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Curricular Practical Training for International Students

According to federal regulations, curricular practical training is "alternate work/study, internship, cooperative education or any other type of required internship or practicum which is offered by sponsoring employers through cooperative agreements with the school" (8 CFR 214.2 (f)(10)(i). At most schools, Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is authorized only when off-campus employment is required either for every student in a particular degree program or for academic credit (i.e., for a particular course).

Eligibility
The director of international students grants the authorization for CPT according to federal immigration law and regulations; it is unnecessary to apply to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) for CPT permission or to pay a fee.

To be eligible for CPT, you must be an F-1 student who has been registered full-time for nine consecutive months or one academic year. You must be currently enrolled full-time in a degree program and maintaining legal F-1 status. Students enrolled in an English as a Second Language (ESL) program are ineligible for CPT.

Job Offer
You must have a job offer from an employer to receive CPT authorization, and such authorization allows you to work for that employer only.

Qualifying Employment
To qualify as CPT, employment must be related to your field of study and appropriate for your level of study. (A letter from your academic adviser will be required during your application process to verify this.)

Not all "internships" qualify as CPT. The types of work experiences that do qualify as CPT under federal immigration laws and regulations are limited to the following:

  • The student is granted SNC credit by his or her department for the work experience or the student will be granted transfer credit for a course taken at another institution. Being granted academic credit for CPT may be done in one of two ways:
    • The student takes a course for credit that is specifically called an "internship" course, or
    • The experience may involve work at a job site that the student uses to complete a project or complete the work for a course taken for credit.
  • A work experience that is required of all students in the academic program, regardless of whether the student receives academic credit.
Neither the financial benefit to you, nor the employer's need for an employee with your abilities, is a basis for CPT authorization.

Part-Time or Full-Time Employment
CPT may be authorized as part-time (when school is in session) or full-time (when school is not in session). Part-time CPT is limited to a maximum of 20 hours per week. Government regulations do not limit the amount of time that CPT is available, but they stipulate that students who have received one year or more of full-time CPT are ineligible for optional practical training (OPT). In that context, INS probably will count two months of part-time CPT as one month of full-time CPT, even though the regulations do not establish such a formula.

Application Procedures
International students are not authorized to work off campus in an internship position until they have completed the required CPT paperwork. Contact ISSS staff to discuss the application process for CPT.
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