Trump Administration Moves to Restrict Internships for International Students/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ The Trump administration issued guidance seeking to restrict certain internship work authorizations for international students. UCLA and UC Berkeley paused some Curricular Practical Training applications while reviewing the federal requirements. Universities that fail to comply could lose their certification to enroll foreign students.
Quick Look
- The federal guidance targets Curricular Practical Training, known as CPT.
- CPT permits qualifying international students to obtain work experience connected to their academic programs.
- The government says some authorizations do not meet the requirement that training be integral to an established curriculum.
- Noncompliant schools could lose authorization to enroll international students.
- UCLA paused certain CPT applications while reviewing the guidance.
- UC Berkeley warned that some applications may not be processed soon.
- Degree-required CPT will continue at Berkeley.
- The Department of Homeland Security said the regulations themselves have not changed.
- The Justice Department separately accused George Washington University’s medical school of discriminatory admissions practices.
Deep Look
Administration targets international student internships
President Donald Trump’s administration has sent universities new guidance seeking to restrict certain internship work authorizations for international students.
The Aug. 24 memorandum concerns Curricular Practical Training, or CPT, which permits eligible international students to participate in internships and other employment connected to their academic studies.
The Student and Exchange Visitor Program, a division of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said it had identified an increase in CPT approvals that appeared inconsistent with federal regulations.
The government maintains that CPT is permitted only when the training is an integral component of an established academic curriculum.
Universities face threat of losing certification
The administration warned colleges and universities that failure to follow the federal requirements could jeopardize their ability to enroll foreign students.
“Failure to comply with SEVP regulations may result in an institution losing certification to enroll foreign students,” the memo said.
The possibility of losing certification places significant pressure on universities to suspend or reassess applications even before they determine precisely how the guidance should be applied.
The government issued an earlier memorandum on the matter in mid-August, followed by the more detailed Aug. 24 directive.
UCLA pauses certain work authorizations
Several universities have already suspended parts of their CPT processing while they examine the federal guidance.
“UCLA has paused certain Curricular Practical Training authorizations while it reviews recent federal guidance and determines next steps,” a university spokesperson said.
The pause could affect international students who expected to begin internships or employment connected to their academic programs.
UC Berkeley warns students to make alternative plans
The University of California, Berkeley’s international office described the Aug. 24 memorandum as “more narrow in focus, more direct, and includes content that is more restrictive in nature.”
Berkeley said it is unlikely to process some categories of CPT applications “in the near future” and advised affected international students to plan accordingly.
The university will continue processing CPT when the employment is required for completion of a degree. It also said it would resume authorizations connected to doctoral dissertation and master’s thesis research.
Berkeley plans to consult legal experts and develop new procedures that comply with the administration’s requirements.
DHS says existing regulations remain unchanged
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, said the underlying CPT rules had not been altered.
“Nothing about these regulations has changed,” the department said. “However, schools and employers should consider themselves on notice: under President Trump, abuse of this generous system will no longer be tolerated.”
The administration’s position is that the guidance strengthens enforcement of existing requirements rather than establishing an entirely new policy.
Universities’ decisions to pause applications, however, demonstrate that the directive is already affecting students and campus procedures.
Broader confrontation with higher education
The CPT guidance is the latest administration action affecting American colleges and universities during Trump’s second term.
The administration has launched investigations and threatened federal funding over pro-Palestinian demonstrations, diversity programs, climate initiatives and transgender policies.
Civil-rights and education advocates have raised concerns about freedom of speech, academic independence and due-process protections.
The administration has also revoked visas held by some foreign students involved in pro-Palestinian activism, characterizing the demonstrations as antisemitic and sympathetic to extremist organizations.
Protesters, including some Jewish groups, argue that opposition to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and its occupation of Palestinian territories is not inherently antisemitic. They also reject the claim that advocating for Palestinian rights amounts to supporting extremism.
Justice Department targets GWU medical admissions
In a separate action Thursday, the Justice Department alleged that admissions practices at George Washington University’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences favored Black and Hispanic applicants.
The allegation followed a federal investigation conducted as part of the Trump administration’s wider campaign against diversity-based policies.
“We are disappointed by the DOJ’s conclusions, which we believe are incorrect,” the university said, adding that its admissions policies comply with the law and are not discriminatory.
The Justice Department has made similar allegations against other educational institutions. It said it would first seek negotiated settlements and could file lawsuits if those talks fail.
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