New Federal Scrutiny of CPT: What It Means for F-1 International Students

If you are an international student on an F-1 visa with a work placement approved by your school, you may have received an email from your international student office in recent days telling you your request is “on hold.” That is not a clerical delay. It reflects a real shift in how the federal government is reviewing Curricular Practical Training (CPT).

At Campos Law Firm, we closely monitor developments in U.S. immigration policy to protect our clients’ rights and future. Below is what is known, what has not changed, and what you can do now.

What is happening?

According to Reuters, the administration sent universities a federal memo dated August 24, 2026 tightening oversight of CPT, the authorization that allows certain F-1 students to take internships or employment tied directly to their academic program.

The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) — the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office that certifies schools to enroll foreign students — warned that it has seen CPT approvals that “appear to violate regulatory requirements.” The memo states that a school’s failure to follow SEVP rules may result in an institution losing certification to enroll foreign students.

Earlier in August, SEVP had already circulated broadcast messages reminding designated school officials (DSOs) of their liability when authorizing CPT, applying a stricter reading of what it means for training to be an “integral part of an established curriculum”: it must be essential to completing the degree, directly related to the student’s major, and formally recognized in the academic record — not authorized solely for employment purposes.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Reuters that the regulations have not changed, while adding that “schools and employers should consider themselves on notice: under President Trump, abuse of this generous system will no longer be tolerated.”

Who is affected?

• F-1 students with pending CPT requests: UCLA and UC Berkeley confirmed to Reuters that they paused certain applications while reviewing the guidance. UCLA said it had “paused certain Curricular Practical Training authorizations while it reviews recent federal guidance.” UC Berkeley said it was unlikely to process some requests “in the near future,” while continuing to process CPT that is a degree requirement.
• “Day 1 CPT” programs: placements offered from the first day of enrollment are, by design, the hardest to fit within a strict reading of “integral part of the curriculum.”
• Training that does not appear on your transcript: if your CPT is not tied to a course, credits, or a program requirement, that is the profile SEVP says it is examining.
• This does not, for now, affect CPT that is genuinely a degree requirement, and it is not a blanket elimination of CPT. It also does not change Optional Practical Training (OPT), a separate authorization issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Does losing CPT mean losing my status?

Not automatically — but the relationship between the two is what students most need to understand.

CPT is not your status. It is a work authorization approved by a DSO in the SEVIS system and recorded on your Form I-20, always for one specific employer and one specific period. Your F-1 status depends on staying enrolled full time and meeting your program’s conditions.

The risk runs the other way: working without valid CPT authorization is unauthorized employment, which can amount to a status violation with consequences for future visa or residency applications. That is why the right response to an administrative pause is never to start or keep working “while it gets sorted out.”

Two points that are easy to miss:

• One full year of full-time CPT eliminates your eligibility for OPT. Before accepting a full-time placement, count what you have already used.
• If your school lost SEVP certification, enrolled students are not automatically deported, but they face a difficult transfer or reinstatement scenario that calls for immediate legal advice.

What can you do now?

• Do not start or continue working without an endorsed I-20. Confirm your CPT is approved in SEVIS, with the correct employer and dates, before day one.
• Contact your DSO in writing. Ask whether your authorization is paused, on what basis, and what academic documentation supports that the placement is part of your program.
• Keep academic evidence: your curriculum, the associated course or credits, the job description and its connection to your major, and every notice from the school.
• Review your CPT history: how many months of full-time CPT you have used and how that affects future OPT.
• If a job offer depends on CPT, tell the employer early rather than gambling on a start date.
• Talk to an immigration attorney before deciding to change programs, schools, or status.

Protect Your Immigration Status with Campos Law Firm

The memo does not eliminate CPT or rewrite the regulations, but it does raise the level of scrutiny and shifts pressure onto universities, which are responding with pauses and stricter standards. In practice, a technical error in your authorization can turn into a status problem that follows you for years.

Every case depends on your program, your authorization history, and the exact dates on your I-20. If you are an F-1 student whose CPT is on hold, or you are unsure whether your placement meets the new standards, Campos Law Firm is here to help you review your situation and protect your student status.

Do not leave your immigration status to chance. Call us today at +1 (844) 922-6767 to schedule a free, confidential consultation in English or Spanish. Campos Law Firm: Legal Solutions in All Areas of Law.