Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

Overview

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is a type of work authorization for students to learn practical skills related to their major area of study. Common forms of CPT include paid or unpaid internships, fellowships, and part-time or full-time jobs.

CPT is an integral part of the student’s established program curriculum. Students who complete CPT will earn 1 credit after the course is completed, but neither the CPT course nor the CPT experience is required to graduate.

The CPT policies and procedures set forth by WUST are in full compliance with the regulations propagated by USCIS.

Eligibility Requirements

In order to be eligible for CPT, you must:

Have an active F-1 status
Have completed 1 academic year in the same degree-awarding program (not an ESL school) while physically in the United States. This is equivalent to 3 quarters at WUST in the same program(or 2 semesters at a semester-based university).
Be enrolled for a full course of study while engaging in CPT (unless on WUST-approved annual vacation).
Have a CGPA of at least 2.0 (undergraduates) or 3.0 (graduates)
Be in good academic standing (receiving an F grade will lead to immediate CPT revocation, and students who receive an F grade are not eligible for CPT their next quarter).
Adhere to the ongoing rules and obligations of your F-1 visa
Clear any outstanding balance (or be in compliance with your payment plan, if you have one).
Have not already applied for OPT (for after graduation of your current program).

If you fail to maintain the eligibility requirements once your CPT has been approved, your CPT authorization may be revoked or any extension request may be denied.

WUST offers CPT to transfer-in students who have completed one academic year in a degree awarding program, or those who are coming off of OPT and are beginning a new program. Transfer students must provide an official transcript from their previous institution as proof they meet the eligibility requirements.

Contact Information

Email: [email protected]
Phone: (703) 941-2020

When to Apply

Eligible students may apply for CPT before the quarter begins. It is strongly recommended students apply for CPT at least 2 weeks before their projected start date so there is enough time for WUST to process the CPT application. The application deadline is the first Friday of each quarter at 12:00pm.

Please note that we will not be accepting CPT applications past this deadline under any circumstances. This policy also applies to applications submitted before the deadline that require further necessary revisions in order to grant CPT authorization. To avoid this risk, we strongly encourage students to apply as early as possible. WUST will deny applications if the employer/supervisor does not verify the employment offer within 10 days of the start date passing. CPT applications must meet all the requirements outlined on our website to gain approval. Any applications that do not meet the requirements, including incomplete applications, will not be approved.

How to Apply

Application Materials

There are 2 documents you will need to apply for CPT.

1) Job offer letter

You must obtain a job offer letter before applying for CPT. The letter must have the following:

Position title
Job description, duties, and responsibilities
Start date (end date is not required)
Number of working hours per week
Work location (if the position is remote, it must be stated in the letter)
Supervisor’s name and title
Supervisor’s email address
Signed by the employer
Must be on official company letterhead

Example 1 Example 2

2) CPT Application Form

You can download the CPT application form here. Make sure you fill out the form completely.

Note: Do NOT ask your employer to sign page 2 of the form. WUST will contact your employer directly for their signature.

Once you have both the job offer letter and the completed application form, you can submit your CPT application through the link. CPT Application Upload Form (forms-db.com).

Example 1 Example 2

Application Fee

Once you submit your application, it will be reviewed by Student Services. The CPT fee will be added to your Populi account. You must pay the fee before your application can be approved.

CPT Fees:

CPT Fee (Per Authorization): $420
CPT Modification Fee: $75
CPT Maintenance Fee (Per quarter while active): $35

CPT applications typically take 1 week to process after employment verification has been completed and the CPT fee has been paid.

Important Things to Know

CPT Start Date

Your earliest possible start date is the first day of the quarter you are applying for. You cannot begin CPT before the following dates.

CPT End Date

If your job offer letter provides an end date for the offered employment, you must use that end date on your CPT application.

If no end date is specified on your job offer letter, you may create your own end date or leave the end date blank. If you leave the end date blank, WUST will authorize your CPT employment for the maximum time you are eligible for (up to 3 quarters or until the end of your program, whichever is shorter).

WUST currently authorizes CPT for up to 3 quarters at a time. As the end of your authorization approaches, you may apply for a CPT extension if you choose. An employment verification letter will be required from the employer instead of your original job offer letter. If you wish to change employers, you must remain with your employer until you receive an offer (or receive an offer within 10 days of your last day working with that employer). You must notify the university (ex. Career Service Center and/or ISO) within 10 days if your employment ends and fill out this CPT End Date Form. If your employment ends, and you are still waiting on an employment offer after 10 days, you should apply instead for the following term.

Full-Time or Part-Time

On your CPT application, you must indicate whether the job is full-time or part-time. There are only 2 options.

Part-time employment: 0-20 hours per week
Full-time employment: 21-40 hours per week

Students are not authorized to work more than 40 hours per week.

Dates of Employment

You cannot begin work until you receive an updated I-20 with CPT authorization on it. You can only work during the dates specified on your I-20, and only for the employer specified on your I-20.

Any work that occurs outside of your authorized CPT is a severe violation of the terms of your F-1 visa, and may result in the loss of your F-1 student status.

Student Responsibilities While on CPT

Students must maintain the following terms in order to stay on CPT, renew CPT, or change employers on CPT:

Must maintain a CGPA of at least 2.0 (undergraduates) or 3.0 (graduates).
Must pass the CPT course(s) you are registered for.
Must attend ALL of your on-campus classes every quarter.
Must stay in good standing, which includes your F-1 status, academic standing, student conduct, and financial standing with WUST.

Frequently Asked Questions

Once you receive your I-20 with CPT authorization, you can apply for a SNN. You must do so directly with the Social Security Administration. You will be required to gather the required documents and visit a Social Security office in person near you.

If your CPT employment ends early, you must notify the International Students Office of your last date of employment by completing this CPT End Date Form within 10 days in order to update your SEVIS record and have a new I-20 issued.

Students can participate in unlimited part-time CPT (20 hours per week or less) with no consequences.
However, there is a limit on how much full-time CPT a student can participate in. If a student does 12 months or more of full-time CPT over the course of their program, they will lose their eligibility to participate in post-completion OPT. We recommend limiting your full-time CPT to less than 12 months if you plan to apply for OPT.
If you do not plan to apply for OPT, you can participate in full-time CPT for any amount of time as long as you are eligible.

Yes, you can apply to change employers at any time while on CPT. However, you must notify the university (ex. Career Service Center and/or ISO) within 10 days if your employment ends, and fill out this CPT End Date Form. If your employment ends, and you are still waiting on an employment offer, we will recommend you apply instead for the following term. You must submit a new CPT application and pay the $75 fee. Remember, your new job must still be directly related to your major area of study. You cannot begin your new job until you receive an updated I-20 with the new CPT authorization on it. Nor can you begin before the start date on the I-20.

WUST does not offer tax assistance or advice. Please consult with your CPA for any questions regarding filing your income tax return.

CPT applications typically take 1-2 weeks to process. An exact processing time cannot be given because some of the processing steps are outside of the university’s control.

You can speed up the process by ensuring your employer responds to the employment verification email, and by paying your CPT fee once it is added to your Populi account.

Yes, you can extend your CPT authorization. You must submit a new CPT application. If you are continuing with the same employer, you should submit an employment verification letter instead of your original job offer letter. If you are changing employers, use your new offer letter.

If you need help or advice on finding a job, please contact the Career Service Center.

No, your employer does not need to sponsor you in order for you to work on CPT. The university is authorized by USCIS to grant CPT authorization to eligible students. All you need is an I-20 with CPT authorization.

It is possible to have 2 part-time jobs while on CPT. Both jobs must be related to your major area of study.

It is important to note that USCIS will consider having 2 part-time jobs at the same time as full-time employment.

Your work location must be within a commutable distance from the university. Or the position must be remote.

No. Employment obligations cannot be used to excuse you from class.

Your number one priority as an F-1 student is to be a student. You are fully expected to attend all of your classes, whether on campus or online, and to keep up with your course work. If you are unable to do so, your CPT authorization may be revoked.

Student workers hired for 20 hours per week or less do not need to apply for CPT. In these circumstances, the employment does not need to be related to your degree program.

Student workers hired for more than 20 hours per week must apply for full-time CPT. The duties and responsibilities of the position must be directly related to your major area of study.

Yes. You can submit your OPT application in your final quarter. However, once you submit your OPT application, you will not be allowed to extend your CPT or change your employer. Doing so could jeopardize your OPT application with USCIS.

Yes. You should keep all I-20s for your records. WUST does not keep I-20s on file for an extended period of time.

If you have more questions about CPT, please contact [email protected] or [email protected].
CPT applications should be submitted by the beginning of the quarter you are applying for. It is best to apply at least 1-2 weeks prior to your projected start date.

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