Curricular Practical Training (CPT) Form
F-1 Undergraduate and Graduate Students Only
Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is an off-campus employment authorization activity that allows F-1 visa students to gain work experience in their major field of study. To be eligible for CPT, an F-1 student must meet the following requirements:
Important New Information
CPT is REQUIRED regardless of whether the internship is an unpaid, paid, or volunteer position. That means you are not allowed to have an unpaid or volunteer position off campus without International Student and Scholar Services’ (ISSS) approval. It must be emphasized that students CANNOT accept any kind of compensation for work performed in an unpaid internship.
Traditional volunteer work (e.g., at a soup kitchen or homeless shelter) does not require CPT.
Completed and approved copies of your Employer Agreement Form (from your academic or career advisor) and Internship Form (from the Registrar’s Office) are required before the Office of International Affairs can process them to complete the authorization of your CPT. Processing takes from three to seven days.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to know and comply with all immigration regulations affecting your F-1 student status. Failure to comply with these regulations will mean the LOSS of your F-1 student status. It is also your responsibility to understand the requirements for maintaining legal F-1 status pertaining to Curricular Practical Training. Gallaudet University is required by federal law to report in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) regarding whether or not a student is fulfilling the rules of their F-1 status, as explained above.
Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is an off-campus employment authorization activity that allows F-1 visa students to gain work experience in their major field of study. To be eligible for CPT, an F-1 student must meet the following requirements:
- Be in F-1 visa status.
- Be in a degree-seeking program.
- Have completed at least one academic year (nine months) of their program in F-1 visa status. (This requirement is waived for graduate students in a program that requires immediate internship participation.)
- Engage in employment related to their major or academic program.
- Register for academic credit for their work experience.
Important New Information
CPT is REQUIRED regardless of whether the internship is an unpaid, paid, or volunteer position. That means you are not allowed to have an unpaid or volunteer position off campus without International Student and Scholar Services’ (ISSS) approval. It must be emphasized that students CANNOT accept any kind of compensation for work performed in an unpaid internship.
Traditional volunteer work (e.g., at a soup kitchen or homeless shelter) does not require CPT.
Completed and approved copies of your Employer Agreement Form (from your academic or career advisor) and Internship Form (from the Registrar’s Office) are required before the Office of International Affairs can process them to complete the authorization of your CPT. Processing takes from three to seven days.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to know and comply with all immigration regulations affecting your F-1 student status. Failure to comply with these regulations will mean the LOSS of your F-1 student status. It is also your responsibility to understand the requirements for maintaining legal F-1 status pertaining to Curricular Practical Training. Gallaudet University is required by federal law to report in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) regarding whether or not a student is fulfilling the rules of their F-1 status, as explained above.