SEVP has warned US universities and DSOs against improper CPT approvals for F-1 students, signalling tighter scrutiny. UC Berkeley and UC Davis have paused Course Credit CPT applications while continuing Degree-Requirement CPT.

The US Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) has warned universities and Designated School Officials (DSOs) against improperly authorising Curricular Practical Training (CPT) for international students, signalling tighter scrutiny of how F-1 students access work-based training.

The warning, issued in an August 12 broadcast message, does not introduce a new CPT eligibility rule. Instead, SEVP has reiterated existing federal requirements and indicated that it will more closely examine whether CPT approvals are genuinely tied to students' academic programmes.

The development has already prompted University of California, Berkeley and UC Davis to temporarily pause applications for Course Credit CPT, while continuing to process CPT that is a formal requirement of a degree programme.

What has SEVP said about CPT?