Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

Description

• Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is a form of off-campus work authorization that allows students in F-1 immigration status to gain practical experience in their major or academic program prior to graduation.

Eligibility

• You must be a student with an active F-1 immigration status.
  • Please consult ISSP if you have a pending change of status to F-1.
• You must be have been enrolled full-time for one year (two semesters) in F-1 status. Academic programs that require their students to complete an internship during their first year might be exempted from this rule (such as the MAcc, MBA or Public Policy program).
• If you are an F-1 undergraduate student, you must have already declared a major.
• You must secure approval from your academic advisor.
• You must continue to be enrolled full time in F-1 status during the period of employment.
• You must have already received an offer for employment/training.

In order to qualify for CPT, the employment/training must meet one of the following requirements:

• It must fulfill a required internship in your major/academic program.
• It must fulfill the requirements for a regular course, internship course, or independent study in your major/academic program.
• If you are a graduate student in the thesis or dissertation phase of your program, the work must contribute "materially and substantially" to your thesis or dissertation or the work is "deemed integral to the program curriculum".

Employment

• The employment must be integral to your major/academic program. See "Eligibility" section above.
• The work may be paid or unpaid, full-time or part-time.
• CPT is granted for a specific position, employer, and period.
• You are not required to obtain work authorization to engage in bona fide (legitimate) volunteer activities or unpaid internships.
  • However, unpaid also means not receiving any compensation from the employer. For example, if you receive a stipend or receive reimbursement for travel, that is no longer an unpaid internship or volunteering. Students should secure the proper work authorization if they will be receiving any kind of compensation for the internship. If eligible, we encourage students to apply for CPT.
  • Please see our page on Volunteering and Unpaid Internships for more information.

Duration

• Please see “Duration of Authorization” below for more information.

Effect on other work

CPT and On-Campus Employment

During the fall and spring semesters, you may not work more than a total of 20 hours per week. Thus, if you are working on campus 12 hours per week during the semester, ISSP will only authorize CPT for 8 hours per week. The only exception to this is for students who are in the thesis/dissertation phase of their program and students in the DC Semester Program or MAcc winter field experience program.

During official university breaks, all students are eligible for full-time CPT with the endorsement of the academic advisor.

CPT and Assistantships

Many assistantship contracts prevent a student from accepting other employment. If this is the case with your department or program, CPT will not be granted without explicit consent from your academic advisor/program director.

CPT and OPT

You can use an unlimited amount of part-time CPT and still get 12 months of Optional Practical Training (OPT), following completion of studies. However, if you use 12 months or more of full-time (over 20 hours/week) CPT, you will no longer be eligible for OPT.

Application and approval process

• Your academic advisor must support your CPT application.
• You must receive authorization from ISSP before work begins.
• You should apply for CPT at least two weeks before your employment begins. The CPT work authorization is noted directly on page two of a new I-20.
• There is no cost to apply for CPT.

Other reminders

• Working at a CPT position at any time outside the authorized CPT period (even for 1 day!) is a violation of F-1 status and your immigration record will be terminated. You may be required to leave the U.S. and your future employment eligibility (e.g., OPT) and academic program may be impacted.  
• If you wish to continue work beyond the expiration of your CPT, you must apply to extend it before it expires. CPT cannot be granted retroactively.