Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

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.

1. Review your CPT authorization (printed on page 2 of your new I-20).
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Notify the Office of Global Pathways of any changes, such as ending the training position early, not doing the job, etc.
5. If your CPT position is paid, apply for a Social Security Number if you don’t already have an SSN.
6. 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.