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Trump administration issues memo restricting internship authorisations for international students
The Trump administration has taken direct aim at one of the most critical pathways for international students to gain US work experience — issuing a federal memo that restricts universities from authorising certain internship programmes, with a stark warning that non-compliant institutions risk losing their ability to enrol foreign students altogether, according to TBS News citing Reuters.
The memo, dated August 24 and issued by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program — a division of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement — warned universities about a rise in Curricular Practical Training authorisations that officials believe may not meet regulatory requirements. CPT allows eligible international students to participate in practical training that is an integral part of their established academic curriculum.
The memo said universities that fail to comply with SEVP regulations could lose their certification to enroll foreign students. Several universities, including the University of California, Los Angeles, have already begun reviewing their CPT authorisation processes in response.
The development adds another layer to the Trump administration’s sweeping overhaul of US immigration policy affecting international students — which has already included suspended student visa issuance for several countries, a four-year cap replacing the open-ended “duration of status” system, and a 10% drop in international student applications for the 2026-27 academic year.
Separately, the US Justice Department alleged admissions practices at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Services favoured Black and Hispanic applicants, as the Trump administration continued its diversity crackdown.