CPT | Curricular Practical Training
Work Authorization while Studying for F-1 Students
CPT authorizes F-1 international students to legally work off campus during their studies.
CPT stands for Curricular Practical Training and is a benefit of the F-1 student visa. CPT is work authorization for F-1 students before graduation. Students are eligible to apply for CPT as long as they meet all the requirements, including departmental approval and course registration
Learn more below:
If you plan to work a paid position off campus, you have to submit the CPT request form and be issued a new I-20 authorizing the CPT work. You may NOT work until you have your new I20.
Processing Time: all immigration requests are expected to take about 1 week (5 business days) to process while CPT requests can take up to 2 weeks if requested during a high demand time such as the start of a semester.
CPT Application Requirements
In order to be authorized for CPT, you must first have the following complete:
- Job offer letter
- Faculty Approval Form
- Cooperative Agreement Form
- Registration for the corresponding course
Once you have all of the above ready, apply using the form linked above.
CPT Immigration Regulations
CPT stands for Curricular Practical Training and authorizes F-1 International Students to work off-campus while they are still completing their degree requirements. Students must be authorized through our office (ISS) for CPT to work off-campus; an international student is never allowed to work off-campus without CPT authorization. International students are allowed to volunteer or accept unpaid internships without CPT authorization, although sometimes iStudents should seek CPT authorization for unpaid work if it is a core component of their program. The ISS Team will be able to help the student determine if this is necessary.
CPT is authorized based on the semester a student is registered for the related course. CPT authorization dates are approximately the same as the semester and cannot exceed 4.5 months per authorization. iStudents cannot begin work until they have their new CPT I-20. Work prior to the start date on this I-20 is in violation of their status.
Students can be authorized for Full-time or Part-time CPT during Fall & Winter semesters based on the total number of hours they work
- Part-time CPT authorizes a total of 1-20 hours of work per week, including on and off-campus work
- Full-time CPT authorizes a total of 21-40 hours per week, including on and off-campus work
If a student is authorized for more than 365 days total during their degree for FULL TIME CPT, they lose their ability to have OPT. Part-time CPT does not affect a student's ability to have OPT.
- OPT stands for Optional Practical Training and is a benefit of the F-1 student visa
- OPT allows 1 year (up to 3 years for STEM) work authorization anywhere within the US after graduation but only within the student’s field of study/major
FAQ
Frequently asked questions (FAQ) on these topics are answered below:
Will I be authorized for part-time or full-time CPT?
The authorization for CPT is based on the TOTAL number of hours the iStudent works in 1 week. This means on-campus and off-campus work are combined.
- Part-time CPT authorizes a total of 1-20 hours of work per week, including on and off-campus work
- Full-time CPT authorized a total of 21-40 hours per week, including on and off-campus work
For example, if a student has a 20 hour per week GA and works 12 hours per week at an internship site off-campus, the student will be authorized for Full-Time CPT.
What is the 365 day rule?
iStudents who work 365 days or more of Full-Time CPT during their degree, lose their ability to work on OPT after graduation. Part-time CPT does not affect a student's ability to work on OPT after graduation.
Some programs, such as Engineering, require 3 semesters of Full-time CPT to fulfill their Co-Op degree requirements. iStudents in these programs must pay very close attention not to exceed the 365 days of Full-time CPT during their degree. The Engineering department is aware of this limitation and students can successfully complete their Co-Op degree requirement without surpassing 365 days of Full-time CPT.
What if I want to continue working at the same employer for multiple semesters?
CPT is authorized based on the semester that the iStudent is taking the course related to the work experience. If students want to work at the same employer for multiple semester, they must apply for CPT multiple times.
For example, if a student gets an internship placement at a company that lasts an entire academic year (August - April), they would need to apply for CPT in August which is tied to a Fall course and apply again for CPT in November or December which is tied to a Winter course.
Do I have to register for a new course every semester I work on CPT?
Yes. CPT is authorized based on the course that is related to the work experience. So each semester an iStudent wants to work under CPT, they need to be registered for the course that the Faculty agrees is related to the work experience and the student must apply for a separate CPT authorization.
The only exception to registering for a new class each semester is if the Faculty deems that the work was not complete from the CPT authorization the semester prior and assigns an Incomplete grade (letter "i"). In this case, the student registers for the course one semester, is assigned a letter "i" grade, and completes the work the following semester. If this is the case, the iStudent will still need to apply for CPT the following semester.
I was given an Incomplete grade for my work on CPT. Do I have to apply for CPT again?
Yes. CPT is based on the semester that the iStudent is taking the course. If the iStudent needs to continue their CPT authorization into the next semester because their work related to the course is incomplete, they must apply for CPT again and indicate on the form that the course was from the last semester and they were assigned a letter "i" grade.
How many hours can I work during the Summer while on CPT?
Since Spring/Summer semester is considered a break, you can work up to 40 hours per week combining CPT and on-campus work. Check out these scenarios to better understand how this works:
Scenario 1:
20 hours on Part-time CPT + 20 hours on-campus = total 40 hours per week
Yes! This works during Spring/Summer because it is a break semester and 40 hours total are permitted.
Scenario 2:
30 hours on Full-time CPT + 10 hours on-campus = total 40 hours per week
Yes! CPT is always considered full-time if over 20 hours per week.
Scenario 3:
40 hours on Full-time CPT + 40 hours on-campus = 80 hours per week
NO! This is not permitted. Even with full-time CPT authorization, you are permitted to work a total of 40 hours on and off-campus. This would be a violation of your immigration status.