US administration moves to restrict international student internships

The Trump administration is tightening regulations on international student internships, issuing a memo that seeks to restrict Curricular Practical Training (CPT) work authorizations. The administration warns that universities failing to comply with these updated guidelines risk losing their certification to enroll foreign students.

The memo, dated August 24, highlights concerns from the Student and Exchange Visitor Programme (SEVP) about a rise in CPT authorizations that appear to violate requirements, which stipulate that training must be an integral part of an established curriculum. This has prompted some institutions, such as the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of California, Berkeley, to pause certain CPT applications as they review the federal guidance.

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Failure to comply with SEVP regulations may result in an institution losing certification to enrol foreign students.

UC Berkeley's international office noted the memo is more restrictive than previous guidance and indicated it would likely not process certain work authorization applications in the near future. The university urged international students to plan accordingly, though it will continue processing "degree-requirement" CPT and doctoral/master's research CPT, while consulting legal experts on new processes.

A Department of Homeland Security statement emphasized that while regulations haven't changed, universities and employers are now "on notice" that "abuse of this generous system will no longer be tolerated" under President Trump. This move is part of broader actions targeting universities, which have also included probes into diversity initiatives and other policies.

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Nothing about these regulations has changed. However, schools and employers should consider themselves on notice: under President Trump, abuse of this generous system will no longer be tolerated.