Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is a type of employment option available to F-1 students where the practical training employment is an integral part of a student’s established curriculum or academic program and which will be counted towards the completion of a degree. USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services – the branch of the Department of Homeland Security {DHS} that oversees F1 visa regulations) defines CPT as “alternate work/study, internship, cooperative education, or any other type of required internship or practicum which is offered by sponsoring employers through cooperative agreements with the school.” Please note that according to USCIS regulations, CPT must never be used for the purpose of facilitating employment.
Conditions and Special Considerations
To be eligible to apply, the student must be a degree candidate who has been lawfully enrolled on a full-time basis for one full academic year. The student must have a valid foreign passport and UWF I-20.
F-1 students must be enrolled full-time if it is their first semester at UWF or if they are starting a new program at UWF and hence are NOT eligible for any form of full-time CPT during their first semester.
Students who have received one year or more of full-time CPT are ineligible for Optional Practical Training.
You must have a letter from the CPT employer that includes the employer’s name, address, description of CPT employment, start and end date, number of hours per week and payment or other remuneration if any.
The training must be directly related to the student’s field of study and commensurate with the student’s education level.
The training is limited to the period of time required by the program of study as defined by the curriculum design (usually limited to a maximum of 364 days of full-time CPT).
All CPT employment is usually limited to the start and end dates of a particular semester.
The training may be full-time or part-time. If you are in CPT part-time, you must be enrolled in full-time coursework for the Fall or Spring Semester. If you are in CPT full-time, you may be enrolled part-time or have 0 hours for the Fall or Spring semester.
