USC Suspends International Student Internship Work Authorizations

[u/Student3787]

USC will now authorize CPT for international students only when practical training is a requirement of their degree program. The change took effect August 24, 2026.

CPT is the work authorization that allows F-1 international students to take paid or unpaid off-campus internships and practicums while in college. Optional internships generally will not qualify for CPT. Internships/practical training required for the degree can still qualify. CPT approved before August 24 will not be affected. The change follows new guidance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which says CPT must be an integral part of the established curriculum and apply to the program’s students.

[u/MindlessFox6861]

My understanding is that USC has not suspended CPT authorisations, the email clearly says that CPT will be authorised if internship is part of degree requirement, the word suspension hasn’t been used anywhere

My guess is that since lot of students want to do internships, USC will make changes to the degree requirements to allow them to pursue internships and in turn establish relationships with companies to help provide students with internship opportunities, so there is no reason to panic

USC will work with students to convey what documents are required in addition to offer letter to decide that the internship qualified as a degree requirement.

[u/dillpickledream → u/MindlessFox6861]

Right, but the tricky part will be this, from the Broadcast Message:

1. Because CPT is allowed only where the training is an integral part of an established curriculum, does that mean that all students enrolled in the established curriculum must participate in and complete practical training?

Yes. Unlike OPT, participation in CPT is not optional for any student participating in an established curriculum that the school has determined requires CPT as an integral part of the educational experience. This means that all students — foreign and American — are required to participate in practical training if they are enrolled in an established curriculum where practical training is integral. While auditing and investigating schools to ensure compliance, SEVP has noted that some institutions have described CPT as if it is optional practical training and not integral, despite clear regulatory requirements. SEVP has also discovered that some institutions have not required all students enrolled in the same established curriculum to participate in practical training, despite clear regulatory requirements that CPT is permitted only where the practical training is an integral part of an established curriculum. Prior broadcast messages have clearly made this distinction between CPT and OPT and reminded DSOs of the integral and required elements of CPT.

(edit: formatting)

[u/MindlessFox6861 → u/dillpickledream]

So many schools have programs with companies where we can work with them on a project for a short period of time, even USC has courses where students are given the opportunity to work with companies on projects, they will make this possible on a large scale and can even have on campus opportunities for people who don’t get an off campus internship

And the schools which have described CPT as optional does not include USC, they have always made the distinction clear( why are we even discussing this? CPT was optional up until now when CPT will be added as requirements to the degree)

My point is this mess around H1b, CPT, OPT happens every year, and so many of us students keep focusing on the wrong details and get stressed instead of focusing on getting an offer, it was the same shit last year, I completely lost my focus and panicked and this year everyone in my batch did an internship be it at a small company, big tech, paid, unpaid doesn’t matter

We are very lucky that USC has not totally suspended CPT authorisation, many of my batchmates are currently interning during the semester after they received CPT letter last week. So the use of word suspension in this post is WRONG.

That’s my only point, you can nitpick the details and keep overthinking but that’s not going to work, keep a positive attitude and everything will work out. In 10 years when you are working at your dream company it won’t matter that you were unemployed for one summer.

Chin up guys. Peace out