USC will approve internship work permits for international students only when practical training is required for their degree, the university's Office of International Services (OIS) announced Friday, Aug. 28, the Daily Trojan reported.

The restriction narrows which internships qualify for Curricular Practical Training (CPT), a work authorization that lets students on F-1 visas take paid or unpaid off-campus positions during their programs. USC enrolls nearly 12,000 international students, about 26% of its student body, according to Los Angeles Times reporting.

The change took effect Monday, Aug. 24. Authorizations issued before that date are not affected.

What the federal directive says

The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), a division of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, issued Broadcast Message 2608-02 on Aug. 24. It stated that CPT tied to elective courses not required of every student in a program will no longer meet approval standards. An authorized CPT must be "an integral part of an established curriculum" that applies to all students, the message said.

The directive built on an earlier Aug. 12 message warning that SEVP had seen a rise in authorizations that did not meet federal rules. That message told school officials they certify CPT approvals under penalty of perjury and could face legal consequences for improper sign-offs. Schools that fail to comply risk losing their certification to enroll international students altogether.

The stakes are high. The Department of Homeland Security said the underlying regulations have not changed but warned that "abuse of this generous system will no longer be tolerated."

OIS said future CPT approvals at USC may be delayed.

UC campuses follow suit

The directive hit campuses across California. UCLA paused certain CPT authorizations while reviewing the guidance, a university spokesperson told Reuters, as Outlook India reported. UC Berkeley extended its pause on elective-course CPT for the foreseeable future after the Aug. 24 memo, while still processing degree-requirement and dissertation-research authorizations. UC San Diego paused all F-1 CPT requests.

UC Irvine suspended some CPT applications starting Aug. 17 and was consulting legal counsel as of Aug. 27, New University reported. UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara also paused applications.

"Please know that we do not take this decision lightly as we know the importance that course credit CPT plays in your academic journey," Berkeley International Office director Emmanuel wrote in an email to international students, as reported by the Times of India.

What it means for USC students

At USC, students who want CPT must first secure an internship offer, then register for an internship course before submitting a work authorization request. Many degree programs do not require practical training for graduation, meaning students in those programs can no longer qualify.

OIS said it is communicating with affected students and has posted updates on its website. No timeline for restoring elective CPT processing has been announced.