International Student Services (ISS) has been sharing important updates on Curricular Practical Training (CPT) that may affect some international students pursuing internships and other experiential learning opportunities.
On August 24, 2026, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) released guidance that provides a narrower interpretation of when CPT can be authorized. The guidance indicates that CPT should generally only be authorized when the training is required for all students in a degree program and the degree cannot be completed without it.
In summary, this means that international students CANNOT get CPT approved for off-campus internships/jobs/volunteer positions at this current time unless their academic program has it as a requirement to graduate. Pursuing off-campus work without CPT/OPT approval will be considered out of compliance with your visa. This includes paid and unpaid work.
Since the announcement ISS has been reviewing this guidance and consulting with UW leadership to better understand its impact on UW students and programs. At this time, ISS encourages students to continue monitoring the ISS website, blog posts, and their UW email for updates.
The update is real, and there are still many unknowns about what it may mean moving forward but you are not alone.
Please know that the Career & Internship Center and ISS are here to support you. We are committed to helping international students explore career opportunities, build professional skills, and navigate uncertainty together.
Ways to Continue Building Experience
Here are recommendations for alternatives in order to gain experience and skills without CPT:
- On-Campus Part-Time Jobs
- Join Student Clubs/Organizations (RSO’s)
- Especially those who have hands-on skill building like case competitions, hackathons, client work
- Start Your Own Student Club/Org
- Unpaid Volunteer work unrelated to degree in non-profit civic/religious/charity/humanitarian work
- (See Fair Labor Standards Act for guidelines)
- Examples include homeless shelters, churches, soup kitchens, or other charities like the American Red Cross, the Humane Society, Habitat for Humanity, Boys and Girls Club of America
- Forage (job simulation platform)
- Linkedin Learning (Video Education courses)
- Pre-Completion OPT
- Independent Personal Projects to build targeted skills
- Examples can include GitHub projects, personal portfolio/website, personal YouTube channel, personal blog, mock-up website for a company, conduct an experiment, research a concept, etc.
Pre-Completion OPT
OPT has not been impacted by this new guidance, and pre-completion is an option for many students, but does have some consideration that students will want to keep in mind before applying. We would highly encourage students to meet with ISS for questions about pre-completion OPT.
ISS will have more info sessions/updated webpages on pre-completion OPT coming soon but for now you can review what they have on their website for pre-completion OPT.
As we learn more, ISS will continue to share updates. In the meantime, we encourage you to stay connected, continue developing your skills, and reach out for support when needed.
Additional UW Support
We know that this announcement can be stressful to hear.
For additional on-campus support, consider the following resources:
- UW Counseling Center: Mental health support for currently enrolled students.
- UW Well-Being for Students: Resources to support your overall well-being.
- CIRCLE (Center for International Relations & Cultural Leadership Exchange): Connect with the Student Success and Well-being Coordinator for one-on-one support and guidance.
As we learn more, ISS will continue to share updates. In the meantime, we encourage you to stay connected, continue developing your skills, and reach out for support when needed.
