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(i) Curricular practical training. An F-1 student may be authorized by the DSO to participate in a curricular practical training program that is an integral part of an established curriculum. 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. Students who have received one year or more of full time curricular practical training are ineligible for post-completion academic training. Exceptions to the one academic year requirement are provided for students enrolled in graduate studies that require immediate participation in curricular practical training. A request for authorization for curricular practical training must be made to the DSO. A student may begin curricular practical training only after receiving his or her Form I-20 with the DSO endorsement.

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is a benefit of F-1 status which allows F-1 degree seeking students the opportunity for employment which is temporary and directly related to the student’s academic curriculum []. In some cases, the employment may be full time and off campus. Prior to beginning employment, the student must receive permission from the Designated School Official (DSO) in the Office of Immigration and International Admissions (OIIA) and a new I-20 noting the details of the CPT approval.

Although CPT cases are reviewed on an individual basis by the OIIA, there are a few guidelines to keep in mind when considering CPT. CPT employment can be approved only while a student is pursuing a degree.  Once the student has completed all program requirements, he/she is no longer eligible for CPT.  A program extension may not be requested for the sole purpose of engaging in CPT.  Curricular Practical Training is for specific offers of employment.  Thus, a job offer is required before the case may be approved.

Pre-Requirements for making application:

• Maintain F-1 status for one academic year (two semesters)*
• Possess a valid passport

*Graduate students enrolled in a program that requires immediate participation in an internship may apply at any time.

Full-time vs. part-time CPT

CPT can be authorized for full-time employment (more than 20 hours per week) or part-time employment (20 or fewer hours per week). However, the student must be simultaneously enrolled for sufficient credit hours to maintain lawful F-1 status.  The cumulative use of full-time CPT for twelve months or more voids a student’s eligibility for any OPT. Part-time CPT does not affect a student’s eligibility for OPT.

Eligibility Requirements:

To meet the requirements for curricular practical training, the employment must be:

• related to student’s field of study
• appropriate to student’s degree level
• an integral part of student’s degree program
• required by student’s degree program,  carry course credit or be essential for gathering research for the student’s thesis/dissertation  

CPT Application Required Documents:

• Student Request Form
• Copy of current I-20
• Letter from employer including job title, dates of employment, number of work hours per week, location of employment and brief description of duties to be performed
• Curricular Practical Training Recommendation Form completed by student’s academic advisor or department chair

*Students on assistantship are not allowed to participate in CPT and maintain their assistantship. Students will need to speak with their departments regarding this matter when discussing CPT. If your assistantship is canceled, new financial documents must be provided to the Office of International Services before CPT will be approved.

Optional Practical Training (OPT) is a benefit of F-1 status which allows degree seeking students to apply for work authorization in order to gain employment experience that is directly related to their field of study.  OPT applications are specific in that they have start and end dates, are authorized for either part-time or full-time work and are considered either pre-completion or post completion (of study) petitions. Applications for OPT involve the student, the academic department, the Office of Immigration and International Admissions (OIIA), and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). When an application is approved, USCIS mails the student an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) which contains the student’s photograph, OPT category, and the dates of authorized employment.

Three kinds of OPT can be identified:

• Pre-completion OPT
• Post-completion OPT
• Extensions of post-completion OPT for certain Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) students

Requirements for an OPT petition:

• Be a degree seeking student in F-1 status
• Possess a valid passport
• Have one academic year (two semesters) of full-time study completed before the requested OPT begin date (Note: students may apply 90 days prior to the requested start date as long as the required academic year of study will be completed during that 90 day period )
• Have not used 12 months or more of full-time Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

Pre-Completion vs. Post-Completion OPT

Pre-Completion OPT is for work authorization which will begin and end before the program end date listed on the student’s I-20. While school is in session, a student may apply for part-time (up to 20 hours per week) pre-completion OPT while also enrolling in the required hours to be a full-time student. Full-time pre-completion OPT may be requested for official school breaks (i.e. Summer Break, Winter Break) when the student is not required to enroll or when a student has completed all course requirements and only lacks completion of the thesis or dissertation.

Post-Completion OPT is for work authorization that will start after the program end date on the I-20. Post-completion OPT must be full-time. Students who have completed all course requirements except for the thesis or dissertation may apply for post-completion OPT although it may require the I-20 end date be shortened. OIIA can advise you on the impact of your choice as it affects the ability to extend your I-20 and receive the 24 month OPT extension for those in approved STEM fields.

Separate petitions are required for each type of OPT, therefore, it is not possible to request a period of part-time pre-completion OPT immediately followed by full-time pre- or post-completion OPT in the same petition.

Time Limits

A period of twelve months of full-time Optional Practical Training is available for each level of education in which a student enrolls. For example, a student would be eligible for 12 months at the Master’s level and another 12 months at the Doctoral level, but would not get OPT for doing another Bachelor’s program, even if OPT had not been previously used at the Bachelor level. Students who participated in full-time CPT for twelve months or more are not eligible for OPT at the same level in which the twelve months or more of CPT was used.

The use of part-time OPT is deducted from the 12 month limit at half the rate. For example, a person who has completed 10 months of part-time OPT would still be eligible for 5 months of full-time OPT.

A 24-month extension beyond the first 12 months of OPT is available for students with degrees in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). 

Employment Dates

For undergraduates, the authorization period may begin as early as the date of graduation ceremonies or as late as sixty (60) days following the graduation ceremony. For graduate students, it may begin as early as the date requested after degree requirements are completed, or as late as 60 days after the Graduate School’s final acceptance of thesis or dissertation. The starting date for the OPT Employment Authorization Document (EAD) will be the date requested by the student or the date OPT is approved at the USCIS Service Center, whichever is later. The student will also request an end date which is no more than 12 months later than the start date.

Filing Deadlines

OPT petitions may be submitted up to 90 days prior to degree completion and must be received by USCIS no later than 60 days after the degree completion date.

Unemployment Limit

Students with post-completion OPT are limited to 90 days of unemployment beginning with the start date of the OPT card. Unemployment is considered to be every day (including weekends and time spent out of the country) that the student does not have a qualifying work arrangement for OPT as described in the types of work appropriate for OPT section of this handout.

F-1 students in post-completion Optional Practical Training who earned a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctoral degree in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) field as listed on the I-20 and the , and who work for an employer are able to apply for a 24-month extension of the post-comple