UC Berkeley's international office has suspended approvals for a category of internship program that thousands of foreign students rely on each year, forcing some to shelve summer plans just as a separate federal deadline looms over their visas. The freeze covers Curricular Practical Training, or CPT, for activities the university calls integral to a course of study but not required for a degree — and it's not just Berkeley making the move.
The Berkeley International Office announced it was suspending non-mandatory Course Credit CPT applications on August 13, one day after receiving a federal directive, according to reporting from the Economic Times. The university said it suspended the program to reduce risks to the school and avoid potential immigration issues for students, according to NBC Bay Area. Berkeley continues to process CPT required for degree completion, even as it pauses the elective category.
The trigger was a notice from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which warned schools participating in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program that they face increased risk of federal investigation, per the same NBC Bay Area report. That notice, Broadcast Message 2608-01, was issued August 12, and warned Designated School Officials that signing off on non-mandatory CPT carries personal perjury liability and could jeopardize a university's certification to host international students altogether. ICE followed up on Monday with additional guidance, narrowing the definition of training that qualifies as integral to a program, effectively excluding elective, course-credit internships from standard CPT approval.
A Program Freeze Spreading Across the UC System
Berkeley isn't alone. NBC Bay Area reports that UC Berkeley is one of at least half a dozen UC schools pausing programs that international students need for working internships. UC Davis suspended all Course Credit CPT applications last Wednesday, though it noted that CPT authorizations already issued remain valid, according to a statement from UC Davis Services for International Students and Scholars. UC Irvine's International Center paused the same category last Monday, citing a need to conduct legal reviews to protect students from future immigration status complications.
The pause has since spread beyond California. UCLA's Dashew Center confirmed its own CPT suspension on Tuesday, and the University of Washington halted processing of non-required CPT the following day, according to the Daily Bruin. The moves suggest research universities nationwide are consulting legal counsel before resuming optional CPT approvals rather than risk their standing with federal immigration authorities.
Students Caught in the Middle
For students like Leander Hirsch, the suspension lands as a direct blow to plans already in motion. Hirsch said it would have been better to have the ability to take an internship, according to NBC Bay Area's report, adding that students should be able to work or expand their horizons through internships. Hirsch called the inability to take an internship disappointing.
Other students are still trying to figure out whether the freeze touches them directly. Matteo Martullo said he would need to check with all offices to determine whether the suspension directly affects him, per the same NBC Bay Area account. The Berkeley International Office itself is consulting lawyers about how to proceed with the paused program, the station reports.
Why CPT Matters — and Why the Stakes Are Rising
CPT allows F-1 visa students to participate in internships while still enrolled, and it works differently from Optional Practical Training. Unlike OPT, which is granted directly by USCIS for post-graduation employment, CPT is authorized internally by a university's Designated School Official during enrollment — a mechanism Hoodline previously reported puts direct legal exposure on individual school officials rather than the federal government. Without access to elective CPT, international students face greater difficulty finding work in their fields of study, according to NBC Bay Area.
The stakes are especially high for Indian students, who represent the largest F-1 cohort in the country at 331,602 students under the 2024 Open Doors report and who, the Economic Times notes, heavily depend on course-credit CPT to land paid summer internships that offset high tuition costs. California itself hosts more international students than any other state, with 237,763 enrolled and 130,586 CPT work authorizations issued nationwide in 2024, according to federal SEVP data cited in earlier Hoodline coverage.
The timing compounds the pressure. A separate Department of Homeland Security rule published July 17 ends the flexible “Duration of Status” framework for F-1 visa holders effective September 15, replacing it with fixed admission periods of up to four years, according to the Berkeley International Office. That change means international students will need to apply formally to USCIS for extensions rather than relying on open-ended enrollment — adding a second layer of uncertainty just as internship plans are being upended.
It remains unclear whether the University of California system will establish a unified legal framework to resume course-credit CPT or whether individual departments will need to rewrite curriculum requirements to make internships mandatory in order to preserve access for future students. For now, students like Hirsch and Martullo are left waiting on their campus international offices to sort out what the federal guidance means for them.
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