The Trump administration has issued a memo to universities, dated August 24, seeking to restrict the issuance of certain internship work authorizations for international students. The memo, from the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) under U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), cites an observed increase in Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorizations that allegedly violate regulatory requirements, which permit CPT only when the training is an integral part of an established curriculum. The memo warns that failure to comply with SEVP regulations may result in institutions losing certification to enroll foreign students.

In response to the memo, some universities, including the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of California, Berkeley, have paused certain applications for work authorizations for international students. UCLA stated it has paused specific CPT authorizations while reviewing the recent federal guidance and determining next steps. UC Berkeley’s international office noted that the August 24 memo is “more narrow in focus, more direct, and includes content that is more restrictive in nature” compared to an earlier memo issued in mid-August. The university indicated it is unlikely to process certain work authorization applications in the near future and advised international students to plan accordingly, while continuing to process “degree-requirement” CPT and planning to resume processing “Doctoral Dissertation and Master’s Thesis Research CPT.” The Department of Homeland Security, ICE’s parent agency, emphasized that the regulations have not changed but warned that abuse of the system will no longer be tolerated under President Trump’s administration. ¹

Footnotes

1. Singh, K. (2023, August 27). Trump administration seeks to restrict internships for international students. Yahoo News. https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-administration-restricts-internships-international-025015457.html ↩

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