The Trump administration has issued a new directive to limit Curricular Practical Training (CPT) work authorizations for international students. The federal government has warned that universities failing to comply with the regulations risk losing the certification required to host foreign students. The federal memo, released on August 24 by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)—an agency overseen by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)—highlights an increase in CPT authorizations granted in violation of regulatory requirements. According to federal rules, internships must constitute an integral and mandatory part of an established curriculum.
Immediate Impact on California Universities
Following the directive, major academic institutions such as the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) have temporarily suspended the approval of certain work authorization requests for international students: UCLA has temporarily frozen specific CPT procedures while awaiting a thorough analysis of the new federal directives to determine future steps. UC Berkeley characterized the August 24 memo as a more restrictive and targeted measure, preceded by an initial warning in mid-August. The university’s international office stated that processing certain applications in the short term is unlikely, advising students to plan accordingly.
• Operational Exceptions: UC Berkeley will continue to regularly process CPTs strictly tied to degree requirements, and resume the processing of doctoral research and master’s theses, while consulting legal experts to align its processes with the new federal standards. Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ICE’s parent agency, reiterated in an official statement that the regulations have not undergone formal changes. However, the message to institutions and employers is unambiguous: under the Trump administration, abuses of this flexibility system will no longer be tolerated.
The Context: Pressure on Universities and DOJ Actions
The visa crackdown is part of a broader push by the White House to exert pressure on the American university system. In recent months, the government has targeted universities through investigations and threats of funding revocations across multiple fronts: from pro-Palestinian protests against Israel’s offensive in Gaza to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies, as well as climate programs and transgender policies. These initiatives continue to spark deep concern among civil liberties advocates regarding freedom of expression, academic freedom, and due process guarantees. Concurrently, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has formally challenged the admission policies of the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Services, accusing it of unlawfully favoring Black and Hispanic applicants as part of the federal crackdown on diversity policies. The university expressed deep regret and disappointment over the DOJ’s conclusions, calling them erroneous and reiterating the full compliance of its admissions criteria with the law. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice has signaled similar alleged distortions at other institutions, and is seeking to negotiate out-of-court settlements, which could turn into formal legal action if no agreement is reached.
