As US universities vet CPT for international students; higher education groups seek court relief, hearing on November 6

A legal challenge to the Trump administration’s tighter interpretation of Curricular Practical Training (CPT) rules for international students is set to come up for a hearing on Nov 6, with four major higher education organisations seeking to block the changes that have prompted several US universities to suspend or restrict CPT authorisations.The Association of American Universities (AAU), the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, NAFSA: Association of International Educators, and the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts (AICUM) filed the lawsuit on Oct 5 in the US District Court (Massachusetts). They are seeking a preliminary injunction and a stay of agency action to pause the disputed interpretation while the case proceeds.“America’s colleges and universities have long attracted the world’s best talent not only because of the high-quality education and research that they offer, but also because of the practical learning opportunities US institutions offer for students’ future professional lives – including programs like CPT,” Barbara R. Snyder, president at AAU said.“Suddenly upending CPT just as the fall semester begins will have long-term negative consequences not only for our students and universities, but for all Americans,” she added.The Presidents’ Alliance said the changes had already disrupted students’ plans with colleges and universities across the country having paused or halted CPT authorizations, and students have already lost internships and other placements.The lawsuit challenges two broadcast messages issued by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), part of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), on Aug 12 and Aug 24, 2026. The messages set out a stricter interpretation of existing CPT requirements and highlighted the compliance responsibilities of designated school officials who authorise CPT for F-1 international students.CPT allows eligible F-1 students to undertake practical training directly related to their academic programmes. Under the revised federal interpretation, the training must be an integral part of an established curriculum and required of all students in the relevant degree programme for degree completion. An internship that carries academic credit but is optional may therefore no longer qualify.The organisations argue that the Trump administration has effectively changed how the existing regulations are applied through administrative messages, without following the formal rulemaking process. They contend that the move has created uncertainty for universities and students who had relied on established practices to arrange internships, practicums and other forms of experiential learning.NAFSA executive director and CEO Fanta Aw said the changes had placed university officials responsible for international student compliance in a difficult position. She said the abrupt changes had created “significant new restrictions and uncertainty” for designated school officials, who must advise international students and ensure that their institutions comply with immigration rules.The plaintiffs have asked the court to intervene and grant a preliminary injunction while the case is pending, arguing that the revised interpretation threatens students’ access to practical learning opportunities and creates compliance risks for institutions without adequate notice.Universities across the US have reviewed their CPT policies in response to the revised federal interpretation. The extent of the restrictions varies by institution and programme, with some universities pausing particular categories of CPT while continuing to process applications that meet the revised requirements.At Harvard University, several schools have stopped authorising CPT for placements that do not meet the revised criteria. It appears that CPT is currently unavailable for affected placements at Harvard Law School, Harvard Medical School, the Graduate School of Design and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.Harvard’s international office says it will authorise CPT for F-1 students only when the opportunity is a formal requirement of the degree programme, successful completion of the degree is contingent on the training, and the required internship or practicum is offered by sponsoring employers through cooperative agreements with the school.The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has temporarily paused new and pending CPT authorisation requests received or pending as of Aug 24, 2026, for training that is not required of all students in a degree programme.The University of Pennsylvania, meanwhile, has resumed processing CPT requests where the practical training is an integral and required component of the student’s established curriculum. “This resumption applies only to requests that meet the current federal requirements,” the university states.Berkeley has suspended applications for “Course Credit CPT”, but continues to process applications for degree programmes where an internship or field placement is a documented graduation requirement for all students. Yale University has also said it will process CPT requests when the training is integral to an established curriculum and required of all students in the programme for degree completion.According to immigration attorneys the Nov 6 hearing is expected to consider the plaintiffs’ requests for a preliminary injunction and a stay of agency action. If the court grants interim relief, it could temporarily block or limit enforcement of the challenged interpretation, depending on the terms of its order.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.