Curricular Practical Training

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is authorization for off-campus training that is either:

• Required for all candidates for a degree, or
• Required for a course (e.g. Internship, Practicum, Experience Credit, etc.) in a degree program, or
• Required for dissertation research

CPT is designed to provide work experience directly related and integral to a student’s program of study. It cannot be in a:

• minor field of study
• previous major

CPT is not intended for general, ongoing work authorization.

Unpaid Off-Campus Experiences

For profit employers are required to pay employees for their work. Interns and students may not be considered employees and may not be required to be paid, if the internship passes the test found at Department of Labor Fact Sheet #71: Internship Programs Under The Fair Labor Standards Act.

Because CPT is authorization for off-campus training (e.g. Internship, Practicum, Experience Credit, etc.), paid and unpaid off-campus training opportunities require CPT authorization.

Volunteering

Traditional volunteer work (e.g. at a soup kitchen, homeless shelter, etc.) does not require CPT. See Department of Labor Fact Sheet #14A: Non-Profit Organizations and the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Types of CPT Link

CPT Eligibility Link

To be eligible to apply for CPT, you must meet all of the following requirements:

• Be in valid F-1 status.
• Be physically present in the U.S. when you apply.
• Have been enrolled full-time for at least one academic year (two semesters) while inside the U.S. before the CPT can begin.
• Have a written offer letter on company letterhead. The offer should indicate the position, the exact dates of employment, the number of hours per week and the company’s address.
• Have academic department approval. Individual departments may have their own academic requirements for, or limitations on, participation in CPT. Examples include a minimum GPA, a prerequisite course and/or a number of credits taken in the department’s curriculum.
• Be able to continue to maintain full-time enrollment if participating in CPT during a Fall or Spring semester (full-time enrollment is not required during the summer).
• Be able to continue to make normal progress towards your degree, as defined by your department (and the Graduate School, if a graduate student), while participating in CPT. This could require coursework during the CPT period. Students should verify that participation in CPT would not interfere with their ability to take courses required for degree completion that may not be taught in later semesters prior to the program end date indicated on their I-20. CPT should not delay degree completion beyond the program end date listed on the Form I-20.

Duration of CPT Link

• CPT can either be part-time (working 20 hours per week or less) or full-time (working more than 20 hours per week).
• CPT is authorized on a semester-by-semester basis (Fall, Spring, or Summer). Therefore, students must submit a new CPT request, including all the necessary documents, for each semester, including summer session(s).
• Participation in CPT may begin on or after the last day of the previous semester and must end before the first day of the following semester. For example:
  • Fall semester CPT can start any day after the final day of the summer session and can extend through winter break, but must end before the first day of the spring semester.
  • Spring semester CPT can start any day after the final day of the fall semester, but must end before the first day of the Summer Session I
  • Summer Session CPT could start any day after the final day of the spring semester, but must end before the first day of the fall semester.
• If participating in CPT in your final semester, your CPT must end on or before the final day of your final semester. CPT cannot extend beyond your program end date on your I-20.
• A student may participate in CPT as much as their program will allow and their academic department will authorize. However, a student will be ineligible for Optional Practical Training (OPT) if they participate in more than 364 days of full-time

Combining CPT and On-Campus Employment Link

• F-1 students are limited to 20 hours per week of employment (on-campus, pre-completion OPT) while school is in session, unless the curriculum allows a full-time internship, practicum, field experience, etc. authorized as full-time CPT.
• A student authorized for part-time CPT may also work on-campus if the combined (CPT & on-campus) hours are 20 hours per week or less, e.g. 15 hours per week using CPT and 5 hours per week of on-campus employment.
• A student authorized to work 20 hours or more per week on CPT usually may not also work on-campus. For example, a student who works 20 hours per week using CPT may not also work on-campus in a position unrelated to their field of study. If the on-campus work is also considered part of an internship, practicum, field experience, etc. a student may apply for full-time CPT to be authorized to work above the 20 hour per week (when school is in session) regulatory limit.
• A student authorized for CPT when school is not in session (official breaks & summer) is not limited to 20 hours per week of employment. A student authorized for part-time or full-time CPT may also work on-campus during official breaks and summer.

How to Apply for CPT Link

After Applying for CPT Link

• You may begin working on CPT the day of or any day after the CPT authorization start date.
• You must stop working on or before the CPT authorization end date, unless you have been approved for an extension of your CPT and have received a new I-20 extending your CPT.
• If you want to extend, end or change the details of your CPT, please contact us. You will need to obtain documentation from your academic department that your internship has been extended, ended and/or that you have been recommended for a different internship.