Trump administration warns universities over international student work authorizations

Washington: President Donald Trump's administration has issued guidance to universities seeking to restrict certain work authorizations for international students, warning that colleges that fail to comply with federal regulations could lose their certification to enroll foreign students.

A federal memo dated Aug. 24 said the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), part of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, had "observed a rise in Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorizations that appear to violate regulatory requirements" that allow CPT only when 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.

The guidance has prompted some universities, including the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of California, Berkeley, to pause certain applications for work authorization 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.

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UC Berkeley's international office said the Aug. 24 memo was "more narrow in focus, more direct, and includes content that is more restrictive in nature." The federal government had issued an earlier memo in mid-August.

UC Berkeley said it was unlikely to process certain work authorization applications "in the near future" and urged affected international students to plan accordingly.

The university said it would continue processing CPT tied to degree requirements as normal and would resume processing "Doctoral Dissertation and Master's Thesis Research CPT." Its international office said it would consult legal experts to develop new processes that comply with the federal requirements.

Also Read: UC Berkeley, UC Davis pause Course Credit CPT applications after ICE warning

"Nothing about these regulations has changed," the Department of Homeland Security, ICE's parent agency, 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."

Trump has targeted universities with investigations and funding threats over issues including pro-Palestinian protests against Israel, a US ally, over its war in Gaza, as well as diversity initiatives, climate programmes and transgender policies.