Federal Directives and CPT Restrictions
Currently, international students in the United States face severe hurdles regarding off-campus internships. Specifically, multiple major universities have paused or restricted Curricular Practical Training following new federal directives. In August, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program issued strict warnings to academic institutions. According to the agency, practical training must be an explicit degree requirement for all students. Furthermore, the federal agency warned school officials that improper approvals carry direct personal liability. Consequently, universities risk losing their federal certification if they fail to enforce these guidelines.
University Responses Across the Country
In response, prominent American universities moved quickly to tighten their institutional policies. For instance, UC Berkeley suspended applications for elective course credit practical training until further notice. Similarly, the University of Pennsylvania announced a universitywide pause on new and pending requests. Meanwhile, New York University froze pending applications while maintaining previously approved autumn authorizations. In addition, the University of Southern California limited authorizations strictly to mandatory graduation requirements. Therefore, foreign students can no longer utilize elective classes to secure off-campus work experience.
Impact on International and Chinese Students
Crucially, these sudden policy changes impact international students holding F-1 visas across the country. In particular, Chinese students face major disruptions because they represent one of the largest foreign student groups. Moreover, discussions on Chinese social media platforms like RedNote reflect intense frustration among graduates and researchers. Indeed, many students expressed deep disillusionment regarding career stability within technical and engineering fields. At the same time, users voiced persistent concerns over the broader policy environment under President Donald Trump. Ultimately, the indefinite freeze leaves thousands of international scholars navigating an increasingly restrictive professional landscape.
Reference
Razdan, K., & Razdan, K. (2026c, septiembre 2). US universities curb international student internships following federal warning. South China Morning Post. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366105/us-universities-curb-international-student-internships-following-federal-warning?share=6Kba%2BSykWr2z5cPy%2B3xpaMfH8rV0QAQbazyMuuwIVav16m1KMATN3OZS%2FdVI7gGnSEPGDqLPoTpwCR3nxSt5kPi5AUirppNCFCpd8Gjgn%2FQ%3D&utm_campaign=social_share