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University of Florida

Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is “alternate work/study, internship, cooperative education, or any other type of required internship or practicum.” This may include but is not limited to paid and unpaid/volunteer, part-time and full-time, on-campus and off campus rotations, clerkships, externships, clinical, field experience, etc. CPT authorization is required for engaging in training or temporary employment to allow the student to gain practical experience in the student’s major field of study. Students may not engage in any of these activities without previously getting CPT approval to do so, under the conditions described below. Failure to obtain CPT approval before beginning an internship, practicum, clinical rotation, or similar activity may result in a student falling out of status, with serious consequences. CPT is available only before completion of the program of study. The student may begin the training or work only after receiving CPT Employment Authorization on their new I-20 from an F1 International Student Advisor.

CPT Eligibility Requirements

 

  • The student is currently in the U.S. in valid F-1 status.
  • The student has been enrolled on a full-time basis in the current program of study for at least one full academic year (fall and spring semesters) immediately prior to the start of the training or work.
    • An exception to the one academic year requirement is provided for graduate students enrolled in a degree program that requires immediate participation in training or work within the first academic year of the current program of study.
  • The training or work is an integral part of the established curriculum. Integral refers to the training or work activity being a required, necessary, or essential component of the established curriculum; the established curriculum refers to the student’s major field of study.
  • The student must register for the appropriate credits prior to applying for CPT authorization; see the “CPT Registration Requirements” section of this page for additional details.
  • The credits taken for the CPT must count towards the student’s major field of study requirements; this may apply in one of the following ways:
    • Completion of the training or work is required for all students within the program of study
    • Participation in the training or work is optional and will fulfill elective credits that will count towards meeting the total number of credits designated by the program of study
    • The training or work is necessary to allow the student to conduct research for the completion of the thesis or dissertation
  • The CPT activity must not interfere with the student’s ability to maintain a full course of study

    “An F-1 student may not remotely participate in a course of study, including curricular practical training (CPT), unless they are engaged in their thesis dissertation or the equivalent and that is the only remaining component required to complete their program of study. If the student does not meet this requirement, they must be enrolled in a full course of study to maintain status and must also demonstrate physical presence through in-person study at the school at which they are enrolled and adhere to the limitations of distance learning.”

    • In fall and spring semesters, part-time CPT is allowed in conjunction with full-time enrollment
      • Full-time CPT is not allowed in Fall and Spring semesters while core or elective courses are remaining to fulfil the program requirements
      • In the final semester, full- or part-time CPT may be used to fulfill final requirements for the major field of study 
      • Full-time CPT in a Fall or Spring semester may be considered for thesis and dissertation students whose courses, core and elective, have been completed prior to semester of the training, and the CPT activity is necessary for completion of the thesis or dissertation. Not eligible once the thesis or dissertation has been defended.
      • Full-time CPT in a Fall or Spring semester is allowed for a CPT activity that is a required part of the major field of study’s curriculum; required means that it is a requirement for all students in the same track of that program of study.

Options for requesting CPT authorization

 

  • Part-time is applicable for training or work that will amount to 20 hours or less per week
  • Full-time is applicable for training or work that will amount to above 20 hours per week

Effect of CPT on Optional Practical Training (OPT)

 

  • Part-time CPT does not impact OPT eligibility
  • Full-time CPT amounting to less than one year (aggregate 364 days or less) does not affect OPT eligibility
  • Full-time CPT amounting to or exceeding one full year (aggregate 365 days or more) will result in the student losing the ability to request OPT

Limitations of CPT

 

Authorization of CPT is appropriate only in cases where the training or work activity fulfills a requirement for degree completion.  Because of this restriction, we will not be able to approve CPT requests where:

  1. The student will not receive credit for the training or work (via a specific course, independent study, or research credits)
  2. Participation in the training or work is optional, but the credits will not count towards the student’s major field of study requirements
  3. The requirements for the major field of study have been completed, but the student is required to enroll for administrative purposes

For participation in training or work that is directly related to the field of study but optional in nature, it may be appropriate to seek authorization for Pre-Completion OPT from USCIS.  We advise the student to meet with an International Student Advisor for additional details about the eligibility requirements and restrictions applicable to Pre-Completion OPT.

Limitations of Online Study and CPT

 

Only up to three online credits may count towards the full course load requirement. The remaining credits towards a full course load must have physical presence requirements. This is a federal regulation applicable to the F-1 visa status and cannot be waived or amended (it is not a University of Florida regulation). Any student requesting part-time or full-time CPT, and subject to the requirement to maintain a full course load, must ensure that the training/work opportunity does not interfere with the requirement to attend classes in person. If it is determined that a worksite location will impact the student’s ability to report to classes at the campus, the CPT request may be denied. The definition of online credits is explained in detail in the Online Restrictions section of the Registration Requirements page.

 

Registration requirements are indicated below. Registration in a full-course load is defined in the Registration Requirements for F-1 Students page. An academic year refers to the completion of at least one consecutive Fall and Spring cycle or Spring and Fall cycle.

 

 

The student must apply for CPT and receive approval before engaging in the internship, clerkship, practicum, etc. The following documents are required to complete the CPT application:

  • CPT Employment Information (online questionnaire)
  • Department Recommendation for CPT (online questionnaire)
  • CPT Internship Offer Letter - The offer letter from the prospective employer must:
    • to apply for an SSN, the local SSN office requires that the offer letter be ORIGINAL, not electronic/copy; UFIC does not require an original letter
    • local SSN office requires the EIN on the offer letter if the student needs to apply for an SSN; UFIC does not require the EIN
    • be on employer letterhead, signed and dated by the supervisor/HR representative
    • include the EIN number of the employer
    • include current date
    • include student’s Given and Family/Surname
    • provide position/job title
    • provide start date and end date of the training/work
    • state the number of hours expected to train/work per week
    • provide the exact physical address (street, suite # if any, city, state, and zip/postal code) where the student will train/work
    • provide a general description of duties (3-5 sentences or bullet points, for example; if the company does not include the duties in the offer letter, an addendum to the offer letter must be provided)
    • include the supervisor’s name, title, and telephone number

After the student submits their CPT application online, their International Student Advisor (ISA) will review the CPT application. If approved, a new I-20 with CPT authorization on page two of the I-20 will be issued to the student. The student will receive an email when the CPT authorization I-20 is ready. The student may only begin the training or work after receiving the CPT authorization on their I-20. CPT is authorized for a specific employer, location, and length of time. The student may only train/work for the specific employer during the authorized time at the authorized location.  No additional employment authorization is required from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for CPT. If an SSN is needed, the student should indicate this as part of their CPT application, and the ISA will provide the UFIC SSN application letter.

Caution about training or work that will span more than one semester in length

CPT may only be authorized for one semester at a time, after the registration period opens for the semester and the student is appropriately enrolled. If an extension of CPT is needed, the student must meet all eligibility requirements for the anticipated semester of the extension. It is not guaranteed that CPT will be extended to span more than one semester, since an extension of CPT will depend on the semester being requested and whether the activity continues to be necessary to meet a requirement of the major field of study. It is very important to check ahead of time and to confirm continued eligibility before the end of the current CPT authorization.

For questions regarding any type of training or work, the student should contact their assigned ISA.

To start the Curricular Practical Training Request, click the following button and use your GatorLink credentials to login (please make sure you only create one request):

CURRICULAR PRACTICAL TRAINING REQUEST

You may work on your application and save your progress. To return to your request later, please use the ISSS Portal login. Once done with the application, be sure to submit it (click the Submit button) at the top of your CPT application page.