Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is authorization for F-1 international students to complete any training off-campus that is required by a PCC course. Oftentimes, it is an internship, externship, practicum, clinicals or other work experience that occurs outside of a PCC campus. While a student can be paid for the training done while on CPT, payment is not a requirement for requesting CPT. A request for authorization for CPT must be made to the OISS SEVIS Coordinator. A student may begin CPT only after receiving their Form I-20 with CPT authorization.

Eligibility

You may be eligible for CPT, if you:

• have an active I-20 from PCC
• are not in the first term at PCC
• are maintaining F-1 visa status and are in good academic standing
• were enrolled in a SEVIS-approved school in lawful non-immigrant status for at least 3 terms (9 months)
• are not studying in the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program
• are in an Associate degree academic program
• will do training that applies to the program of interest or the major on your I-20
• have earned a minimum of 12 credits at Portland Community College (PCC) in the program of interest (major) prior to the term
  • Credits earned at another institution will not suffice to meet the eligibility requirements
  • Credits earned at another educational level will not suffice to meet the eligibility requirements

Procedure

If you wish to apply for CPT, you must follow the steps below:

1. Submit the SEVIS Request Form for “Curricular Practical Training (CPT).” You will need to know the course number for which you are requesting CPT.
2. Upon confirmation of eligibility, the SEVIS Coordinator will email you the CPT Pre-Approval form for you to take when meeting your Co-op Education Advisor, Program Advisor, or Course Instructor. Additionally, the SEVIS Coordinator will email you the CPT Informed Consent and an additional form, depending which CPT-eligible class you will take.
   • CPT Eligible Courses – You will work with a Co-op Ed Specialist, who will determine if you are eligible to earn credit for your off-campus training and will assist with completing the Cooperative Education Training Agreement. The Co-op Ed Specialist may also assist in making internship referrals.
     • CG 280A
     • Other 280 classes
     • Other Practicum or Cooperative Education classes
3. Submit the completed Cooperative Education Training Agreement & Learning form OR the Curricular Practical Training (CPT) Agreement
4. The OISS SEVIS Coordinator will email a new I-20 with the CPT authorization and dates to you when you are approved.
5. Upload the completed CPT Informed Consent form

Note: You cannot begin any off-campus training or work until you receive your I-20 with CPT authorization.

Deadline

Requests for CPT should be submitted 4 weeks before the beginning of the term when you want to begin CPT off-campus training. Requests received later will be considered, but the start date of CPT and the training might be delayed, due to processing times.

You must receive an I-20 with CPT authorization before beginning any off-campus training or work.

Allow for 3-5 working days to process CPT Requests. Expect delays around orientation for new students.

Additional Information

• USCIS defines full-time as more than 20 hours per week and part-time as 20 hours or less for F-1 international students.
• Part-time CPT is most common for PCC students, but full-time CPT can be authorized under the following conditions:
  1. If the off-campus training is unpaid, students are limited to 30 hours per term per registered credit. Therefore, most unpaid training is part-time, except for certain short-term courses that require full-time CPT.
  2. If the off-campus training is paid, students may complete more than 30 hours per credit. Students must work with the employer to finalize whether they will work (1) 20 hours/week or less, OR (2) more than 20 hours per week, prior to CPT authorization.
• Authorization for part-time or full-time work cannot be changed after work and CPT authorization begins.
• CPT is limited to 4 terms or 12 credits, whichever occurs first.
• CPT can only be authorized during the academic term as defined by the Beginning of term and End of term on the Academic Calendar.
  • CPT cannot be retroactively approved.
  • Late requests will not be granted for the full term.
  • Any training completed before CPT is granted is considered as illegal work and a student’s I-20 and SEVIS record will be terminated.
• A student is not able to continue the same practical training they have held previously for OPT and/or related to previous academic study.
• A student must notify the SEVIS Coordinator immediately and receive a new I-20 if there are any planned changes to their employment information before those changes happen.
• Practical training can include internship experience (paid or unpaid), cooperative (co-op) education experience, practicum participation, etc.
• A student may apply for CPT during the regular academic year or during the annual vacation term. During the regular academic year, a student must remain registered full-time (at least 12 credits) while completing CPT (unless otherwise approved).
• If a student is authorized for 12 months or more of full-time CPT, the student is not eligible for Optional Practical Training (OPT).
• CPT is only available prior to completion of a program of study.

This page is maintained by the OISS SEVIS Team.