US universities curb international student internships following federal warning

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Sep 2, 2026 #CPT, #Curricular Practical Training, #F-1 visas, #ICE, #International students, #New York University, #SEVP, #South China Morning Post (SCMP), #Student and Exchange Visitor Programme, #UC Berkeley, #United States, #University of California, #University of Pennsylvania, #University of Rochester, #University of Washington, #US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

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US universities curb international student internships following federal warning

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People walk through a gate on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley, one of the first institutions to respond to new directives on international students and internships. Photo: EPA-EFE

Khushboo RazdanPublished: 5:03pm, 2 Sep 2026International students in the United States are facing new hurdles when it comes to internships and off-campus work after several major universities paused or restricted certain forms of Curricular Practical Training (CPT).CPT is a form of work authorisation that allows foreign students to take part in internships and other practical training related to their studies.

The changes follow two August directives from the Student and Exchange Visitor Programme (SEVP), a division of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice), which take a stricter view of when CPT can be authorised.

Universities including the University of Pennsylvania, New York University, the University of Southern California, the University of Washington, the University of Rochester and the University of California, Berkeley have paused pending applications or limited CPT to internships that are mandatory parts of a degree programme.