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 CISP
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 CISP, 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.
