Dear Community Members:

On August 24, 2026, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) issued a detailed broadcast message communicating SEVP’s interpretation of F-1 curricular practical training regulations. Following this message, ISSS has initiated a campus-wide review of CPT policies and programs. Pending the outcome of this review,  ISSS is only able to process and approve requests where a practical training experience is integral to an established curriculum and required for all students in the program for purposes of degree completion. In the meantime, ISSS is working with University leadership and campus partners to assess the implications of SEVP’s statements for curricular practical training opportunities at Brown.

For F-1 visa students with pending CPT requests: you will be contacted by your ISSS advisor, if you have not been contacted already, regarding the status of your requests. You may also directly contact your ISSS advisor.

ISSS understands that these changes and transitions can be concerning, and we are working with our campus partners as quickly as possible to bring clarity to students and academic units regarding these developments.

If you have any questions, please contact isss@brown.edu.