WASHINGTON — International students hoping to turn their US university education into hands-on work experience are facing a new obstacle after the Trump administration sharply tightened scrutiny of a widely used internship programme — prompting major universities to suspend some applications and raising fresh concerns about America’s appeal to overseas students.
A federal memorandum dated August 24, 2026, from the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, or SEVP, warned US colleges that certain Curricular Practical Training, known as CPT, authorisations may be violating federal requirements.
The memo said authorities have observed an increase in CPT approvals that appear inconsistent with regulations requiring the training to be an integral part of an established academic curriculum.
And the warning to universities was unusually consequential: institutions that fail to comply with SEVP regulations could ultimately risk losing their certification to enrol international students.
What Is CPT — And Why Does It Matter?
Curricular Practical Training allows students studying in the United States on F-1 visas to participate in employment, internships, cooperative education or other practical training connected to their academic programme.
Unlike Optional Practical Training, or OPT, which can generally be used for qualifying work related to a student’s field of study before or after graduation, CPT must be part of the student’s curriculum.
Official US Immigration and Customs Enforcement guidance says CPT must be integral to the student’s major and part of the programme of study. The student’s designated school official authorises the training and issues an updated Form I-20 reflecting that authorisation.
For thousands of foreign students, CPT has been a crucial bridge between the classroom and the US labour market.
But the government’s latest guidance is putting some of the most commonly used versions of that pathway under pressure.
Berkeley and UCLA Move Quickly
The impact is already visible at some of America’s best-known universities.
UCLA confirmed that it has paused certain CPT authorisations while officials assess the new federal guidance.
UC Berkeley has gone further.
Berkeley’s international office says Course Credit CPT is currently unavailable, meaning students generally cannot rely on simply enrolling in an internship or field-study course to obtain CPT where that internship is not otherwise required by their degree programme.
Berkeley first temporarily suspended Course Credit CPT on August 12 and later informed students on August 26 that the pause would continue indefinitely.
The university described the August 24 federal memo as narrower, more direct and more restrictive than previous guidance.
There is, however, an important exception.
Berkeley says it will continue processing CPT when an internship is an actual degree requirement, and it plans to resume authorisations connected with doctoral dissertation and master’s thesis research.
That distinction could become critical for international students choosing courses and degree programmes.
Did Trump Actually Change the Law?
Not exactly.
The Department of Homeland Security says the underlying CPT regulations have not changed.
What has changed is the government’s enforcement posture.
DHS said universities and employers were being put on notice that the administration would no longer tolerate what it considers abuse of the system.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the administration’s interpretation could substantially narrow eligible internships, including by focusing on training tied closely to established academic programmes rather than arrangements created primarily to give individual students work authorisation.
That difference matters.
This is therefore not a blanket ban on foreign students having internships in America. Instead, universities may now become considerably more cautious about approving CPT unless they are confident that the work experience satisfies the government’s interpretation of existing rules.
The Timing Could Be Particularly Painful for US Universities
The crackdown arrives while American universities are already experiencing a weakening international student pipeline.
The United States hosted 1,177,766 international students during the 2024-25 academic year, according to the Institute of International Education’s Open Doors data. However, the number of students enrolling in the US for the first time dropped 7 per cent to 277,118.
The deterioration became more pronounced afterward.
New international student enrolment fell 17 per cent in fall 2025, according to subsequent enrollment data, while graduate enrolment was particularly weak.
Now education groups are warning that 2026 could bring another major decline.
NAFSA and JB International estimate that international enrolment could fall by as much as approximately 111,000 students in fall 2026, potentially removing up to US$3.4 billion in economic activity and affecting nearly 40,000 US jobs supported by international-student spending.
Those are projections rather than confirmed enrollment figures, but they illustrate why universities are closely watching every new immigration and visa restriction.
International students contributed an estimated US$42.9 billion to the American economy and supported 355,736 jobs during the 2024-25 academic year, according to NAFSA.
Internship Rules Are Only Part of a Bigger Immigration Shift
The CPT dispute is also unfolding against a much broader tightening of rules affecting foreign students.
In July, the Trump administration finalized changes ending the long-standing practice under which many international students could remain in the United States for the “duration of status” associated with their studies.
Under the new framework, students and certain exchange visitors generally face fixed periods of admission of up to four years and may need extensions if their programmes take longer. The policy has already faced a legal challenge from unions and advocacy organisations.
Combined with visa-processing difficulties and other immigration restrictions, those changes are forcing universities — and prospective students overseas — to reassess how predictable an American education remains.
What International Students Should Watch Next
For students already studying in America, the most immediate issue is not whether CPT still exists. It does.
The bigger question is which internships universities will now feel legally comfortable authorising.
Students whose practical training is formally required for graduation appear to be in a stronger position than those hoping to obtain CPT simply by receiving academic credit for an otherwise optional internship.
But university policies may differ as institutions interpret the federal guidance, consult immigration lawyers and potentially redesign their academic programmes.
That means international students considering internships should check directly with their university’s designated school official before accepting employment or beginning any off-campus work.
Working without proper authorisation can carry serious immigration consequences.
For prospective students, however, the implications go beyond one internship programme.
The ability to gain US work experience has long been one of the biggest attractions of an American education. If that pathway becomes harder, more unpredictable or available only through narrowly structured academic programmes, universities in Canada, Britain, Australia, Europe and elsewhere could become increasingly attractive alternatives.
And that is where this latest immigration fight may ultimately have its biggest impact: not simply on who gets an internship this semester, but on where the world’s next generation of international students decides to study in the first place.
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