided only 30 days for public comment. With more than 294,000 students participating in OPT nationwide in the 2024-2025 academic year, the letter estimates maintaining current participation could cost institutions $12.9 billion annually.
The letter notes international students contributed $6.3 billion to California's economy and supported more than 52,000 jobs in the 2024-2025 academic year. Bonta previously led a coalition that challenged the administration's $100,000 charge on new H-1B visa petitions and secured a final judgment in June 2026 finding it unconstitutional. The attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin joined the letter.
(Source: California Attorney General's Office)
来源:加州总检察长办公室
发布:GSM·美国(发布链接)
图片来源:图:加州总检察长办公室所在地建筑。GSM 加州固定图库收录图片。 / Photo: Building housing the California Attorney General's office. Image from GSM's California asset library.
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