SEVIS Broadcast Messages introduce guidance that substantially narrows what qualifies as valid CPT

On August 12 and August 24, 2026, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program published two Broadcast Messages to Designated School Officials (“DSOs”) at academic institutions which introduced guidance that severely restricts what SEVP counts as valid Curricular Practical Training (“CPT”), which is the employment authorization program that allows F-1 international students to pursue internships and other experiential learning opportunities during their academic programs. In the first Broadcast Message, SEVP shared a “reminder” that DSOs should only authorize CPT for students “if its absence would make the attainment of a degree an impossibility and if the work associated with CPT is required for all students pursuing that degree.” In a subsequent message on August 24, 2026, SEVP released guidance for DSOs to use when issuing CPT. This second message states that, in addition to the program needing to be “an integral part of an established curriculum,” any instance where the elective course is optional, “the integral and required aspects of CPT would not be met” and therefore issuing CPT would not be permissible. The message further states that the practical training must be required of all students in order for the CPT authorization to be valid.