Penn halts Curricular Practical Training approvals for international students

Penn has temporarily paused new and pending applications for Curricular Practical Training — a form of temporary work authorization that allows international students to gain off-campus work experience while seeking a bachelor’s degree — according to an email sent by the International Student and Scholar Services on Saturday.

The Aug. 29 message to international students followed new federal guidance issued by the United States Student and Exchange Visitor Program earlier this month. The federal government warned that failing to comply with the updated guidelines “may result in an institution losing certification to enroll foreign students.”

According to the ISSS email, applications are being paused “while the University conducts a thorough review of its academic programs and CPT processes.” ISSS defines CPT as a pathway for international students to earn “work experience in the U.S. in the student’s field of study through internships, cooperative education, or other work-study programs.”

The Student and Exchange Visitor Program memo clarifies that CPT is permitted “only where the training is an integral part of an established curriculum.”

“Because Penn must apply federal eligibility requirements consistently across all of our schools, we’ve temporarily paused decisions on new and pending CPT requests while we conduct an expedited review of our academic programs and processes,” Penn International Student and Scholar Services Director Rudie Altamirano wrote in a statement. 

He clarified that the pause was a “University-wide response to a federal policy change — not a restriction ISSS has created independently.”

ISSS’s message informed students with CPT authorization that they “may continue working only through the dates and under the conditions listed on their Form I-20, unless ISSS contacts them with different instructions.”

Students with pending requests “may not begin employment unless and until ISSS issues CPT authorization on an updated Form I-20,” but “may continue participating in recruitment and interviews.”

ISSS wrote that the pause “is not a denial of pending requests” as CPT “has not been eliminated.” ISSS added, “Academic credit, a job offer, or a prior CPT authorization alone is not sufficient to establish eligibility.”

Barnard College — one of Columbia University’s four undergraduate schools — also paused CPT authorization earlier this month. Similarly to Penn, the institution has put all pending and new CPT approvals on hold as it reviews its institutional protocols.

The new guidance is the latest in a series of orders from the Trump administration that impact Penn’s international student population.

In July, the federal government announced a final rule that would replace the longstanding “Duration of Status” system with fixed visa lengths. Individuals who required additional time beyond their authorized admission period would be required to apply for an Extension of Stay.

A higher education coalition sued the federal government over the rule earlier this month, alleging that it was “incompatible with the realities of the American system of educating international students” given that many students enroll in programs longer than four years.

Under the current system, international students — including those at Penn — can stay in the country until they complete their program. According to the coalition’s lawsuit, the proposal received an “avalanche” of “near-universal opposition” at the time of the announcement.

Last year, the Trump administration also announced the implementation of a $100,000 annual fee on new and renewal H-1B visa petitions, which are granted to foreign workers in speciality occupations.

The fee was struck down by a federal judge in June, but ISSS at the time advised that students should continue to “exercise caution” as “further government action is anticipated.”

“We recognize this creates real uncertainty for students who are recruiting, interviewing, or waiting on a pending request,” Altamirano wrote. “We are moving as quickly as we can while making sure our guidance is accurate, and we’ll continue to update our CPT webpage as the review progresses.” 

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