Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

CPT Definition

F-1 Regulations: “Curricular practical training is defined to be alternative work/study, internship, cooperative education, or any other type of required internship or practicum that is offered by sponsoring employers through cooperative agreements with the school.”

8 CFR § 214.2 (f)(10)(i)

WHAT DOES “CURRICULAR” MEAN?

Required for paid/unpaid employment
“Curricular” is a reference to the academic degree requirements that are needed to complete a degree.
Off-Campus work authorization for internships and other job opportunities must be integral to your degree program.
Integral
- Required internship or optional work experience directly related to degree completion.
Temporary work authorization
- Authorized only one semester at a time for all CPT
- Authorization dates will mirror the start date of the term and will end on the last day of finals.
- Required for paid employment
Employer Specific
- Must be employer specific
- Must have an offer letter

TYPES OF TRAINING THAT REQUIRES CPT

How do I know if my work opportunity is integral?
- Required Internships:
  - Cannot graduate without a department-defined work experience
  - Must have a course enrollment
  - CPT course must be taken the same term of CPT authorization
- Optional Work Experience:
  - Elective required for graduation
  - Directly related to degree program
  - Must be enrolled in and complete the approved CPT course
  - CPT course must be taken the same term of CPT authorization
  - Any activity within a MU course that requires “out of the classroom” experience or training requires CPT authorization prior to starting the “out of classroom” activity.

*Scam Warning! Please know that your employer should not ask you to pay any fee for your internship job or job training. Those scammers would ask for a fee payment before starting the job and tell you the payment would be refunded in a future paycheck. However, it would be a scam. If it happens to you, do not make a payment and contact an Office of Global Pathways advisor immediately.

CPT Eligibility

Student in F-1 non-immigrant status
Student maintaining legal F-1 status and making progress to complete degree program
Student enrolled full-time for at least 1 academic year
- Have been enrolled for at least 2 academic semesters (read: a minimum of 9-months of academic study).
CPT must directly connect to your degree program as noted on Form I-20.
Student applies and is granted CPT work permission through Mercer Office of Global Pathways

CURRICULAR PRACTICAL TRAINING BASICS

CPT is a benefit, not a right.
Can facilitate employment and/or training that is an INTEGRAL part of an established curriculum.
Authorization will be granted solely for experiential activity that has a strong and measurable connection to the student’s academic program, like a for-credit internship or cooperative education.
Dropping CPT course has serious consequences
Must be credit-bearing.
Activities can be paid or unpaid.
Is approved by the Office of Global Pathways, not by the USCIS.
All CPT activity will be closely monitored.
Authorization dates must match a given semester.

Who is eligible for CPT?

Completing Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctoral degree
Completed two consecutive semesters as a full-time student
- Fall and Spring
- Spring and Fall
- Spring and Summer
- Summer and Fall
Within timeframe it takes average student to complete degree
60 months for Bachelor’s degree
24 months for Master’s degree without a thesis
36 months for Master’s degree with a thesis
60 months for a Doctoral degree

Who is not eligible for CPT?

Completed all requirements for degree program (applied to graduate and only needs current enrollment to graduate)
Student who wants CPT based on a minor
Student who wants a program extension to request CPT
CPT students must make “normal academic progress” to be eligible for CPT; a history of unsatisfactory academic performance is a bar to CPT participation.
- CPT students that are on academic warning, probation, or is below the minimum GPA requirements for graduation (2.0 for undergraduate, 2.25 for law school, & 3.0 for graduate).
CPT students may not take an “incomplete” for the CPT experience. An “incomplete” or “I” grade will be a bar to future CPT participation.
Additional CPT authorization will not be provided for a CPT student to complete an “incomplete” internship or Co-Op experience.

Do not start a job or internship until you receive CPT authorization from OGP Advisors (new I-20).

Allow 10 business days for processing.

Application Overview:

Confirm eligibility for CPT
Contact your department adviser to plan together your internship and learn about the internship course credit policy in your academic department
Find a job/internship offer
File a complete CPT Application to the Office of Global Pathways for processing
- An incomplete CPT application will delay processing!
Wait for notification email that the CPT I20 is ready for you

After you submit the student section:

The application will be reviewed by the Office of Global Pathways
OGP requires 10 business days for processing from date we receive the completed CPT application
Do not begin working until (a) you have received your I-20 endorsed for CPT and (b) the date listed on page 2 of your new I-20.
You might need to contact your employer/CPT supervisor to defer your start date if you don’t allow enough time for OGP processing.
You will receive an email notification from OGP when your CPT approval (new I-20) is ready.

Review your CPT authorization (printed on page 2 of your new I-20).
Think of your CPT application and authorization as a contract. Follow the rules of the authorization; don’t work outside of the start and end dates.
DO NOT Drop the CPT courses credits, it is a violation of the F-1 regulations, and you will not be eligible for future CPT or OPT.
Notify the Office of Global Pathways of any changes, such as ending the training position early, not doing the job, etc.
If your CPT position is paid, apply for a Social Security Number if you don’t already have an SSN.
If your CPT position is paid, use your new I-20 with CPT approval, together with your passport and I-94 record, as proof of your eligibility to work. These documents may be used to complete the Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 that all U.S. employers are required to complete.

CPT AND ACADEMIC COURSES

You must be registered full time during Fall and Spring semester including the CPT required course.
Graduate students must maintain 9 credit hours
Undergraduate students must maintain 12 credit hours
This can only be waived if you are completing CPT in the Summer, or it is your last semester, and you need 1 or 2 courses to complete the degree (registering the CPT course is still required).

How much CPT can I use?

CPT available for each level of education you pursue
Student may request multiple CPT authorizations during each level
Must continue to make normal progress toward completion of degree
365 days of full-time CPT eliminates Optional Practical Training (OPT) benefits
Part time CPT does not eliminate Optional Practical Training (OPT) benefits

How do I count CPT used?

Part-time: 20 or fewer hours each week
Full-time: More than 20 hours each week
Each week: Not average hours worked per week, but hours worked each week
All days: Count workdays, weekends, holidays, vacation days, time outside the U.S. during CPT

CPT extensions:

Extension = If you are requesting an extension of the CPT to a date before the end date of the semester your CPT authorized, please contact the Office of Global Pathways at least two weeks prior to the current CPT end date to make an extension request in a timely manner. Please know that you will need a revised job offer letter with a new internship end date on it to make an extension request.

New CPT Application with the same employer = If you want to continue working with the same employer in the following semester, you should submit a new CPT application for a new authorization.

CPT shortened end dates:

If you stop your position early, notify OGP immediately with an official termination letter you received from your employer. You will still be required to register for and earn CPT-related credit according to the application.