CPT is authorized by a Designated School Official (DSO) at Haverford College. CPT work authorization is employer, location and date-specific and appears as a notation in the employment authorization section (page 2) of your Form I-20.
International Student Support Navigation
Office ofInternational Student Support
Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
Curricular Practical Training is a type of temporary off-campus work authorization tied to curriculum.
There are two ways in which a student can be authorized for CPT at Haverford College:
- A course offered during the academic year that has an off-campus praxis component (internship, practicum, research, etc.) that:
- Is required by or fulfills a major requirement
- Is required by or fulfills a graduation or general education requirement
- Receives credit
- A summer internship that receives non-academic experiential learning credit.
F-1 regulations limit the number of hours F-1 students can legally work while classes are in session to 20 hours per week. CPT must be part-time (20 hours per week or less) during the academic year. During the summer, CPT may be part-time or full-time (more than 20 hours per week). When determining the number of hours they are working per week, students should count the hours they are working on their CPT-authorized off-campus experience as well as any on-campus employment they may be doing. Part-time CPT and fewer than 12 months of full-time CPT authorization does not affect OPT.
Eligibility
Students may be eligible for CPT if they:
- Currently hold a valid, active F-1 status
- Have been enrolled at Haverford on a full-time basis for at least one full academic year
- Have officially declared a major. CPT cannot be authorized based on a “Liberal Arts” major in SEVIS, nor based on any minor or concentration.
- The off-campus training must be directly related to any of the student’s majors.
The International Student Support Office will offer information sessions on Curricular Practical Training between February - April. Dates and times will be announced via the ISSO newsletter.
Application Procedures:
Summer Internships
Via the Experiential Credit Learning Program:
Students must first secure a summer off-campus experience (research, internship, fellowship, practicum, etc.) that is directly related to their major. Curricular Practical Training work authorization is employer specific.
The following documents will be required for the Experiential Learning Credit Program application:
- Job description for the summer internship
- Unofficial transcript - you can download this from Bionic.
- Offer letter (on letterhead) or email from the organization’s official email address
- The document should include the name and address of your employer, your job title, the approximate number of hours of work per week, and the dates of employment.
- Major Department Approval Form - to be completed by the student and their major advisor, or the department chair of their major, or a faculty member from their major.
When you’ve gathered all the required documents and information, you should complete the Experiential Credit Request Form.
Academic Year
When off-campus experiences are part of a course that you’re enrolled in:
The following documents will be required for this process:
- Unofficial transcript (from Bionic)- this should reflect your enrollment in the course with off-campus praxis
- Syllabi for the course that requires off-campus component
- Offer letter (on letterhead) or email from your employer official email address
- The document should include the name and location of your employer, your job title, the approximate number of hours of work per week, and dates of employment.
- Major Department Approval Form - to be completed by the student and their major advisor, or the department chair of their major, or a faculty member from their major.
When you’ve gathered all the required documents and information, you should complete the Curricular Practical Training Request Form
FAQs
- How is CPT authorized?
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Can I withdraw from my CPT course or the Experiential Learning Credit Program if I change my mind?
For academic year CPT where the CPT authorization is granted based on a course registration (for courses that have off-campus experiences are part of the course work), if you plan to withdraw from that course, you must immediately notify the ISSO office by completing this form so that your CPT work authorization can be edited to end your work authorization. You must immediately stop working for the off-campus organization. Working beyond your authorization would be considered a violation of your F-1 status.
Students who received Curricular Practical Training work authorization for summer work on the basis of participation in the Experiential Learning Credit program should be aware that not completing the responsibilities of this program will be considered a violation of their F-1 status. It is the student's responsibility to fulfill all requirements for CPT.
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Can CPT be approved for a course requiring off-campus experiences if the course is administered by Bryn Mawr or Swarthmore or UPenn?
Yes, as long as you are receiving credit for the course.
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Can a Haverford student who has a Bryn Mawr or Swarthmore major access CPT?
Yes,
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What is the difference between Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and Optional Practical Training (OPT)?
CPT is practical training that is connected to the curriculum. You must be receiving credit through the Experiential Learning Credit Program or through a course receiving academic credit. CPT is employer specific and is only available pre-graduation. OPT is optional for any student who meets the eligibility requirements and is not attached to any credit or requirement.
OPT is not employer specific and may be done before or after you graduate. OPT is authorized by USCIS whereas CPT is authorized via the International Student Support Office. F-1 students are eligible for 12 months of OPT at each educational level, and students in STEM eligible majors may apply for a 24 month extension. Part-time CPT has no impact on OPT eligibility. However, using 12 months of full-time CPT eliminates OPT eligibility.
Please see the table at the end for more details.
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Do I need to have a job to apply for CPT?
Yes. CPT is work authorization for a specific employer for a specific set of dates. You must provide a job description and job offer letter as part of the CPT application process.
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Can I change employers or work for multiple employers on CPT?
No. The work authorization is for a specific, singular employer. You would need to apply for a new CPT authorization before you work for a new employer. In comparison to optional practical training where you can work for multiple employers, you can only work for the employer named in the employment authorization section of your I-20. Working for an employer not named in your CPT work authorization will be considered a violation of your F-1 status.
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Can I change the dates that I work or extend my CPT?
You will be authorized for specific dates of employment on your I-20. You cannot begin working before the start date on your I-20 and you cannot continue to work after the end date. To request an extension or change the dates of your work authorization, please fill out this form as soon as possible. You must request an extension in sufficient time to allow your P/DSO to evaluate the request. You must receive a new I-20 with the updated work authorization dates before you can start working, or in the case of an extension, before you can continue working.
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Can I change the number of hours I work?
F-1 regulations consider part-time work to be 20 hours and below per week, and full-time as being over 20 hours per week. For CPT work authorization, you can change within the limits of part-time or full-time. For example, if you have been approved for part-time CPT you may change from 10 hours per week to 15 hours per week without a new authorization. However, if you change from part-time to full-time (for example, from working 15 hours to 25 hours per week) you must request a new authorization. If you are authorized full-time CPT and lower your work hours to below 20 hours - it’s recommended that you also apply for a new authorization.
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I’ll be studying abroad during the spring semester. Can I apply for CPT for a summer internship in the US?
Yes! You can apply for the Experiential Learning Credit Program from your semester abroad. Follow the instructions listed above and make sure that you are checking your Haverford email for instructions and communication from the ISSO office.
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I will be moving to another state for the summer for my work. How can I update my SEVIS record?
It is important for your SEVIS record to accurately reflect your contact information including residential and mailing addresses, your email address, and phone number. Please complete this form to inform ISSO of any changes.
- Do I need a Social Security number?
CPT and OPT
What is the difference between Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and Optional Practical Training (OPT)?
CPT is practical training that is connected to the curriculum. You must be receiving credit through the Experiential Learning Credit Program or through a course receiving academic credit. CPT is employer specific and is only available pre-graduation. OPT is optional for any student who meets the eligibility requirements and is not attached to any credit or requirement.
OPT is not employer specific and may be done before or after you graduate. OPT is authorized by USCIS whereas CPT is authorized via the International Student Support Office. F-1 students are eligible for 12 months of OPT at each educational level, and students in STEM eligible majors may apply for a 24 month extension. Part-time CPT has no impact on OPT eligibility. However, using 12 months of full-time CPT eliminates OPT eligibility.
| Curricular Practical Training (CPT) | Pre-Completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) |
|---|---|
| You must have a job offer to apply for work authorization | You can apply without securing a job offer. |
| Students must be receiving academic credit via a course enrollment or receiving experiential learning credit. | Does not have any credit requirements. |
| Students apply to Haverford’s ISSO office and there are no application costs. | Students must apply to US Citizenship and Immigration Services and the application currently costs USD $410. |
| Part-time CPT does not have any impact on OPT eligibility (regardless of number of days of authorization). 12 months (365 days) of full-time CPT eliminates OPT eligibility. | Pre-completion OPT work authorization time is deducted from the student’s 12 month total OPT eligibility. |
| CPT is employer specific. This means that the employer is named in the student’s I-20 at the point of issuing their work authorization. The student can only work for this employer. | Students on OPT can work for multiple employers and change employers more easily. Students report who they are working for after they start working. |
| Typically processed within 10 business days. | Average processing time is 10 - 12 weeks. |