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Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
What is CPT?
CPT is full- or part-time paid/unpaid employment related to your academic major that is part of your educational curriculum. It is a required or integral part of a degree program or of a specific course and occurs before the completion of a program of study. CPT authorization is required from the International Student Office for all international students.
What qualifies as CPT?
Types of CPT are internships or externships, practicum and clinical. These types of CPT may be full- or part-time employment related to your academic major. Full-time is defined as over 20 hours per week and part-time as 20 hours or fewer.
Where does CPT take place?
Students may engage in training only for a specific employer, location, and period approved by the academic advisor and authorized directly through SEVIS by the International Student Office PRIOR to the start of CPT.
Who is eligible?
You must be in Active F-1 status. All F-1 students must be enrolled full-time for at least two terms in order to receive authorization for curricular practical training.
Does engaging in CPT make one ineligible for Optional Practical Training (OPT)?
Remaining eligible for Optional Practical Training (OPT) respectively depends on the amount of time authorized for CPT. If an F-1 student has done full-time CPT for one year, he/she is not eligible for OPT.
Is a Social Security Number required for CPT? Do I have to pay taxes on CPT earning?
All paid employment in the U.S. requires a social security number. Please keep in mind that it may take 4 to 12 weeks to receive a social security number. The student may not have obtained the card by the start of employment. In this case, the student must inform the employer that he/she has applied for a social security number and give the employer a 'Proof of Application', the receipt obtained from the Social Security Office. You are not required to have a Social Security number before you start work. However, the Internal Revenue Service requires employers to report wages using a Social Security number. While you wait for your Social Security number, your employer can use the 'Proof of Application' which states that you have applied and your immigration documents as proof of your authorization to work in the United States.
In general, international students who have been in the U.S. less than five years are exempt from Social Security tax and Medicare taxes. However, CPT earnings are subject to federal and state taxes.
How does a student receive CPT authorization?
There several steps involved in obtaining authorization for CPT.
Step 1
You must obtain a completed CPT Authorization Form from the International Office or online
Step 2
You and your academic advisor must fill out the form. Then, you would bring this form filled-out to the International Student Office along with two additional documents. These documents are:
Valid passport
I-94 card (white card in passport)
The International Student Office will issue a new I-20 with the beginning and ending dates of the authorized CPT period to the student.
Step 3
You will need to give you employer a copy of your endorsed Form I-20. For F-1 students, the 3 rd page of their newly endorsed I-20 lists your specific work authorization information. You will then give your employer a copy of your CPT authorization form signed by a Designated School Official (DSO) in the International Student Office.
Optional Practical Training (OPT)
F-1 academic students who attended a SEVP-certified college, university, conservatory, or seminary on a full-time basis for at least one academic year qualify for a total of 12 months of Optional Practical Training (OPT) per education level. OPT is a great way for students to gain work experience in U.S. industries and receive training in their field of studies. Please read the information below carefully and contact the International Student Office with any questions.
Definitions
OPT - Optional Practical Training
USCIS - United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (approves immigration benefits, including employment)
Pre-completion OPT - ability to work before completion of a degree program, can only be part-time (20 hours) and can start after maintaining F-1 status for 1 year
Post-completion OPT - starts after completion of the degree program designed to be full-time (40 hours) for 12 months
EAD - Employment Authorization Document (issued to students by USCIS stating beginning and end dates of OPT)
SEVP - Student and Exchange Visitor Program (works with SEVIS and monitors students and academic institutions)
STEM - Science, technology, engineering, or math degrees that qualify for a 17 month OPT extension
Eligibility
- F-1 academic students who attended a SEVP-certified college, university, conservatory, or seminary on a full-time basis for at least one academic year.
- Employment must be related to field of study.
- Maximum of 12 months of full-time employment. 17 months extension option applies to students who have graduated with specific math and science majors (STEM) and who are working or have an offer from an employer who is registered with E-Verify Program.
- Pre-completion OPT is deducted from the total 12 months at 50%, can be only part-time (20 hours per week) except when school is not in session.
- 20 hours = part-time; 40 hours = full-time.
- 1 full year of CPT eliminates eligibility for OPT.
- Application for post-completion OPT must be filed no more than 90 days before the program end date and up to 60 days after their program end date.
- Student cannot have a requested start date that is more than 60 days past the students program end date.
- OPT application must be properly filed within 30 days of the date the students DSO recommends OPT in SEVIS. Application may be denied if this provision is not met.
- If a student has completed all course work for his/her program, but has to finish a thesis or dissertation, the student can apply and begin full-time OPT.
- Student can file a pre-completion OPT application up to 90 days before he/she completes a full academic year. If one year requirement is already met, student can apply for pre-completion OPT up to 120 days in advance of the requested employment start date.
Regulations
- Student cannot begin OPT until the EAD card is actually received and the start date on the card has been reached.
- Student can go to the Social Security Office only once the start date of OPT on the EAD card has been reached. See more information about Social Security on our website.
- Maximum of 12 months of OPT per education level (ex: 12 months for undergraduate, 12 months for graduate, 12 months for doctorate).
- 12 months must be used within 14 months from completion of study.
- Students must report employer name and address to International Student Office so that the DSO can register the information in SEVIS.
- Student can work for more than one employer during OPT and can change employers, but must report changes to DSO within 10 days.
- Student can be unemployed for a maximum of 90 days during post-completion OPT.
- Student is allotted a 10 day grace period that will not be counted towards unemployment if a student is ending one job and starting another within 10 days.
- For post-completion OPT, student can work part or full-time and can be a volunteer or unpaid intern, work as a contractor, own a business, or be self-employed. Must be able to provide evidence for each job (position held, proof of duration of that position, job title, contact info for manager/supervisor, and description of work). Student can work at multiple jobs which must amount to full-time status = 40 hrs.
Consequences of unemployment for more than 90 days
- Student who has exceeded 90 days of unemployment during post-completion OPT is in violation of his/her F-1 visa status unless he/she has taken one of the following actions:
1. Applied to continue his/her education by change of level or transferring to another SEVP-certified school
2. Departed the U.S.
3. Taken action to maintain status
- Students may be denied future immigration benefits that rely on students valid F-1 status.
- ICE/SEVP may terminate a students record if it fails to show the student has maintained proper period of employment.
Travel
- If the student travels on approved OPT while unemployed, time spent outside the U.S. is counted toward the 90 day unemployment limit.
- If the student is employed and travels outside the U.S., time spent outside the U.S. will not count as unemployment.
- While on post-completion OPT, students can travel for less than 5 months but must present the following when reentering the U.S.:
I-20 signed by International Office within 6 months
Unexpired EAD
Written job offer
Need I-765 receipt notice (Form I-797) if traveling
while OPT is pending
- While on pre-completion OPT, students follow the same procedures as all F-1 students.
- Students are not advised to travel if their OPT has been approved but they have not found a job. You must have a job offer along with previously mentioned documents to reenter the U.S.
Cap-Gap
- Cap-gap extension is a period in which an eligible F-1 student's status is extended to bridge the gap between the end of F-1 status and start of H-1 B status
- If student is in post-completion OPT on or after the date the student becomes eligible for the extension, the students post-completion OPT is also extended
- It is the students responsibility to contact the DSO to process the extension
STEM/17 Month Extension
- Eligibility: F-1 students who completed a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree in a STEM field and are currently engaged in post-completion OPT and if they have a job or job offer from an E-Verify employer
- Cambridge College does not offer degrees that meet STEM regulations
- Student does not qualify for the extension if he/she has previously earned a degree in a STEM field. STEM extension must be based on the same degree as the post-completion OPT.
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