Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

What is CPT?

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is a type of work authorization for F-1 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.

Contact Information

Email: [email protected]
[email protected]

Phone: +1 (703) 941-2020

In order to be eligible for CPT, you must:

Maintain 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- on the same SEVIS ID. This is equivalent to 3 quarters at WUST in the same program level (or 2 semesters at a semester-based university).
Have a CGPA of at least 2.0 for undergraduates or 3.0 for graduate students.
Students who receive an F grade this quarter in any course are not eligible for CPT.
Have attended ALL on-campus (in-person) classes this quarter (or in your most recent quarter if you are currently on annual vacation). No absences of any kind are allowed — including excused absences.
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 Post Completion OPT for your current program (final quarter students).

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.

Applications are submitted through our website- using the CPT Application Form.

To apply you will need the following:

1. Job Offer Letter

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 muse be stated in the letter)
Supervisor's name and title
Supervisor's email address
Signed by the employer
Must be on official company letterhead

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.

3. 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

Application Fee: $420 *Charged the first time you’re approved for CPT or when you receive new CPT authorization (renew).
Changes or Modifications: $75 (per change or modification)
CPT Maintenance Fee: $35 (per quarter participating in CPT)

CPT applications typically take 5-7 business days to process after employment verification has been completed and the CPT fee has been paid.

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.

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 calendar days. 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.

CPT Quarter	Winter 2026	Spring 2026	Summer 2026	Fall 2026
Application Deadline	January 16, 2026	April 10, 2026	July 17, 2026	October 12, 2026
Add/Drop period ends	January 20, 2026	April 13, 2026	July 20, 2026	October 16, 2026
Earliest possible start date	January 12, 2026	April 04, 2026	July 13, 2026	October 05, 2026
Latest possible start date	January 26, 2026	April 21, 2026	July 26, 2026	October 19, 2026
CPT Report Due	March 12, 2026	June 12, 2026	September 18, 2026	December 13, 2026

Responsibility and Limitations

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

Responsibilities

Must maintain a CGPA of at least 2.0 for undergraduates or 3.0 for graduate students.
Must pass the registered course(s) – receiving an F in any registered course(s) will result in the revocation of their CPT.
Must attend ALL of your on-campus (in-person) classes every quarter.
Must stay in good standing, which includes your F-1 status, academic performance, student conduct, and financial obligation with WUST.
Must balance their CPT employment with their on-campus (in-person) obligations.

Limitations

Hours per week - Students are not recommended to work more than 40 hours per week. Please remember it is your responsibility to calculate the number of months worked on CPT and how it will affect your OPT.
Location - Students must be physically present in the US while on the CPT.
CPT's impact on Optional Practical Training (OPT) - Students who participate in 12 or more months of full-time CPT become ineligible to apply for OPT.

Disclaimer: The Center for Career Services and International Student Services reserve the right to revoke CPT authorization if the student does not adhere to the regulations set forth by the institution or the Federal Government. Additionally, frequent changes to employment without justification and relevance to the course of study and its impact on your education will be considered and result in a denial of your request for a change of employment mid quarter.

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. As long as you are currently enrolled into a program at WUST. 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 a commutable distance from where you live.

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].

Responsibility and Limitations

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

Responsibilities

Must maintain a CGPA of at least 2.0 for undergraduates or 3.0 for graduate students.
Must pass the registered course(s) – receiving an F in any registered course(s) will result in the revocation of their CPT.
Must attend ALL of your on-campus (in-person) classes every quarter.
Must stay in good standing, which includes your F-1 status, academic performance, student conduct, and financial obligation with WUST.
Must balance their CPT employment with their on-campus (in-person) obligations.

Limitations

Hours per week - Students are not recommended to work more than 40 hours per week. Please remember it is your responsibility to calculate the number of months worked on CPT and how it will affect your OPT.
Location - Students must be physically present in the US while on the CPT.
CPT's impact on Optional Practical Training (OPT) - Students who participate in 12 or more months of full-time CPT become ineligible to apply for OPT.