THE NEWSLETTER FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN AMERICA
ISSUE 002 · OCTOBER 5, 2026
Three developments to understand: the student-status appeal, tighter internship eligibility and emergency funding at Columbia. Then: a Berkeley student’s story, five graduate roles, a free career resource and a plan for midterms.
01 / STATUS & VISAS
What the student-status appeal means for you
If you have seen headlines saying the student-status rule was blocked, followed by headlines saying the government appealed, you may be wondering which rules you should follow. Here is how those events fit together.
First, what is duration of status?
For many F-1 students, the U.S. arrival record—the I-94—shows “D/S” rather than a fixed departure date. It means your permitted stay is tied to maintaining the requirements of your student status, including your approved studies or authorized practical training. It does not mean you can stay indefinitely or ignore program and work deadlines.
How we got here
July 17: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a final rule replacing D/S with fixed admission periods, generally capped at four years. It would also change extension procedures and restrict some academic changes. It was scheduled to take effect September 15.
September 14: A federal judge in Massachusetts postponed the rule’s effective date nationwide. The court found serious problems with DHS’s explanation of the rule, including its treatment of costs, alternatives and public comments, and found that allowing it to begin would cause harm that could not readily be repaired.
September 30: DHS appealed that decision, asking a higher court to review it.
The September 14 order postponed implementation; it did not permanently erase the rule. Vanderbilt’s October 2 update confirms the appeal.
What does “under injunction” mean?
An injunction is a court order that stops a party from taking a particular action. Here, it means the government is blocked from putting this rule into effect while the court’s order remains in place. Think of it as a legally binding pause. A preliminary injunction operates while the dispute continues, so it is not necessarily the final outcome. U.S. Courts glossary
What applies now: The University of Alabama’s current update still lists the rule as under injunction. The appeal itself does not switch the new rules on. Continue following your school’s current instructions for your program, transfers and work authorization. Ask your designated school official (DSO) about any deadline specific to your record.
Keep this handy: Our guide to reading visa-policy headlines helps you separate a proposed change, a published rule and a court order before acting on a headline.
02 / WORK & STUDY
Check your CPT eligibility before committing to an internship
A more immediate question for students planning spring internships is whether their school can authorize the work. In an October 1 update, the University of Washington explained how narrower federal guidance on Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is affecting internship options.
CPT is a form of work authorization connected to an F-1 student’s curriculum. The August guidance described by UW says the training should generally be required for all students in the degree program, with the degree unable to be completed without it. An optional internship course may therefore no longer be enough under a school’s revised process.
Schools are responding with their own procedures. The University of Delaware announced a pause on new optional CPT authorizations. Georgia Tech’s current CPT page says spring 2027 applications open October 19 and that eligibility will follow government guidance at review. Those are campus-specific instructions, not one national application calendar.
What to ask before you accept an offer
Is this internship eligible under my academic program’s current CPT policy?
What must my department and international office approve, and how long does that take?
If CPT is unavailable, is another authorized option appropriate for my situation? What would its timing and consequences be?
Do not assume an unpaid internship avoids the authorization question. UW explicitly includes paid and unpaid off-campus work in its warning. Its career center also suggests ways to keep building skills, including student organizations, practice projects and job simulations. Discuss any activity involving real work for an outside organization with your DSO.
A practical next step: Save the role description and proposed dates before that conversation. Our application evidence planner can then help you turn relevant coursework and projects into an application once you know which opportunities fit.
03 / MONEY & SUPPORT
Columbia expands emergency help for students affected by CPT changes
When a paid internship falls through, the problem can extend beyond a missing line on a résumé. Columbia’s September 23 announcement addresses the financial impact: for September and October, its International Student Hardship Fund will consider applications from students whose paid fall internships were affected by recent CPT eligibility changes.
The temporary expansion covers specified situations, including students notified that their authorization was affected, some who had secured an internship but had not submitted a CPT request, and documented September denials tied to the guidance.
Awards are capped at $2,500 per student. Funding is limited and new applicants receive priority. This is a Columbia program, not a national grant; ordinary visa fees and unrelated financial difficulties are outside its stated scope.
If you study elsewhere: Ask your international office, financial-aid team or dean of students whether your university has an emergency fund and whether your circumstances qualify. Have the offer, cancellation or authorization correspondence ready to explain the income you lost.
04 / STUDENT LIFE
How one Berkeley student found community through everyday conversations
As a child, Yusuf Olajuwon Akinpelu memorized countries and capitals before he had the chance to visit them. In a September essay for Berkeley’s International House, the journalism student describes what happened when those places became the backgrounds of people he met over meals, in hallways and around the residence.
He writes about learning greetings in other languages, sharing food and hearing residents explain their cultures. Those exchanges helped inspire Unbordered, his weekly digital series about Berkeley’s people and their backgrounds. After considering a move off campus, he returned to I-House and now serves as its marketing lead.
Why we picked it: The part that stands out is how ordinary many of those first encounters were. A conversation over dinner can be a beginning even when you have not found a close group of friends yet.
Our suggestion for this week: choose one recurring campus gathering you would actually enjoy—a language table, club meeting or shared meal—and give yourself a chance to see the same people again. You do not need to turn it into networking.
Read Yusuf’s first-person essay · Originally published by International House, September 14.
05 / OPEN ROLES
Five graduate roles to investigate this week
These employer application pages were available when checked. They span product, software, data science, construction and autonomous driving. Each lists requirements worth checking before you apply.
Work-authorization check: None of these postings confirms sponsorship for the specific role. Their application questions about sponsorship do not establish approval. Ask about your current or expected authorization and future support separately; describe a pending application accurately.
Robinhood · Associate Product Manager
New York · At least three office days weekly · $130,000 base
For students graduating between winter 2026 and summer 2027 in engineering, computer science, business, economics or a related field. The July 2027 program accepts 0–1 years of relevant experience. You would work with engineering, design and research teams on financial products.
View Robinhood’s role · Sponsorship: unconfirmed.
ID.me · Software Development Engineer
Mountain View · Five office days weekly · $130,000–$150,000 local base range
For May/June 2027 bachelor’s or graduate-degree candidates in computer science, software engineering or a related technical field. The posting accepts programming experience from coursework, internships or personal projects, and emphasizes APIs, software components and production troubleshooting.
View ID.me’s engineering role · Sponsorship: unconfirmed.
ID.me · Data Scientist
Mountain View · Five office days weekly
For master’s students graduating in May/June 2027 in data science, applied mathematics, statistics, computer science or a related quantitative field. The work focuses on fraud detection and identity protection; Python, SQL and machine-learning knowledge are central requirements.
View ID.me’s data-science role · Sponsorship: unconfirmed.
ARCO/Murray · Construction Project Manager
Emeryville, California · New Grad 2027 · $105,000–$115,000 total compensation
For bachelor’s or master’s students in engineering or a related field with a minimum 3.0 GPA. The work includes estimating, scheduling, design coordination and managing subcontractors. Prior construction internship experience is a plus. The advertised range includes benefits and eligible discretionary bonuses; it is not a base-salary range.
View ARCO/Murray’s role · Sponsorship: unconfirmed.
WeRide · Software Engineer, Algorithm
San Jose · On-site · $120,000–$165,000 base
For December 2026–June 2027 graduates with a relevant MS/PhD or equivalent practical experience. Areas include robotics, computer science, physics and machine learning. C++ or Python is required; potential teams work on prediction, localization, planning and simulation.
View WeRide’s role · Sponsorship: unconfirmed.
Before the assessment: Use our recruiter question builder to ask about the exact role. Our employer research guide explains what past sponsorship records can—and cannot—tell you.
06 / USEFUL FINDS
A free way to try the work before choosing a career
Forage offers free, self-paced job simulations designed with employers. You complete sample tasks, compare your work with model answers and earn a certificate. Its catalog spans fields including software, finance, consulting and project management.
Our suggestion: pick a simulation in a role you are considering and pay attention to whether you enjoy the tasks. Use it to develop an example of your thinking for an interview, describing it accurately as a simulation. It is a learning exercise, not a job offer or an internship placement.
Two resources to keep nearby
Finishing your degree this winter? Our graduation meeting guide helps you prepare questions about your program end date, work plans and travel. Once your adviser confirms a deadline, use the calendar planner to add a preparation reminder.
Checking a job offer? A September 30 Study in the States reminder highlighted practical-training fraud. Verify the recruiter, vacancy, employer and supervisor independently. For a STEM OPT extension, the I-983 training plan must explain learning goals, degree connection and supervision. Our offer checklist helps you track unanswered questions; the STEM OPT reporting guide helps organize ongoing reporting.
07 / GROUP CHAT
How to study when reading in English takes longer
A student in r/InternationalStudents asked how to prepare for midterms while spending extra time reading in English and checking their understanding. The challenge is familiar: a long study session can disappear into rereading, with little sense of what you could answer in an exam.
UNC’s Learning Center recommends active practice, including self-testing, explaining ideas in your own words and working through problems. Here is a way to try that in your next session:
Choose one topic. Use your syllabus or instructor’s review material to pick a manageable section.
Test yourself first. Answer a practice question with your notes closed, then compare your answer with the course material.
Name the gap. Was the difficulty unfamiliar vocabulary, the underlying concept, or applying it to a problem? Those need different kinds of practice.
Bring one precise question to office hours. Show what you tried and the point where your reasoning stopped.
Our suggestion: keep a small glossary of terms that repeatedly interrupt you, with an example from the course beside each one. Then use the terms in a practice answer. You are aiming to explain the material clearly, not make your notes sound like a textbook.
Question for next week: What part of studying or job hunting in the U.S. has been hardest to figure out? Reply and tell us what you would like covered.
08 / DATES TO KNOW
A final reminder for scholarship applicants
October 6, 1 p.m. Pacific / 4 p.m. Eastern: Knight-Hennessy’s 2027 application closes. It welcomes applicants from all countries and provides up to three years of graduate funding at Stanford. If you are already applying, check your submission now. Stanford graduate admission requires a separate application and has program-specific deadlines. Deadlines · Eligibility · Funding
Updated October 5, 2026. Listings and policies can change. Immigration coverage is general information; your international office can advise on your circumstances.
