Office of International Education

Curricular Practical Training

Title: 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: 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 16, 2008
 April 17, 2008
 April 21, 2008
 April 23, 2008
 April 29, 2008
 April 30, 2008
 May 5, 2008
 May 7, 2008
 May 13, 2008
 May 19, 2008
 
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 will be working
  • The complete address of where you will be working
  • The beginning and ending dates of your employment

Your company’s offer letter may be missing all the information required for CPT and you may need to ask for a separate letter for CPT. We will also accept an e-mail sent to you from your employer with the missing information.

 - 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 can not begin employment 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 3/19/2008