Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

Academic Deans/Chairs/ Graduate Program Directors/Undergraduate Academic Advisors determine if an employment offer qualifies for internship, cooperative education, research or independent study, how many credits can be granted for the practical training and how many semesters/summers a student may be approved to engage in it.
OISS is not involved in making the academic decisions above. OISS will only issue CPT work authorization on the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) AFTER receiving the academic approval in writing.

An F-1 student who meets the following criteria is eligible for CPT:

• Must be matriculated in an academic program at Rutgers University Newark and be in good academic standing;
• Has been lawfully enrolled at Rutgers or another U.S. school for one full academic year, except an English language training program, before engaging in CPT, i.e. two full consecutive terms: Fall & Spring OR Spring & Fall; summer sessions are not counted except in programs of Master of Financial Accounting and MBA/Professional Accounting. If any graduate program curriculum requires ALL the students enrolled in the same program immediate participation in curricular practical training, F-1 students may be exempt from the one academic year requirement.  
• Is in lawful F-1 status at the time of applying for CPT (interruptions in lawful F-1 status during the prior academic year may affect the one year waiting period);  
• Has a paid or unpaid employment offer qualified for curriculum practical training; and
• Is approved to register in a corresponding course for the practical training that will appear on the transcript of the semester/summer during which the practical training is engaged.
• In last semester, must enroll in a class that requires physical presence on campus, NOT online/distance learning, if only one course is left to complete degree program. 

Unless curriculum requires otherwise, an F-1 student may be authorized for Part Time CPT ONLY to engage in employment for 20 hours or less per week during the Fall and Spring semesters when full-time class registration is required.
An F-1 student may be authorized for Full-time CPT in the summer and winter sessions to engage in employment for more than 20 hours per week.
An F-1 student in the LAST semester with less than a full-time course load needed to complete a degree program may be authorized for Full-time CPT to engage in employment for more than 20 hours per week. 
A graduate student who has completed ALL course work, or is in the last semester to complete the course work which is a less than full-time load, AND is working on a dissertation or thesis, may be authorized for full-time CPT with the Graduate Program Director’ written support, which has to state that the full-time CPT is necessary for the student to complete the dissertation or thesis.

Students who have received one year or more of full time curricular practical training are ineligible for Optional Practical Training (OPT) at the same educational level.  Part-time CPT does not affect eligibility for OPT.

Unless curriculum requires otherwise, the beginning and ending dates authorized for CPT should be within or coincide approximately with the beginning and ending dates of the same semester/summer when the F-1 student is registered in a corresponding course for the CPT (internship, independent study, matriculation continued, etc).

1. Student consults OISS for eligibility regarding F-1 status;
2. Student consults Academic Department for academic eligibility before obtaining job offer;
3. Student obtains official job offer letter stating employer contact information, responsibility, pay rate, beginning and ending dates (must be in future) and working hours per week;
4. Student gets CPT Employer Agreement E-Form completed and signed by employer;
5. Student submits completed CPT Application E-form and job offer letter to Academic Dean/Chair/ Graduate Program Director/Undergraduate Academic Advisor for evaluation and approval;
6. Student is registered in a corresponding course for the practical training that will appear on the transcript; for summer registration, student should attach proof of tuition payment to avoid automatic deregistration due to non-payment. 
7. AFTER registration, student submits approved CPT Application, Employer Agreement , Job Offer Letter and summer tuition payment receipt to OISS;
8. OISS processes CPT authorization on SEVIS and issues new I-20 that bears CPT dates, employer info and statement of CPT as an integral part of the curriculum;
9. Student may ONLY start working AFTER new I-20 is issued.
10. Student receives grade/credit for CPT on transcript to be granted by Academic Department.

Please note that all CURRICULAR PRACTICAL TRAINING (CPT) applications must be submitted electronically through the RGlobal site:

1. Use your Rutgers NetID and password to login to your RGLOBAL account and select CPT Application E-Form.
2. Complete the required information
3. Within 10 business days, OISS will verify your eligibility and issue you a new I-20 bearing the CPT authorization. OISS will email you when your new I-20 has been processed.

Electronic submissions of CPT Applications sent by email to OISS staff will no longer be accepted nor processed. Standardization of CPT Application submissions should improve the overall request process and should eliminate delays due to incomplete submissions/lost emails.

CPT Application Checklist

• CPT Application Form with Employer Agreement
• Job Offer Letter
• Summer class tuition payment proof if charged