New Visa and CPT Restrictions Threaten International Students

The Trump administration continues to enact restrictions on international student visas and enforce limits on Curricular Practical Training (CPT). CPT is a work authorization that allows international students with F-1 status to complete off-campus internships, practicums, or cooperative education.

In July, the Trump administration finalized a rule that would prevent international students with F and J visas from remaining in the U.S. for more than four years, changing their admission to the U.S. under a period of time known as “Duration of Status” (D/S) to a fixed “Admit Until Date” (AUD) determined by Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Director of Immigration and Visa Services Hanna Bliss told The Student that the college is “deeply concerned about the impact of the proposed changes to CPT and Duration of Status, which have caused alarm and uncertainty for our international community.”

Under the D/S framework, F and J students were permitted to remain in the country for as long as it took to complete their course of study or engage in practical training following completion without additional requirements from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Bliss explained.

If the new rule is implemented, CBP would determine an AUD each time an F or J student enters the US. The AUD will cover the length of the program that is listed on the student’s I-20 or DS-2019, with a maximum of four years. In some cases, if the student’s passport is expiring earlier, the length could be less than four years, Bliss said.

The new rule would also shorten student visas’ 60-day grace period after completing their degree to 30 days. F students seeking Optional Practical Training (OPT) after graduation would have to request employment start dates no later than the then the end of that 30-day period. It is the college’s understanding that F students would need to file Extension of Stay applications in tandem with OPT applications to remain in the country, Bliss said.

Bliss added that the new rule would also impact academic options, including when international students may declare their majors, when they are allowed to transfer between institutions, and what degree levels they can enroll in.

The D/S rule was scheduled to go into effect on Sept. 15, but on Sept. 14, a federal judge temporarily blocked it with a preliminary injunction. 

With the uncertainty of the D/S rule, “I can’t really do anything,” an international student, who has requested to remain anonymous, told The Student. “Am I just stuck in Amherst, Mass., or in the [U.S.] until I graduate? I worked so hard all these years to just be in a hostage situation. Is that the main point?”

The injunction, while temporary, is providing the college with additional time to educate the community, Bliss added. Institutionally, the college is engaging in conversations about major declaration processes and permissions, information sessions, and resources for impacted students. “The college has not taken the D/S changes lightly, and leadership is watching very closely for updates,” she said.

The rule will force F and J students to be proactive, either leaving the U.S. before their AUD terminates or applying for an Extension of Stay with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Bliss said.

“Nothing is reliable,” the anonymous student said. He does not have a flight home for winter break, neither do many of his fellow international students. “I have to sacrifice very timed time with my family that I may not [ever] recover in order to have a chance at a career.”

“I feel dehumanized, to be honest. I can’t care about my mom anymore. I can’t care about my finances anymore. I can’t care about anything but staying here and making an effort,” the student added.

The change to AUD revokes international students’ flexibility. For example, last year, under the D/S rule, the student interviewed was able to take medical leave without concern over changing an AUD. “I took medical leave, and I would not do it right now, even if I were in the worst state of my own mental or physical health, and now we’re forced to endure everything,” the student said.

Additionally, on Aug. 24, institutions received a memo from DHS issuing new guidance for CPT. Bliss said that “DHS has significantly adjusted its interpretation of existing regulations.” Regulations state that CPT can be authorized for experiences that are an integral part of an established curriculum. The new guidance, Bliss explained, “requires that courses associated with CPT be a ‘core and essential part of the student’s studies, without which, they would be unable to complete their degree.’” Such that DHS now interprets the existing regulation only to be approved for experiences that “are required for all students participating in that curriculum, regardless of citizenship,” Bliss added. Elective courses are now no longer CPT-eligible.

The international student interviewed worried about how potentially adding a mandatory class could negatively impact the perception of international students. “It would just be an extra workload that is not necessary for everybody and would be blamed on international students,” he said. “The requirement to make the CPT class mandatory for everybody is just a threat to the liberal arts system and the open curriculum overall.”

Further, the change affects international students in their opportunities and career paths. “Many people came to America with goals related to CPT — tech careers in San Francisco, finance careers in New York,” the student said.

Previously, to be eligible for CPT at Amherst, students needed to have been in full-time status in the U.S. for at least one academic year and be in good academic standing at the college. They needed to receive a summer employment or internship offer that was directly related to their major, obtain a CPT Verification Letter from the employer, and planned to enroll in a specific course — COLQ 390U — in the fall term immediately following their summer internship.

Because Amherst does not require internships to complete any major, the rule’s new interpretation “would eliminate CPT as an option for Amherst College’s international students,” Bliss said. In the past few years, around 30 to 40 students in F-1 status pursued CPT each summer. “If the new CPT guidance stands, we would not be in a position to authorize any Amherst College students for CPT,” Bliss said.

The college only offered CPT in the summer, making the application season the spring. Thus, no applications are currently being processed; however, according to Bliss, “Amherst’s international students are, quite understandably, concerned about how the current state of CPT policy could impact them in Summer 2027.” 

“I am very annoyed. I am irritated. I am not happy with any of this,” the student said.