Higher Education Groups File Lawsuit Challenging CPT Changes

Multiple higher education organizations filed a lawsuit  Oct. 5 challenging two broadcast messages sent to universities in August from United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). The broadcast messages substantially changed the government's interpretation of the regulations governing Curricular Practical Training (CPT) for international students.

The lawsuit, brought by NAFSA, the Association of American Universities (AAU), the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, and the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts (AICUM) was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. Carnegie Mellon has memberships in NAFSA, AAU and the Presidents' Alliance.

The Office of International Education (OIE) will continue to monitor developments as this case moves through the legal system. We recognize that this situation causes ongoing uncertainty about employment authorization options available to F-1 students and we want students to know that we are here to support you. We will update our website as this case moves forward. If you have a time-sensitive question, please reach out to us at oie@andrew.cmu.edu.