Cornell University ISSO

• Immigration & Visas
• Visa Information for Newly Admitted Students
• F-1 Student Status
• I-20 Extension
• Changing Visa Status to F-1
• Current students: I-20 to request F-1 status
• Employment in F-1 Status
• Optional Practical Training (OPT)
• New OPT Regulation
• OPT Report Form
• Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
• Are you Graduating Soon?
• Leave of Absence & "In Absentia" registration
• Medical Leave of Absence
• Change in Level or Degree Program
• Transfer of Schools
• Bringing F-2 dependents
• For Departments: I-9 for F-1 student

F-1 Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

CPT Application Packet

NMI 510 | LAW 673 | ILR 599

What is Curricular Practical Training?

Curricular Practical Training enables F-1 Students to gain off-campus work authorization for internships or other work that is either REQUIRED by the degree program (as defined in the course catalog) or for which academic credit is awarded. You may apply for CPT if you who have been enrolled in your academic program for a full academic year, and you have valid F-1 status. If your degree program does not require this off campus employment, you must be able to register for a credit bearing course that requires the employment for the course. Usually for summer employment, students take the course for credit in the following fall semester. In order to apply, follow the instructions below.

The time you spend on Curricular Practical Training (CPT) will not be deducted from your 12 months of Optional Practical Training after graduation as long as you use less than 12 months of full-time CPT.

Eligibility

To be eligible for Curricular practical training, you must:

1. Have been enrolled in your degree program for at least one academic year.
2. The employment must be a requirement for your degree program, required for a course, or required for your dissertation or thesis research, and
3. The employment must be related to your major or field of study.

How to Apply

STEP ONE:

• Download the CPT application packet here or pick it up from the ISSO.
• Obtain an employment offer letter from your employer.


• The letter MUST be on company letter head and include:

  1) the duties of the job,
  2) EXACT beginning and ending date of your employment, and

• Ask your academic advisor, course professor or co-op office to fill out the attached Curricular Practical Training Recommendation form and submit with application. Your advisor must fill out this form, not you. (NOTE: If you are taking NMI 510, LAW 673 or NMI 599, your approval email serves in the place of this academic advisor form—you do NOT need both.)

STEP TWO:

• Submit your completed application to the ISSO at least two weeks before you plan on beginning your job. It may take the ISSO a few days to produce the new I-20.

Application should include:

• Job Offer Letter
• Academic Advisor Recommendation Form

Note:

• For MBA or Hotel and some other graduate students, you may sign up NMI510 to be eligible for Curricular practical training for summer. You must register for this course online starting in late-February. For more information, go to this page. For Law students, you may take LAW673 for curricular credit. For more information on LAW673, go to this page. For M ILR students, you may take ILR 599 for curricular credit. For more information on ILR 599, go to this page.
• To be eligible for curricular practical training, the employment must be an internship, a cooperative education job, a practicum, or other work experience that it is required for the degree and/or confers course credit.
  
• Curricular practical training will not be deducted from your 12 month practical training unless you received one year or more of full-time curricular practical training .
• Never work without applying for employment authorization through the ISSO.

NMI 510 | LAW 673 | ILR 599