The Trump administration issued a memorandum restricting Curricular Practical Training work authorisations for international students.
The Student and Exchange Visitor Program warned that non-compliant universities face decertification and loss of foreign student enrollment rights.
In response to the federal directive, UCLA and UC Berkeley have suspended certain CPT internship applications.
President Donald Trump’s administration has issued a memorandum restricting Curricular Practical Training work authorisations for international students, Reuters reported. The directive mandates stricter compliance from universities regarding student internship approvals.
The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), operating under US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, stated that institutions failing to adhere to the rules face decertification. This penalty would prevent them from enrolling foreign students.
The SEVP stated it "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 SEVP memo stated, Reuters reported.
In immediate response to the federal guidance, the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of California, Berkeley suspended certain CPT applications.
Universities Pause Work Authorizations
Colleges are reacting swiftly to the new federal directives. "UCLA has paused certain Curricular Practical Training authorisations while it reviews recent federal guidance and determines next steps," a university spokesperson told Reuters.
The international office at UC Berkeley informed that the August 24 document is "more narrow in focus, more direct, and includes content that is more restrictive in nature" compared to an earlier mid-August directive.
Consequently, UC Berkeley is extending its pause on specific work authorisations for "the foreseeable future". However, the university will keep processing "degree-requirement" CPT applications and is restarting approvals for "Doctoral Dissertation and Master’s Thesis Research CPT". The office also stated plans to consult legal experts to create updated procedures aligning with the fresh federal mandates.
Defending the policy, the Department of Homeland Security stated: "Nothing about these regulations has changed... under President Trump, abuse of this generous system will no longer be tolerated."
Broader Crackdown on Universities
The internship restrictions form part of a wider administrative campaign against higher education institutions. President Trump has actively targeted universities with investigations and funding cuts over pro-Palestinian demonstrations, diversity programmes, climate initiatives and transgender policies. Rights advocates have expressed concerns regarding academic freedom, due process and free speech.
Simultaneously, the US Justice Department alleged on Thursday that admissions practices at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Services showed bias towards Black and Hispanic candidates, citing probe findings amid the administration's ongoing diversity crackdown.
"We are disappointed by the DOJ’s conclusions, which we believe are incorrect," the university stated, defending its policies as lawful and non-discriminatory. The Justice Department informed it has found similar bias at other colleges and intends to file lawsuits if settlement discussions collapse.
The administration has also revoked the visas of international students participating in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, branding the actions as antisemitic and sympathetic to extremists. In response, protesters, alongside certain Jewish groups, argue that criticising Israel's military actions in Gaza and its occupation of Palestinian territories does not equate to antisemitism, nor is advocating for Palestinian rights the same as supporting extremism.
