CPT Authorization Application
Before submitting a request for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) please review all of the information below.
CPT Workshop
What is Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and when is it required?
Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is practical training authorization for F-1 students that allows them to engage in off-campus academic experience learning. The authorization is for a specific practical training placement (employer/supervisor) and for a specific period of time (typically falling with the academic calendar for the semester). CPT must be authorized on your I-20 before any off-campus practical training experience may start.
CPT is required for both paid and unpaid academic practicums, internships and field placements, or other related experience occurring off-campus. Off-campus practical training authorization is needed for paid off campus positions, but is usually also required even when:
- The academic training experience is unpaid
- The training experience is part of a course you are enrolled in (RSSW, UUNI, departmental internship and fieldwork requirements, etc…)
- The training is done remotely while you are inside the U.S.
- The training site does not hire you as an “employee,” but is providing you training, experience, or other opportunities in your field of study.
Any of the above scenarios may require CPT authorization. The key to maintaining and protecting your F-1 status is to check with ISSS about it before engaging in any training off-campus. If you have questions about the difference between volunteering versus unpaid training, please review our Employment page and select "Volunteering and Unpaid Experiences" for more information. Need help with your internship search? The Office of Career and Professional Development in Science Library G-50 can assist.
Please select each title below and read the information carefully
CPT must be done prior to the completion of the student’s academic program and is for academic, practical training experiences as opposed to “employment” experience. CPT cannot be authorized to extend a student’s program after all degree requirements have been met. If you are interested in engaging in non-curricular experiences prior to degree completion please consult ISSS about pre-completion OPT eligibility instead.
Academic eligibility requirements for CPT include:
- A student must complete one academic year of full-time study (a Fall and Spring semester) before they are eligible for CPT. If you are a graduate student and immediate participation in an internship or field work placement is required for all students in the department please contact ISSS to ask if you qualify for an exception (very few programs at UAlbany require immediate participation in internship for all students).
- CPT training must be “an integral part of an established curriculum” and must be “directly related to the student’s major area of study,” as determined and supported by the student’s academic department on the academic advisor authorization form (see application checklist for this form).
- The student must be recommended to participate in CPT by the student's academic advisor, department chair, and any other required officials.
- The student must meet the academic component/requirement during the same term they are requesting the CPT experience to take place. This academic component/requirement may be either (1) enrollment in academic experiential learning or internship course credit for the term the CPT will take place (most common). This may be an internship course, independent study course, UUNI-wide internship course (UG), or RSSW course (UG); (2) non-credit based field work or practicum hours required for degree completion (example: MPA, MSW and MIA students); (3) graduate students enrolled in research credit, such as 899, or other approved pre-candidacy credits for students whose CPT experience is directly related to dissertation/thesis research.
- CPT will be approved for no more than the official length of the term, one term at a time. A new application will need to be submitted each term.
Academic Registration for Summer Term CPT
Summer is considered an academic term for CPT application purposes. Therefore, most students are required to enroll in academic experiential learning or internship credit over summer term in order to participate in a summer internship. Exceptions to the summer term enrollment requirement for CPT authorization include:
- Students in an academic program that requires a non-credit internship, field-work placement or practicum for graduation in the program's published curriculum.
- Students registered for eligible dissertation or thesis credits (e.g. 899) during the prior spring and/or following fall semester may devote those credits to summer term CPT if the internship/practical training requested is directly related to that student's dissertation research.
- If there is a circumstance where a student's academic programs cannot offer appropriate summer term academic credit for summer CPT, the student should consult ISSS and their academic department for case-by-case assistance.
CPT Between Terms or During Wintersession
International students with approved CPT for fall, spring, or summer term may qualify for an extension of CPT between terms, defined here as the time frame between when one term ends and the other starts as defined in the Academic Calendar. This includes the winteresession. During these between-term periods most students do not need to enroll for additional academic credit, but they must demonstrate advanced registration for the upcoming semester (Fall or Spring) as evidence of their continuing student status.
CPT authorization is temporary and limited. Students are only authorized to work for the specific practical training employer/supervisor, dates, and hours per week (part-time or full-time) listed on page 2 of the student's I-20.
The practical training dates must fall within the semester dates (according to the academic calendar) for the term the CPT is requested for. Below are the time frames for CPT authorization for upcoming terms:
- Spring 2025: 1/22/2025-5/14/2025
- Fall 2025: 8/25/2025-12/16/2025
- If the dates fall outside these ranges please contact ISSS for case by case assistance
During the Fall and Spring semesters most students may only request part-time CPT. Part-time CPT is defined as 20 or less hours per week. Use of part-time CPT does not generally affect eligibility for OPT.
Full-time CPT is defined as more than 20 hours per week. Students may be eligible to request full-time CPT:
- Over break/vacation terms (i.e. summer term or wintersession)
- During the student’s final semester of coursework if they are enrolled in 9 or less credits (and have an authorized reduced course load approved)
- If the student is a graduate student who is done with all coursework and the practical training experience is directly related to the student’s thesis/dissertation research
Use of full-time CPT for more than one year (12 months) eliminates eligibility for Optional Practical Training (OPT). Students should consider this when planning out future CPT usage.
Other Employment Considerations
- While CPT is typically for off-campus practical training experiences, there are limited circumstances when a student may be offered a practical training experience on campus. If the student does not qualify for F-1 on-campus employment authorization for that experience the student may be eligible to apply for CPT, but only if all other eligibility requirements are met and the position is directly related to a research, academic, or professional experience within the student’s field of study.
- Undergraduate students working on campus: It may be possible for an undergraduate student to hold an on-campus employment position (no more than 20 hours per week during the semester) at the same time they are pursuing CPT authorization for practical training off campus. Please consult ISSS if you are considering holding two positions at once.
- Graduate students working on campus: It may be possible for a graduate student to hold an on-campus employment position (no more than 20 hours per week during the semester) at the same time they are pursuing CPT authorization for practical training off campus, but graduate students must get approval from the Graduate School (graduate@albany.edu) for extra service. This is part of the academic advisor authorization form for CPT (see application checklist below).
- Dual Employment: If a student is seeking employment with two or more New York State agencies, there are dual employment considerations. Contact your respective Human Resources departments for further details.
Step 1: Carefully review the above instructions and the CPT Request Powerpoint. Contact ISSS if you have any questions about the policies and procedures.
You can watch a recording of our most recent live workshop, recorded on June 14, 2022.
Step 2: Obtain an official letter from a prospective practical training supervisor containing the following information:
Specific beginning and end date of the practical training opportunity (remember, CPT is only authorized one term at a time, and the dates of the practical training should fall within the term specific policies).
The hours per week
The specific duties and responsibilities (these must directly relate to the student's major)
The practical training employer's signature
If the start date on the offer letter you submit has passed at the time you apply, your request will be denied. You must obtain CPT authorization prior to starting the position as authorization can never be backdated.
You will be required to upload the practical training letter as part of your EForm submission to ISSS. Here is a sample employer letter you can share with your supervisor if they need assistance.
Step 3: Share the practical training employment offer with your academic advisor and department chair. Your academic advisor and department chair must agree that the position directly relates to your major and can be included as part of your curriculum before you to proceed with the CPT request. If the academic advisor and department chair approve, they will need to indicate the recommended academic reason for the CPT and complete this academic advisor's authorization form. Both electronic and wet signatures are accepted. You will be required to upload this PDF with approval as part of your EForm submission to ISSS.
If you are a graduate student with on-campus employment you also need to get permission from The Graduate School for additional off-campus employment. Please send the academic advisor authorization form (above) to The Graduate School at graduate@albany.edu for this permission, if eligible. You will be required to upload proof of this permission as part of your EForm submission to ISSS.
Step 4: Enroll in the experiential learning or internship-dedicated course recommended by your academic department, unless you meet one of the exceptions to enrollment outlined in the Academic Requirements section above. ISSS will not approve CPT without the required course registration. Even if you meet an exception to enrollment, ISSS may request to see other proof of future term registration if the CPT will occur between terms.
Step 5: Submit the CPT Work Authorization Application EForm and supporting documents to the ISSS Office. Please allow at least 5-7 business days for processing after a complete request is submitted.
EForms can be submitted through the AccessISSS web portal or through the AccessISSS app from Sunapsis, available on the App store and Google Play (made by Indiana University). Watch this recording if you need help navigating on the web portal.
Select the "CPT Work Authorization Application Form" from the EForm menu.
This EForm will ask you to upload supporting documents. If you need assistance, please review the File Upload Instructions.
All updates related to your EForm will be communicated over email. Please allow up to 5-7 business days for processing.
If the position is paid and you don't yet have a Social Security Number (SSN), please submit a SSN Status Letter EForm request as well.
If you are requesting CPT during Fall semester, Spring semester, or your final semester and you are enrolled less than full-time you must have an approved authorized reduced course load before CPT may be authorized.
Step 6: Remember that you may not begin your training until after the CPT is authorized by ISSS and you've received a new I-20 as evidence of this authorization. For paid practical training opportunities the student should share the I-20 with the employer for I-9 processing.
Disclaimer
The information contained in this web site/form is provided as a service to international students, faculty and staff at the University at Albany. It does not constitute legal advice. We try to provide useful information, but we make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to this web site or any associated site or form.
Neither the University at Albany nor ISSS is responsible for any errors or omissions contained in this website, or for the results obtained from the use of this information. Nothing provided herein should be used as a substitute for the advice of competent legal counsel; students may wish to consult an immigration attorney on the specifics of their case as needed.