Important Note: All Paper Work Requests Have a 10-day Turn-around Period
Revised 1/29/2014
F-1 Curricular Practical Training Request Packet
General Information
An F-1 student may wish to engage in temporary employment to gain practical experience in his/her field of
study prior to completion of his/her program of study. The regulations of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services (USCIS) governing F-1 non immigrant’s students provide for this type of employment authorization
through what is called Curricular Practical Training (CPT). The student must have been lawfully enrolled on a
full time basis at a DHS-approved school for one academic year before being eligible for CPT. Employment
under CPT must be an integral part of an established curriculum and be directly related to the student’s field
of study. It must be a degree requirement or credit-bearing option, such as an internship or practicum class.
This requirement or degree option must be stated in the school’s catalog or departmental literature describing
the program and must be available to all students in the program.
CPT is approved for full or part-time (20 hours/week or less) and for a specific employer, place of employment,
and time period. CPT can only be granted for up to one semester at a time but no more than one year and you
must be registered for the internship or practicum class during the same semester in which CPT will be
authorized. You must request any changes (employer, location, and hours/week) or new period of CPT prior to
the changes taking place or before the new period of CPT will begin. If you are engaged in part-time CPT, you
must continue to remain enrolled as a full-time student during normal enrollment periods. If you are engaged
in full-time CPT, you may be enrolled for less than full-time but you cannot cease to be enrolled altogether
during normal enrollment periods.
To apply for Curricular Practical Training, you must provide the following to the International Student Center
(ISC) prior to the start of any employment:
1. The attached Curricular Practical Training Recommendation Form completed by your Academic
Counselor indicating that the training is a degree requirement or credit-bearing option.
2. A letter from your prospective employer stating the beginning and ending dates of the employment,
the number of hours per week you will work, the salary, job duties, exact location (street address) of
the job, and the employer’s contact information.
3. If the employment is a degree requirement but no academic credit is involved, you must submit to ISC
a copy of the departmental catalog or literature that describes the requirement. If the employment is a
degree option or a requirement, for which you earn academic credit(s), you must bring in a copy of the
schedule of classes indicating the course number and number of credits, a copy of your registration
form, and a copy of the departmental literature describing the course.
If this is your first time applying for CPT you must make an appointment with an ISC advisor to submit your
application. These documents must be submitted and approved prior to the start of any employment. In
most cases your CPT will be authorized within 10 business days. If you have any questions, please contact the
ISC at (626) 585-7808.