Trump administration restricts internships for international students

President Donald Trump's administration has issued a memo that seeks to restrict internship work authorisations for international students. The memo, dated Aug 24, warns that colleges not complying with the regulations may lose certification to enrol foreign students. Some universities, including UCLA and UC Berkeley, have paused certain applications for work authorisations for international students in response.

The federal memo highlighted concerns over Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorisations that may not be integral to an established curriculum. UC Berkeley's international office noted that the memo was more restrictive compared to an earlier one issued by the administration. The university has urged international students to plan accordingly and will continue processing degree-requirement CPT as normal.

The Department of Homeland Security stated that the administration's actions aim to crack down on abuse of the system.