Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

When the practical training is an integral part of a course requirement or degree program, Curricular Practical Training (CPT) allows F-1 students to complete off-campus internships.

Once you've received approval from the ISSS office, you can begin your internship. You can only work during the dates listed on page 2 of your new I-20.

To use CPT, you must meet the following requirements:

  • You must enroll in school full-time for at least one year on valid F-1 status
  • The CPT employment must be an integral part of your degree program or requirement for a course for which you receive academic credit
  • You must have received a job offer that qualifies before you submit your CPT authorization request
  • Your job offer must be in your major or field of study
  • You will earn your degree from WSU
  • CPT authorization is only available for courses related to your major. CPT authorization is not available for a course related to a minor or a course that is a non-major elective
Exchange students and non-degree students are not eligible for CPT.

Submit the CPT Request Form (PDF) and a job offer letter to ISSS in Gildemeister 132 with at least three business days before the beginning of your CPT job offer:

The job offer letter from employer must include:

  • Job title
  • Start and end dates of the employment
  • Number of hours per week
  • Wage or salary
  • Description of the work
  • Location of employment

If the location of the employment will be on the site of a separate employer, then list the name of that employer plus the name and address of the employer of record (i.e., the entity that will issue the paycheck).

Most students work part-time during the semester or full-time during the summer while on CPT. The terms part-time and full-time can be confusing, because they are used differently by employers and USCIS.

Your employer may consider your part-time if you are working less than 40 hours.

However, USCIS considers your employment based on the workload below.

  • Part-time: work 20 hours or less per week
  • Full-time: work more than 20 hours per week

If a student plans on applying for OPT after they graduate, they can only use 11 months and 29 days of full-time CPT. You will not be able to use OPT if you work for 12 months on full-time CPT. Part-time CPT does not apply to eligibility for OPT.

If you are requesting full-time employment during the academic year, the employer's letter must include the certification that you will have full access to the intellectual property produced by the research for publication in dissertation in addition to the other application requirements.