Penn will start processing international student requests for Curricular Practical Training authorization.
In August, Penn paused all new and pending applications for the work authorization — which allows international students to work off campus while seeking a bachelor’s degree — after new guidance from the United States Student and Exchange Visitor Program. In a Sept. 10 message, Penn International Student and Scholar Services said the resumption “applies only to requests that meet the current federal requirements.”
ISSS Director Rudie Altamirano wrote in a statement that the processing has resumed for students whose “practical training is required for all students in the academic program or track and is an integral part of the established curriculum.”
Requests must “satisfy all applicable requirements, including a written cooperative agreement with the employer,” he added.
According to SEVP’s Aug. 24 memo, CPT is permitted “only where the training is an integral part of an established curriculum.”
The federal guidance warned that institutions that fail to comply with the updated regulations could lose their certification to enroll foreign students.
“Schools confirm the relevant academic requirements, while ISSS determines immigration eligibility and issues CPT authorization,” Altamirano wrote. “Because eligibility depends on both the student’s curriculum and the specific placement, each request must be evaluated individually.”
According to the webpage, “Students seeking CPT authorization should work with their academic department to confirm that the practical training satisfies the applicable curricular requirements.”
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The new guidance is the latest in a series of orders from Washington affecting Penn’s international student population.
In July, the federal government announced that fixed visa lengths would replace the longstanding “Duration of Status” system. Individuals who need time beyond their authorized admission period would be required to apply for an Extension of Stay.
Under the current system, international students — including those at Penn — can stay in the country until they finish their degree program. Last month, a coalition of higher education associations sued the federal government over the new rule. According to the coalition’s lawsuit, the proposal received an “avalanche” of “near-universal opposition.”
In 2025, the Trump administration also announced a $100,000 annual fee on new and renewal H-1B visa petitions, which are granted to foreign workers in specialty occupations.
A federal judge struck down the fee in June, but at the time ISSS advised students to continue to “exercise caution” as “further government action is anticipated.”
The White House considered implementing a separate $100,000 fee on Optional Practical Training, which currently allows international students to remain and work in the country for one to three years post-graduation. Penn experts said the move could price out recent graduates and erode a pipeline American universities and employers have long relied on.
In conversations earlier this month, international students said that changing federal immigration policy is already reshaping how they approach their career plans.
Altamirano wrote in a statement that ISSS remains “committed to providing students with timely and accurate information” and that the office “provides one-on-one advising to help students understand the immigration requirements and how the guidance may apply to their individual circumstances.”
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Senior reporter Lavanya Mani covers legal affairs and can be reached at mani@thedp.com. At Penn, she studies comparative literature. Follow her on X @LavanyaMani_.
