Donald Trump Administration Seeks To Restrict Internships For International Students

The administration of US President Donald Trump has issued a memo to universities, urging them to restrict certain internship work authorizations for international students. The memo, issued by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) under the Department of Homeland Security, warns that institutions failing to comply with federal regulations could lose their certification to enroll foreign students.

The memo specifically cites an increase in Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorizations that seem to violate regulations, stating that CPT is only permissible if the training is an integral part of an established curriculum.

Several universities, including the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), have already paused certain Curricular Practical Training authorizations pending further review of the federal guidance. UCLA's spokesperson stated that the university is reviewing the guidance and determining the next steps, while UC Berkeley's international office described the memo as "more narrow in focus, more direct, and includes content that is more restrictive in nature."

The memo has prompted universities to reconsider their procedures for work authorizations related to international student internships, creating a more complex situation for affected students. UC Berkeley's international office acknowledged that it would likely pause the processing of certain work authorisation applications in the near future, urging affected international students to plan accordingly.

However, the office assured that it would continue processing degree-requirement CPT as usual and would resume processing Doctoral Dissertation and Master's Thesis Research CPT. The university also pledged to consult legal experts to develop new processes that comply with the new federal requirements.

The Department of Homeland Security, the parent agency of ICE, maintained that the underlying regulations had not changed, stating that the underlying regulations have not changed. However, the administration's focus on enforcement rather than introducing new rules has created additional pressure for universities to navigate the revised guidelines and ensure compliance with federal regulations while handling work opportunities linked to the studies of international students.