F-1 Curricular Practical Training F-1 CPT

• You must have been lawfully enrolled on a full-time basis for one academic year before being eligible for CPT.

• EXCEPTION: for graduate students whose programs require immediate participation in an internship, a practicum, or other employment.

• It is available only while you are in valid F-1 status and before the completion of your program.

• Students in English Language Programs (ELP) are not eligible for CPT.

• If you had a gap in study or a status violation, the one academic year waiting period may need to be recalculated once the student has again obtained valid F-1 status.

ISSS can authorize CPT if it can be clearly documented that the proposed employment is directly related to the major and meets one of the two conditions below:

• The training employment is required of all degree candidates in the program and is necessary for the awarding of the degree.

  • Included in this category is employment in a required internship or practicum.

  • There are only a few academic programs at Penn which require a period of off-campus employment for all degree candidates.

  • This requirement must be formally documented in school publications.

• The training employment will result in the awarding of academic credit.

  • Included in this category is employment for a course specifically designed to award academic credit for an employment experience.

  • This may include graduate students in dissertation/thesis status where the training opportunity is an integral component of the student’s dissertation/thesis.

  • In both of these cases, you must register and complete the CPT-related course during the semester that you are working under CPT authorization. For example, if you will be working in the summer, you must register and complete the CPT-related course in the same summer semester.
    
    Students in certain schools with an approved arrangement with ISSS (e.g., the College of Arts and Sciences and Penn Law) may be able to enroll in a fall semester CPT course for an internship taking place during the preceding summer. For example, a College student who plans to complete an internship during Summer 2022 may enroll in the respective CPT course for Fall 2022. Schools other than the College of Arts and Sciences and Penn Law are not subject to this exception.

If CPT is for your last semester, you must have at least one other remaining degree-required course for which to register, in addition to the CPT course unless the CPT course is the degree-required course.

Part-Time Training

• During the school year while classes are in session, you can engage in CPT on a part-time basis, limited to no more than 20 hours per week.

Full-Time Training

• You may engage in full-time CPT during official University breaks and vacation.

• A PhD student can also engage in full-time CPT during his /her dissertation and CPT authorization ends when the student defends dissertation.

• Full-time CPT allows the student to work more than 20 hours per week.

• If you participate in 12 months or more of full-time curricular practical training, you will not be eligible for post-completion optional practical training (OPT).

1. You must consult the appropriate school advisor to apply for CPT.  Refer to the eform in iPenn to determine which advisor to consult.  Your advisor may require you to meet in person.

2. Your CPT request will be electronically sent to your school advisor via email for review and recommendation.  If your school advisor recommends your CPT request, it will be forwarded to an ISSS advisor for final approval.  Without your school advisor’s recommendation, ISSS is unable to process this request.  

3. If you are eligible and have the documentation required for CPT, an ISSS advisor will authorize CPT by issuing an updated I-20, and you will receive an email when it is ready for pickup. ISSS processing time is 3-5 business days from receipt of your school advisor’s review/recommendation.  During the peak/high-volume period, processing may take longer.

4. You may engage in CPT employment only after you have received the I-20 with your CPT authorization from ISSS. This work authorization is valid only for the specific employer, location, time period and on a part-time or full-time basis as approved and recorded by an ISSS advisor as evidenced on your I-20 issued for CPT.

5. You must not continue employment beyond the date authorized unless you apply and are granted an extension of your permission to work from ISSS. To do so would be a violation of your nonimmigrant student status, and such violation would jeopardize your ability to remain in the US.