United States President Donald Trump’s administration has issued a memo for universities that seeks to restrict issuance of certain internship work authorizations for international students, apart from warning that colleges not complying with the regulations may lose certification to enroll foreign students.
According to a Reuters report, the federal memo dated August 24 said the Student and Exchange Visitor Programme, which is part of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, has “observed a rise in Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorizations that appear to violate regulatory requirements which permit CPT only where the training is an integral part of an established curriculum”.
“Failure to comply with SEVP regulations may result in an institution losing certification to enroll foreign students,” the memo said.
This resulted in some institutions, including the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of California, Berkeley, pausing certain applications for work authorizations for international students.
“UCLA has paused certain Curricular Practical Training authorizations while it reviews recent federal guidance and determines next steps,” a UCLA spokesperson said.
UC Berkeley’s international office has said it was unlikely that it would process certain work authorization applications “in the near future” and urged those international students to plan accordingly, the Reuters report said.
“Nothing about these regulations has changed,” the Department of Homeland Security, ICE’s parent, said in a statement. “However, schools and employers should consider themselves on notice: under President Trump, abuse of this generous system will no longer be tolerated.”
What this means for Indian students
The move may impact several hundreds of Indian students in the US, particularly those enrolled in programmes that use CPT as a way to gain work experience while completing a degree. The issue is especially significant for students relying on ‘Day 1 CPT’ arrangements, which have come under increased scrutiny.
A memo was issued on August 12 by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as well, warning designated school officials about their liability when authorizing Curricular Practical Training (CPT) for international students.
What Indian students should do
According to multiple reports quoting education consultants and foreign education experts, Indian students currently using CPT should check with their university’s international student office before making any changes to their employment or academic plan or status.
Students should also verify and decide whether their CPT is a degree requirement, whether the training is directly connected to the major and whether the university has issued the appropriate CPT authorization and I-20.
Trump’s threats
Trump has targeted universities with probes and funding threats over issues like pro-Palestinian protests against U.S. ally Israel’s assault on Gaza, diversity initiatives, climate programmes and transgender policies. Rights advocates have raised free speech, academic freedom and due process concerns.
Separately, the U.S. Justice Department alleged on Thursday admissions practices at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Services favoured Black and Hispanic applicants, citing findings of a probe as the Trump administration continued its diversity crackdown.
“We are disappointed by the DOJ’s conclusions, which we believe are incorrect,” the university said, saying the admissions policies were in compliance with law and not discriminatory.
Trump’s administration has also revoked visas of student protesters over pro-Palestinian protests that it casts as antisemitic and sympathetic to extremists.
(With agency inputs)
