Office of International Programs

Please contact issso@appstate.edu if you have any questions about CPT.

In order to apply for CPT a student must provide a letter of employment from the organization they will be working with. The letter must be on company letterhead and contain:

A student can only begin working when in possession of an I-20 with a valid CPT authorization and only within the dates authorized on the I-20. Working without authorization is a violation of a student’s F-1 status and has serious consequences that may impact a student’s ability to remain in the United States or return in the future.

A student should apply for CPT as early as possible. It can take several days or weeks to gather all of the required documents, register for the appropriate course and receive approval from your academic advisor and International Student and Scholar Services and Outreach (ISSSO). You cannot begin working until you have been approved by ISSSO and are in possession of an I-20 with a valid CPT authorization.

To begin a brand new application for CPT visit our website here. To continue a previously submitted application please login here. 

CPT will only be authorized within the terms that the student is enrolled in the practicum/internship/directed study related to the training opportunity. For example, a student enrolled in a practicum course over the summer will not be eligible for CPT once the fall semester begins.

A student is only eligible for CPT if he or she meets the following requirements:

• Has been enrolled on a full-time basis for a full academic year (two semesters) or enrolled in a graduate program that requires participation in a practicum or internship course during the first two semesters. 
• Will continue to be enrolled during a full course of study during CPT.
• The training is an integral part of an established curriculum.
• The training is directly related to the student’s major area of study.

CPT is not simply a form of employment authorization. It is an opportunity for a student to accept training in his or her field of study. CPT will not be authorized for employment that is not an integral part of an established curriculum or academic program. For example, a psychology student will not be authorized for CPT to offer tennis lessons in the summer.

In order to be authorized for CPT the training opportunity must be an integral part of an established curriculum or academic program. To be eligible for CPT, the training opportunity must be approved by the F-1 student’s academic advisor and reflected on the student’s transcript (practicum, internship or directed study course) or be required to complete a course or degree requirement as evidenced by a document program of study.