F STUDENT VISA
CPT QUICK LINKS
CPT Forms Please fill these forms out online FIRST and then print to sign and submit to your department. Thanks!
1) What is CPT?
CPT is for F-1 Student visa holders who wish to take part in a paid or unpaid off-campus internship provided they have maintained their visa status. It is a class and is not meant to be a road to employment. It is vital that your CPT learning experience be an instrumental part of achieving a curricular academic objective.
To maintain your status, you must register, update addresses, obtain authorization for all employment with or from ISSS.
2) Do I have to register for credit?
Yes. Because CPT is a class, enrollment is required. The Career Management Center and your academic department can help you with determining both how many credits you need and the course number.
3) Is this a way to obtain long-term employment?
While on CPT, you are on a Student visa and, therefore, your focus must legally remain your studies and graduation. CPT can help you learn what you are looking for in your field or in an employer. In some cases, CPT employers are interested in hiring students when they start their OPT after graduation.
4) What are the requirements for obtaining CPT?
The following items are requirements for CPT eligibility:
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Attend the CPT workshop within six months of your internship
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GPA--Undergraduates: 2.0, Graduates: 3.0
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Two semesters of full-time enrollment in a fall/spring or spring/fall combination completed
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Approved RCL in ISSS for any semester in which you took fewer than the required number of credits (ANY time undergraduates go below 12 hours and graduates go below 9 hours)
5) What is full-time and part-time CPT?
Full-time CPT is an internship where you work 21 or more hours per week. Part-time is 20 or fewer. If, once you have started your CPT, you find you need to decrease or increase your hours, a new application must be filed and approved before you work the new hours.
6) Can I have a graduate assistantship and do CPT at the same time?
If everyone in your program is required to have the internship or practicum, you may have both a part-time CPT and a graduate assistantship.
If an internship is not required of everyone in your program, you may not have a graduate assistantship and do CPT at the same time during the fall or spring semester.
If you are in your graduating semester and CPT is not required of everyone in your program, you may not have an assistantship or on-campus employment of any kind.
7) Can I have full-time CPT and work on campus as a GA or student hourly?
Unfortunately, that is not possible.
8) When can I do CPT?
As stated above, you must have been in full-time student status for two full semesters (an academic year) before you can do CPT. Students may do one semester of part-time CPT any semester after that while they are full-time students. Full-time CPT can only be done in the summer or in the graduating semester.
9) Between which dates can I do CPT?
CPT is a class and, therefore, can only be done within the dates of the academic semester.
|
Semester |
Earliest Possible Start Date |
Latest Possible End Date |
|
Spring 2013 |
12 January 2013 |
11 May 2013 |
|
Summer 2013 |
20 May 2013 |
15 August 2013 |
|
Fall 2013 |
24 August 2013 |
14 December 2013 |
|
Spring 2014 |
11 January 2014 |
9 May 2014 |
|
Summer 2014 |
19 May 2014 |
14 August 2014 |
10) Are there any exceptions to the above date/hour requirements?
Yes. If an internship is required of every student in your program, you may do your CPT when required after obtaining approval from your ISSS advisor, who will require documentation of the mandatory internship/practicum from your department.
11) Can I use elective credits for my internship?
Yes, but please note that just because an elective is required, that does not mean an internship is required. There are currently only eight programs at ODU that require ALL participants complete an internship.
12) What do I need to know if I am doing CPT in my graduating semester?
You must register for CPT and additional academic credits; part-time or full-time CPT is permitted (see Question 6 above for more info). Note that you may have only one graduating semester; if you do not graduate as planned, you must wait for OPT upon graduation.
13) Can I apply for CPT after I've submitted my OPT application?
No, this is not permitted by Immigration.
14) What items must I submit to ISSS to apply for CPT?
You only need to submit the CPT Request Form, the CPT Responsibilities Form and the original internship offer letter (see Question 15 below). Be sure you do not have any registration holds and that the CMC has added the course to your schedule.
Your start date can never be in the past; it must be at least 10 business days in the future from the date you submit your application.
15) What information does my employer need to add to my offer letter?
All of the following must be included in your letter:
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Your name
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Internship site's name and address
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Hours of work per week
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Stating if position is paid or unpaid; if paid, wages must be states at an hourly rate
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Brief description of duties
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Start and end dates (current semester only)
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Statement that this is an internship only (i.e. not long-term employment); a template of the letter is part of the CPT application packet.
16) What if my supervisor wants me to start immediately; is that possible?
No. Your supervisor, to ensure that the internship site and you are following the law, must allow time for your paperwork to be processed. If you go to your internship site before you have your CPT I-20, you will be in violation of the law and ineligible for future benefits like OPT.
17) If my supervisor has questions about taxes or offering me employment, what should I do?
Refer your supervisor to the Off-Campus Employers section of the ISSS web site for more information.
18) How long does it take to get my CPT processed?
In the CMC, it will take a few days and, in ISSS, it takes up to 10 business days for us to process your application and issue your new I-20. We will do our best to process your application as quickly as possible. Please do not call or come to the office for a status check. Instead, you can e-mail the office at the end of the 10 business-day processing time.
19) What happens when my CPT is approved?
You'll get an e-mail in your ODU student e-mail inbox. This will let you know that your I-20 is ready for pick-up in ISSS. Once you have your I-20 and the start date of your CPT has arrived, you may begin your internship.
20) If my CPT is out of the Norfolk area, do I need to do anything special?
First, make sure your addresses (SEVIS U.S. and ODU Permanent) are updated. Keep an eye on ISSlist e-mails for updates and reminders of paperwork requirements. Attend the OPT workshop BEFORE you leave for your CPT.
21) What if my department requires an internship or practicum of everyone in the program?
The best thing to do is to attend the CPT workshop and then follow up by meeting with your ISSS advisor. Also, see Question 6 above for more information.
