F-1 Curricular Practical Training: Part One 

What is Curricular Practical Training?
Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is an employment option available to F-1 students where the practical training employment is considered to be an integral part of the curriculum or academic program.  According to the immigration regulations, this employment may be an internship, cooperative education job, a practicum, or any other work experience that is either required for your degree (as defined in the course catalog) or for which academic credit is awarded.

What is the criteria for determining if I am eligible for Curricular Practical Training?

To be eligible for curricular practical training, you must have been in lawfully enrolled on a full-time basis for one full academic year, your employment must be an integral part of your degree program or requirement for a course (as defined above), and your job offer related to your major or field of study.  You must have an offer of employment offering work that qualifies as curricular practical training.

OISS can authorize curricular practical training for you if it can be clearly documented that the proposed employment meets one of the three following conditions:

1.      The training employment is required of all degree candidates in the program and is necessary for the awarding of the degree. Included in this category is employment in a required internship or practicum. Graduate students in their first year of study may be eligible for curricular practical training in this category.  Undergraduates are not eligible in their first year of study.

2.      The training employment will result in the awarding of academic credit, at least preponderantly, if not solely, on the basis of the training experience. Included in this category is employment for a course specifically designed to award academic credit for an employment experience. Also included in this category is employment that will result in the award of at least one course credit for an independent study. In both of these cases you must be registered for the course during the period that you are working under curricular practical training authorization.

3.      PhD Students in dissertation status where the training opportunity is an absolutely necessary component of the student's research - without which the doctoral dissertation cannot be completed -  may be authorized to undertake curricular practical training. A letter from the student's dissertation advisor explaining in detail the relationship between the proposed employment and the student's doctoral dissertation research must be provided.

If I use Curricular Practical Training, will the time be deducted from the twelve months of optional practical training?

The time you spend on curricular practical training will not be deducted from the twelve months of allowable optional practical training UNLESS you use 12 months or more of full-time curricular practical training.

What is considered part-time?

Employment for 20 hours or less per week while you are enrolled for classes is considered part-time curricular practical training. The employment authorization page of your CPT  I-20 will specify permission to engage in part-time training and you must limit your work to no more than 20 hours per week. There is no limitation upon the length of time you may participate in part-time curricular practical training cumulatively, but you must be simultaneously enrolled as a full-time student in order to maintain lawful F-1 status.

What is considered full-time training?

Employment for more than 20 hours per week is considered full-time curricular practical training, regardless of whether you are enrolled full-time or part-time for classes. The employment authorization page on your I-20 will specify permission to participate in full-time training. There is no limitation upon the length of time you may participate in full-time curricular practical training, however if you participate in twelve months or more of curricular practical training you will not be eligible for post-completion practical training.

Do I need to have a job offer prior to submitting my application? Yes. Your CPT authorization will be employer and date specific.