Employment
Curricular Practical Training: F-1 Students
Definition
If the student's established curriculum includes a paid or unpaid internship, practicum, professional experience etc., Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorization enables an F-1 student to accept such employment. In order to be eligible for CPT the internship, practicum, or professional experience must either be a required part of the academic program or must be for credit. The experience may be full or part time.
Eligibility
A student must have been in valid F-1 status for one academic year to be eligible for CPT.
Limitations
There is no limit on the time a student may be authorized curricular practical training but if a student engages in 12 months or more of full-time CPT, he/she loses eligibility for Optional Practical Training. A student, who engages in part-time CPT (no more than 20 hours per week) during the academic year, must maintain full-time student status while he or she is pursuing the curricular practical training. You may only work for the employer specified in the CPT authorization on the back of the Form I-20. You must not begin work until you have received the CPT authorization.
How to Apply
Undergraduate students
must visit Career Services to begin the necessary
paperwork for approval of the internship. Once the form is approved by Career
Services and all but the OIA signature is complete drop the forms at the OIA.
Your advisor will issue your CPT and contact you by email when your new I-20 is
ready to be picked up.
GSOM students must visit GSOM Career Services and complete the
internship paperwork. Once GSOM approves the internship they will deliver the
paperwork to the OIA for processing. Once the CPT is authorized you will receive
an email instructing you to pick up your new I-20 at the OIA.
Other graduate students need to obtain two letters in order to
receive CPT authorization. The first letter is from the department chair.
See sample letter.
The other letter is from the employer and must include the name and address of
the employer, position title, dates of employment and salary. You will need to
drop off both letters at the OIA for processing. If your advisor in the OIA
determines that curricular practical training falls within the regulations, she
will authorize the CPT. The period of CPT granted will be indicated on the
I-20 for the specific employer and time period. You will receive an email when
your new I-20 is ready to be picked up.
YOU MUST NOT BEGIN WORK UNTIL YOU HAVE RECEIVED THE CURRICULAR PRACTICAL
TRAINING AUTHORIZATION. YOU MUST ONLY WORK DURING THE APPROVED DATES OF CPT.