Temporary employment to gain practical experience in his/her field of study.

F-1 student is eligible after completing one full academic year.

Must be an integral part of an established curriculum.

Must be pre-authorized by a DSO (designated school official) who has access to the SEVIS system.

Student must receive credit for the work experience in most cases.

Authorized employer and employment period will be indicated on page 3 of the student’s I-20.

CPT is a pre-degree completion internship, co-op, practicum, or professional experience that is considered integral to a student’s program of study. Accordingly, it is often registered for credit within an academic semester.

CPT may be paid or unpaid and may occur on a full-time or part-time (20 hours or less/week) basis, as long as a student is maintaining full-time enrollment status at his/her University.

Students should be mindful of the amount of full-time CPT they participate in, as F-1 students who engage in an aggregate of 12 months or more of full-time curricular practical training at their present degree level, become ineligible for optional practical training (OPT).

CPT is authorized by the student’s international student office. Accordingly, there is no fee attached to processing a CPT request and authorization can be obtained quickly. CPT is employer, location, and date specific but can be extended with a valid academic reason. A student can begin employment when the CPT authorization has been included on the student’s immigration document (Form I-20) and it is at least the employment start date noted on the Form I-20