Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

CPT INFO/RESOURCES

Some international students at Pratt are eligible for CPT authorizations for internships. Please review our materials below and here for further information:
OIA CPT Slides

APPROVABLE INTERNSHIP DATES (PER OFFICE OF THE REGISTRAR)

Fall 2024
August 26 – December 16
Exception: ACM/DM begins August 12

Wintermester 2025*
Online class: December 20 – January 24
In-person class: January 2 – January 24
*Only some programs offer the internship course in Winter. Check the academic internship guide and with your department’s internship coordinator listeed.

Spring 2025
January 27 – May 16
Exception: ACM/DM begins January 11

Summer 2025
May 24 – August 15
Exception: ACM/DM begins May 3

INTERNSHIP JOB OFFER REQUIREMENT

Signed letter from supervisor or hiring official (electronic ok)
Company letterhead/logo
Email and phone of employer
Address of employer (must be in the U.S.)
Part time or full time, number of hours per week
Paid or unpaid
Description of duties/internship position that is directly related to field of study
Appropriate start and end dates for the semester

Your internship start date should be at least 7-10 business days into the future to allow academic internship course and CPT approval by your department, registration by the Registrar, and CPT approval and processing by OIA. As with all applications, for equity reasons OIA processes requests in the order they are received and does not accept expedite or emergency requests. The approval process and CPT authorization in SEVIS happens over multiple days.

Do not begin working without CPT even if it is unpaid as that can be considered unauthorized employment. CPT is employer, semester, and date -specific.

THE FINE PRINT ABOUT CPT

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) can be granted to a degree-seeking F-1 student enrolled consecutively for one academic year. You can apply for CPT only after receiving your internship offer, with your academic department reviewing and approving the offer and assisting you to enroll in an appropriate academic internship course. When your CPT application is complete, you will receive an updated I-20 with employer-specific CPT authorization on page 2.

Only part-time CPT is permitted during the Fall and Spring semesters, while full-time CPT is also permitted in the summer. Part-time CPT is 20 hours a week or less and full-time is anything above 20 hours per week. Taking a relevant internship course is required for any semester you wish to do CPT, as that academic work is what formalizes the internship as “an integral part of your established curriculum.” Non-degree students are not eligible for CPT.

CPT is required for both paid and unpaid internships and/or any off-campus work experience. If the opportunity is something you would put on your resume or CV as work-related experience, you need CPT. An exception is unpaid charitable work that is unrelated to your field of study. In cases of true charitable community service, you do not need CPT. Example: volunteering at a local food pantry or helping clean up a park.

Use of part-time CPT (20 hours or less) does not affect eligibility for OPT. Receiving full-time CPT for a total of 12 months or more eliminates eligibility for OPT – but this does not happen at Pratt.

HOW TO APPLY FOR CPT

You have to get the internship offer first before you can apply for CPT, because the authorization is employer-specific. You also need to have the internship course added to your registration before we can authorize your CPT.

You must receive CPT authorization from OIA before starting your internship, whether paid or unpaid. When accepting an internship offer, plan your start date to be at least 7-10 business days into the future, as the process with your department and Registrar to get the internship course, followed by OIA processing of the CPT, takes time.

Starting to work before, or continuing to work beyond, the dates authorized on your CPT I-20 page 2 is a violation of federal regulations, resulting in the loss of valid immigration status. CPT cannot be authorized retroactively.

Steps before getting your internship offer:

1. Watch the Internship Orientation video with the Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD) and complete the quiz for international students

2. Review the Academic Internship Guide and make sure you understand the process in your own department, including which internship course you will register for and what they require for you to register for it. Note: Different academic departments have different procedures about this! Contact the listed internship coordinator in your academic department if you have any questions about the requirements. You can find that person’s contact information in the Guide.

3. Review the letter requirements for your internship job offer, so when you receive an offer, you are ready to get what you need.

Internship offer letters should have:

Your internship start date should be at least seven business days into the future to allow academic internship course and CPT approval by your department, registration by the Registrar, and CPT approval and processing by OIA.

Steps after getting your internship offer:

4. Obtain a formal offer letter with the above information.

5. Submit your CPT application in your OIA Student Portal. You will need to provide your Employer name, address, internship start and end dates, and upload the internship offer letter and your current I-94 (not travel record).

6. If you have not yet already, enroll in the appropriate internship class for the appropriate semester. Remember as listed in #2 above, your academic department may have specific instructions for this. Once enrolled, you also must successfully complete this course to maintain your F-1 status.

6. Wait to begin your internship activity until the CPT process is complete. This is critical for your immigration status compliance.

AFTER YOU APPLY FOR CPT

7. Your department’s OIA Student Portal approver for CPT will review the application you submit in TDS and approve it electronically. Then an OIA Designated School Official (DSO) will review your application.

8. Provided your CPT request is complete, we will authorize your CPT on page 2 of an updated I-20. We will notify you when the new I-20 is ready for download in the OIA Student Portal. You should print your CPT I-20 out, and then sign and date the paper copy.

Please note the CPT authorization process takes multiple days. You must have your CPT I-20 before you can begin your internship. Do not begin working without pay as an alternative, as it is still considered unauthorized employment if you are not paid.

9. You should present your CPT I-20 to begin working at your internship location, along with your passport and I-94. You are also eligible to apply for a Social Security Number with your CPT I-20, if the position is paid and you do not have an SSN yet. Keep records of your internship documents, such as offer letters, agreements, and pay stubs in an electronic folder.

10. When you get your CPT I-20 in the OIA Student Portal, make sure you review the start and end date and the employer listed on page 2. Remember that your CPT work authorization is only for specific dates and for that employer.

If you want to continue your internship services beyond the end date of your CPT, you need an additional CPT authorization, which must be complete with a new CPT I-20 before you continue any services at that site. CPT is authorized semester by semester and you need a new internship course for each semester.

Also, if you want to change your employer, you also need an updated CPT authorization, before doing that.

Failure to receive updated CPT in these situations results in unauthorized employment. If you cannot complete your internship, contact your academic department internship coordinator.

OIA wishes you a productive internship experience!