1. Home
  2. Academics
  3. Centers, Institutes and Offices
  4. International Student Services
  5. Employment
  6. CPT

Curricular Practical Training

When you apply for Curricular Practical Training (CPT), your work authorization is granted on a semester basis and is employer specific. If you wish to work for more than one semester or change employers, you will have to reapply with a new CPT application. You are authorized to work at the employer and specific dates listed on your I-20 only. You may not work before you receive your I-20 and you may not work for any other company than the authorized employer.

Eligibility

In order to be eligible for CPT, you must have been enrolled full-time for one academic year (a fall and spring semester) and have maintained your F-1 visa status. In addition, regulations state "an eligible student may request employment authorization for practical training in a position that is directly related to his or her major area of study". So your internship must be related to your major and be approved by your major academic advisor or graduate coordinator. Your CPT will only be approved if you are enrolled in an internship course and if you have gone through the procedure below.

Reminders

  • In order to receive CPT, you are required to enroll in an internship course. If you drop the internship course, your CPT is no longer authorized and you can be terminated for unauthorized employment.
  • The deadline each term for adding an internship course is two months after the add/drop deadline for regular courses. Please see the Smith Career Center for more information regarding the deadline.
  • Graduate students may be charged a $100 registration fee for their internship course (contact the Graduate Education with questions).
  • As part of your registered internship course, you will be given assignments. Be sure to complete all assignments to receive a pass grade for the course.
  • CPT is time and employer specific, you are only allowed to work for the employer listed on your I-20 for the dates specified and you can only begin to work on the start date listed on your I-20 which may be different from what you have requested. We are not able to "backdate" a CPT start date so you will need to plan for your CPT application appropriately.
  • If you are authorized for full-time CPT, be aware that if you accumulate 12 months of full-time CPT, you will be ineligible for OPT.
  • If you are in your last semester and you wish to have an internship, your site of employment must be within 200 miles of campus.
  • Remote work while on CPT does carry a risk for future USCIS applications. Speak with ISS if you have questions regarding this.
  • If you are in your last semester, you cannot be enrolled in only CPT. For Graduate Students, if you need to enroll in a zero-credit course, please speak with the Graduate Education about the appropriate course.
  • If you wish to have CPT over multiple semesters, your CPT dates can go beyond the semester as long as it ends before the next major semester.
  • Once you have completed all of your course requirements at Bradley, you are no longer eligible for CPT unless you start a new degree program.

CPT Authorization Dates

If you wish to have CPT over multiple semesters, you must apply for CPT authorization each semester. CPT dates can start before and end after a major semester, as long as they do not include dates which fall in a different major semester. Again, you must be enrolled in an internship course for each semester of CPT authorization.

Enrolled for Fall Semester 2024

Earliest Date CPT can begin Final Date CPT must end*
August 17, 2024 January 21, 2025

Enrolled for Spring Semester 2025

Earliest Date CPT can begin Final Date CPT must end*
December 15, 2024 May 20, 2025

Enrolled for Summer Semester 2025

Earliest Date CPT can begin Final Date CPT must end*
May 18, 2025 August 26, 2025

Enrolled for Fall Semester 2025

Earliest Date CPT can begin Final Date CPT must end*
August 23, 2025 January 20, 2026

*If you are graduating in the semester of internship enrollment, then your CPT would end the day before the end of the semester.

Procedure

Follow the steps below to complete your CPT Application.

  1. Receive offer letter:
    • Must be printed on company letterhead, signed by the employer, and include the following:
      • job title and description of job duties
      • start and end dates of employment
      • supervisor’s name, title, phone, and email address
      • company website
  1. Submit your internship request* using your Bradley netWORK account:
    • Bradley netWORK is operated by the Smith Career Center; if you have any questions on how to use Bradley netWORK, you can see their info guide.
    • Click on the “Experiential Learning” tab and then the red “+ New Experience button”. Once you have read through the agreement, you will be able to choose CPT as an option for the internship.
    • ISS will be notified when you submit your internship application. Once notified, ISS will contact your major academic advisor or graduate coordinator with an online advisor form that they must complete within 7 days for approval of your internship.
    • We recommend that you speak to your advisor about your internship offer and make them aware of the online form that will be sent to them (from international@bradley.edu) after you meet with the SCC.
  1. Make and attend an appointment with David Schwartz in the Smith Career Center:
    • Take both your offer letter and make sure you have begun your application in your Bradley netWORK account.
  1. Receive an email confirmation from ISS, once your CPT application has been reviewed and processed.
  1. Pick up your CPT approved I-20 from ISS:
    • Your CPT employment authorization will appear on the second page of your I-20.
  1. Begin work on your approved start date:
    • Again, you will not be able to work for your internship until you have been approved for CPT and you have received your CPT authorized I-20.

*Please note that with the Bradley netWORKand online advisor formprocess, there will be a period during which you need to wait for the SCC and ISS to work together to get your internship application and CPT processed. This process includes: ISS notifying the SCC about your advisor approval, the SCC and Registrar completing your internship course registration, and ISS reviewing and processing the final CPT authorization. It can potentially take up to two weeks from the time your academic advisor approves your internship for the CPT process to be finalized so make sure you take this into account.

Documentation Required

  • Internship Application through Bradley netWORK
  • Internship Offer Letter (uploaded into your Bradley netWORK application)