Editors’ Note: Some sources wish to remain anonymous due to safety and privacy reasons. 

City on a Hill Press is committed to following this story as more updates develop. 

“As an international student coming to the U.S. on an exchange, it’s everything you’re asking for,”  said “S,” a former UCDC participant from France who wishes to remain anonymous. “To visit everything and to see everything — I think that it’s two very different experiences — and [this is] a chance to be able to do that.”

Programs like the University of California Washington Program (UCDC) have allowed international students at UCSC to gain academic credit while being a part of an immersive internship.

“You [can] have an experience in California and a completely other one on the East Coast, and [UCDC] can teach you more about the U.S.,” she continued.

But due to recent threats from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), these programs could all change for international students.

After ICE sent out two memos to U.S. universities on Aug. 12 and 24, University of California campuses began pausing international student applications for Course Credit Curricular Practical Training (CPT), a process where international students receive credits toward their degree when pursuing U.S.-based study programs. Some of these campuses include UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, UC Davis and UC Merced. UC Irvine ended their pause on CPT, but now only authorizes CPT when practical work is mandatory for all students in a degree program or explicitly required for a thesis or dissertation . 

ICE’s first broadcast message on Aug. 12 stated that “DSOs [Designated School Officials] can only authorize CPT when the training is an integral part of an established curriculum and is directly related to the student’s major area of study.” In their second message on Aug. 24, ICE stated that “Failure to comply with … regulations may result in an institution losing certification to enroll foreign students.” 

Though UCSC hasn’t yet paused its processing of applications from international students for internship programs, cuts to CPT made at other UCs raise potential concerns about the future. 

When asked about the CPT restrictions that have occurred at other UC campuses, International Student Services & Programming (ISSP) — a department under UCSC’s Division of Global Engagement — provided a statement about the future of international student opportunities.

“We cannot speak on behalf of other UC campuses or speculate about future UC-wide decisions,” ISSP said in an email to City on a Hill Press. “UC Santa Cruz is continuing to review federal guidance and coordinate with partners across the UC as appropriate. We understand why uncertainty around these opportunities is concerning.” 

“International students are an important part of the UC Santa Cruz community, and we want them to have access to meaningful academic and professional experiences while they are here,” the message continues.

If UCSC decides to follow in the footsteps of UC campuses that have cut CPT programs, this could not only limit academic programs, but also the formative experiences and opportunities international students can explore during their time at UCSC. 

An International Student in UCDC

After hearing about the recent restrictions toward programs like UCDC for international students, S expressed concern for those who will no longer have the opportunity she did. 

“If [international students] are here in your country and want to learn about your country, I think these are people that are educated and that would contribute,” S said. “The right thing to do would be to promote those programs.” 

While at UCDC, she recalls not knowing whether she was going to be able to stay in the U.S. after her quarter in D.C. ended, since she was graduating and her J-1 visa, a student visa designed for short-term exchange programs, was going to expire. She knew she needed to find a job related to her field of study post-graduation, referred to as “academic training,” since that is the only way to extend a J-1 visa. Looking back on that time, she credits her current job as a paralegal in Southern California to connections she made at UCDC. 

On Oct. 5, four organizations, including The Association of American Universities, Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, NAFSA: Association of International Educators and the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts, filed a lawsuit against ICE, DHS and the Department of Justice in response to ICE’s August memos.

Most recently, on Oct. 7, DHS proposed that educational institutions must pay a fee for each international student enrolling in the optional practice training program (OPT), which provides work permits for international students to work jobs related to their major during or after their time in school. The proposal would require schools to pay $70,000 for each new addition to OPT and $30,000 for each program renewal.

The student visa application is a fixed process of identification documents, forms sent by exchange programs and an interview with one’s local U.S. embassy. However, this process is no longer reliable for many.

“Remaining legal in this country is very hard,” S said. “At the time I applied, August of 2025, they [State Department] closed the applications. It was two or three weeks, and then they reopened after. The more you make people wait, the more applicants we will have … so it was stressful to get the right visa [and] get an appointment with the embassy before the school year would start.” 

International Student Anxieties

For many international students who aren’t in internship programs like UCDC, the uncertainty of maintaining legal status causes anxiety about their student visas and their ability to continue studying in the U.S.  

“I always hold my passport in my hand,” Songhee Kim said. “I feel really worried when I’m not with my passport. I feel like [if] something bad is gonna happen to me, I think I will need [my] passport.”

Kim is a fourth-year exchange student from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST) in Daejeon, South Korea. She is studying neuroscience at KAIST and molecular, cell & developmental Biology at UCSC for the fall 2026 and winter 2027 quarters. She wanted to study abroad to learn more English and experience different cultures. While Kim’s study plans in the U.S. are short-term, changes and threats from ICE  have had their impact on the broader international student community.

“Lots of my colleagues want to study abroad, especially in [the] US,” Kim said. “I heard it’s really hard nowadays because of these issues [and] more pressure [on international students] while preparing to study abroad.”

Lily Cho, a current undergraduate international student also from South Korea, originally planned to start her PhD soon after completing her undergraduate degree in computer science. But because her PhD could potentially exceed the initial admission period for her J-1 visa, she is unsure if this is still possible. 

“For me, I’m just waiting,” Cho said. “I didn’t decide it. I think [visas] are kind of my reason. I’m not sure I can get there [in] five years. So I’m doing [a] master’s in Korea and [will] wait for the situation [to] change.”

Although S was lucky enough to receive a six-month extension to the J-1 visa she came to the U.S. with, her upcoming visa renewal weighs heavy on her shoulders. Similarly to Cho, she must leave the U.S. while she waits for the opportunity to return for a master’s in law.

“I cannot remain in the U.S. past the 28th of December. So I have to go back to France and hopefully get a new visa. But if they see an intent of immigration, and usually it’s the case when they see back-to-back visas, they can just refuse it,” S said. “It’s very stressful … I will not know until I get an answer from the embassy if I can come back. I can’t even plan my future.”

Resources:

For mental health resources, the Center for Advocacy, Resources and Empowerment (CARE) can be reached through their phone number, (831) 502-2273 and their email, care@ucsc.edu.  

For more information regarding this topic, the International Students Services and Programming (ISSP) can be reached through their phone number, (831) 459-2858 and their email, istudent@ucsc.edu.  

They are also available through office hours, M-F 10 a.m. – noon, and M-Th, from 1 – 4 p.m.