The administration of US President Donald Trump has issued new guidance aimed at tightening access to certain internship work authorisations for international students, warning universities that failure to comply could put their ability to enrol foreign students at risk.
A federal memo dated August 24 said the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), which operates under US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), had identified an increase in Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorisations that appeared to breach existing regulations.
Under the rules, CPT is permitted only when practical training forms an integral part of an established academic curriculum.
The memo warned that universities failing to meet SEVP requirements could lose their certification to enrol international students, prompting some institutions to temporarily halt certain work authorisation applications while reviewing the new guidance.
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) confirmed it had paused selected CPT authorisations as it assessed the federal directive and considered its next steps.
UC Berkeley’s international office described the latest memo as more focused and direct than previous guidance issued in mid-August, while also saying it contained more restrictive requirements.
Berkeley said it would extend its pause on certain international student work authorisations “for the foreseeable future”. However, CPT linked directly to degree requirements would continue to be processed normally.
The university also said it planned to resume processing CPT applications connected with doctoral dissertation and master’s thesis research, while consulting legal experts to establish procedures that comply with the latest federal requirements.
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, said the underlying regulations had not changed but warned universities and employers that the Trump administration would take action against what it considers abuse of the system.
“Nothing about these regulations has changed,” the department said, adding that schools and employers should understand that misuse of the programme would no longer be tolerated under Trump.
The latest move is part of a broader push by the Trump administration to increase scrutiny of US universities and their policies.
The administration has launched investigations and threatened funding over a range of issues, including pro-Palestinian demonstrations concerning Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, diversity programmes, climate-related initiatives and transgender policies.
Civil rights groups and other critics have raised concerns that such measures could affect free speech, academic freedom and due process on university campuses.
Separately, the US Justice Department on Thursday accused George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences of having admissions practices that favoured Black and Hispanic applicants.
The allegation followed a federal investigation and came as the Trump administration continued its efforts to roll back diversity initiatives in education.
The university rejected the department’s conclusions, saying it was disappointed by the findings and maintained that its admissions policies complied with the law and were not discriminatory.
The Justice Department has made similar allegations against other educational institutions and said it is seeking settlement discussions. It warned that lawsuits could follow if those efforts fail.
The Trump administration has also revoked visas belonging to some foreign students involved in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, arguing that certain protests were antisemitic or showed sympathy for extremist groups.
Protesters, including Jewish organisations, have rejected those characterisations, arguing that criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza and opposition to its occupation of Palestinian territories should not automatically be treated as antisemitism or support for extremism.
The latest restrictions on practical training could therefore add further uncertainty for international students who rely on authorised internships as part of their studies and future career plans in the United States.
