CPT (Immigration)
Table of Contents
Instructions
CPT (curricular practical training) is a work authorization that allows students to work off-campus in jobs directly related to their major. To qualify for CPT, you must:
- Have completed a full school year in the U.S. (one fall semester and one spring semester).
- For example, if you came to Calvin in Fall 2023, the earliest you could do CPT would be Summer 2024. If you came to Calvin in Spring 2024, the earliest you could do CPT would be December 2024 (after the end of the fall semester).
- Find a job or internship directly related to your major.
- Jobs/internships under CPT do not have to match your major 100%. However, most of what you do on a daily basis in the job or internship should be closely related to your major.
- If you are unsure whether a job/internship is directly related to your major, send the job description to the immigration coordinator. If necessary, faculty in your department will also be consulted.
- Enroll in a course that requires the internship.
- Every major has a 383 course that requires an internship (EDUC 383, NURS 383, etc.)
- There is no ENGR 383; the engineering department uses ENGR 385 and has their own procedure.
- Some majors have other internship courses that also qualify for CPT.
- 383 courses and ENGR 385 may be repeated for multiple semesters.
- Required internships for Chicago Semester, student teaching, Henry Semester in D.C., etc. also qualify for CPT. If you participate in one of these programs, make sure your internship is directly related to your major.
During the fall and spring semesters, students are limited to part-time CPT (up to 20 hours per week). If required for a student's program (such as for student teaching), full-time CPT (more than 20 hours per week) can be authorized during the fall and spring semesters. Full-time CPT is available in the summer. For graduate programs that have required summer enrollment, only part-time CPT will be available in the summer.
There is no limit on the length of time you may participate in CPT. However, 12 months or more of full-time CPT will disqualify you from OPT. Less than 12 months of full-time CPT has no effect on OPT, and part-time CPT also has no effect on OPT.
Process
The process for getting CPT depends on which course you are taking that requires the internship:
If you are taking a 383 course, the steps for getting CPT authorization are as follows:
- Find an internship directly related to your major.
- Enroll in your major’s 383 course here: https://calvin.tfaforms.net/93
- Obtain a letter from your employer following the format laid out in this template:
Curriculum Practical Training Employer Offer Letter Template - Using information from the letter you received, fill out the bottom of the form found in step 3.
- Send both the letter AND the completed form from step 3 to the immigration coordinator.
- You may not start working until you receive your new I-20. You many only work during the dates indicated on page 2. If you intend to continue working after these dates, see extension procedures.
If you are taking a different course (including ENGR 385) that requires an internship, the steps for getting CPT authorization are as follows:
- Find an internship directly related to your major.
- Fill out this academic recommendation form. There are parts for you and your academic advisor to complete.
Curricular Practical Training Academic Recommendation
Engineering students should ask Professor Ermer to fill out the recommendation, not their academic advisor. - Obtain a letter from your employer following the format laid out in this template:
Curriculum Practical Training Employer Offer Letter Template - Using information from the letter you received, fill out the bottom of the form found in step 3.
- Send the completed academic recommendation from step 2 and both the letter AND the completed form from step 3 to the immigration coordinator.
- You may not start working until you receive your new I-20. You may only work during the dates indicated on page 2. If you intend to continue working after these dates, see extension procedures.
Extension
CPT requires a start date and end date from the beginning. Please work with your employer to determine a hard and fast end date for your job or internship before you begin the paperwork. Extending the end date part way through the internship is strongly discouraged, and such changes cannot always be accommodated.
CPT is authorized one semester at a time, and authorization for the semester ends at the end of the semester. You must be enrolled in a course that requires the job or internship for the entire duration of the job or internship.
If your job or internship spans multiple semesters, you will need to apply for CPT before each of those semesters begins.
Example: If you participate in an internship from August 1 until September 30, you will need to enroll in both the summer and fall sections of the course that requires your internship. You will also need to submit the CPT forms with dates for the summer and then again for the fall.
FAQ for Employers
Q: What is required of my company if we hire a current international student?
A: The student will ask you for a brief letter before beginning employment, and sometimes periodically after that. Students may need to update their I-9 more frequently than other employees, since their work authorization can only be granted one semester at a time.
Q: How should we handle the I-9 for an international student?
A: USCIS guidance on I-9s can be found here: https://www.uscis.gov/i-9
Q: Is this sponsorship?
A: No, you are not sponsoring the student.
Q: How long can students work under CPT?
A: CPT is authorized on a semester-by-semester basis. It can be renewed for as long as the student enrolls in courses that require the employment.
Q: What if I want to continue employing a student after they graduate?
A: International students may apply for a one-year work authorization called OPT. Students with a qualifying STEM major may apply for an additional two-year extension if they work for a company enrolled in E-verify (see details about the STEM OPT extension here). Companies interested in continuing to employ an international student after the one or three years of OPT would need to sponsor the worker for a work visa, such as H1-B.
Q: Who can I contact with questions?
A: Calvin’s immigration coordinator. See contact information below.
