Office of International Education

Curricular Practical Training

IF YOU ARE GRADUATING THIS SEMESTER, THIS MESSAGE DOES NOT APPLY TO YOU.

Dear F-1 Students:

Do you have an internship or other off-campus employment this summer in your major field of study?

If you are not completing your program and intend to work off campus
this summer, you will need to apply for employment authorization.

You may be eligible to apply for Curricular Practical Training (CPT).
To apply, you must first read the CPT handout available from OIE or
online at: http://www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/oie/forstu/currpt.pdf Follow the instructions in the handout and submit the required paperwork to OIE for CPT authorization BEFORE you begin employment.

To facilitate the processing of many CPT requests, OIE has scheduled the following CPT application sessions. You may bring your completed
application to OIE on a walk-in basis between 12 noon and 1 p.m. on the following dates:

  • April 18
  • April 19
  • April 23
  • April 25
  • May 1
  • May 2
  • May 7
  • May 9
  • May 15

During our walk-in hours, you may arrive at any time between noon and
1 p.m. and you will be able to speak briefly with an advisor and
submit your application. You do not need to make an appointment for
this session but you must bring the following items with you:

  • REQUIRED: Your passport.
  • REQUIRED: The Department Recommendation Form from (see CPT instructions) completed by an academic advisor, department head, or dean.
  • REQUIRED: An original offer letter and a photocopy for OIE that includes the number of hours per week you’ll be working, the location of employment and the beginning and ending dates of employment. Your company’s offer letter may not include all the information required for OPT and you may need to ask for a separate letter for CPT.
  • REQUIRED: Proof of enrollment for an internship/practicum course (a printout from the HUB web site is sufficient).

Processing CPT may take up to 1 week and you may not work until you receive authorization, so plan ahead!

If your program does not have an internship/practicum requirement or
option, you will need to obtain a different type of employment
authorization such as Optional Practical Training (OPT). To apply for
OPT, please attend an OPT information/application session at OIE. OPT
applications take 2-3 months to be approved. Please call 412-268-5231 to schedule your OPT session date.

Updated 10/3/2007