Trump administration seeks to restrict internships for international students
The Trump administration has issued a memo seeking to restrict Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorizations for international students, warning universities that non-compliance could lead to losing certification to enroll foreign students. This guidance, which emphasizes CPT must be an integral part of an established curriculum, has prompted universities like UCLA and UC Berkeley to pause certain work authorization applications for review. The Department of Homeland Security stated that regulations haven't changed, but schools are being reminded of existing requirements.
Why it matters
This policy change significantly impacts international students' ability to gain work experience in the US and could affect universities' ability to enroll foreign students, potentially altering the landscape of international education and talent acquisition in the US. It also raises questions about the interpretation and enforcement of existing immigration regulations.
President Donald Trump’s administration has issued a memo for universities that seeks to restrict the issuance of certain internship work authorisations for international students, as the federal government warned that colleges not complying with the regulations may lose certification to enroll foreign students.
The federal memo dated August 24 said the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, which is part of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, has “observed a rise in Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorisations that appear to violate regulatory requirements which permit CPT only where the training is an integral part of an established curriculum.”
“Failure to comply with SEVP regulations may result in an institution losing certification to enroll foreign students,” the memo said.
It resulted in some schools, including the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of California, Berkeley, pausing certain applications for work authorizations for international students.
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