Curricular Practical Training

Curricular Practical Training Forms

Curricular Practical Training eForm

The eForm has two pages, both required. The student manages both. This first page is the main eForm. The student initiates. Then the form routes to the student’s advisor to confirm CPT requirements for the degree. 

Access eForm

Curricular Practical Training Employer Form

The prospective employer must fill out this form. Then the student uploads it into the designated eForm page. Digital signatures and scans are fine. Remote work locations must be explicitly noted. We still need the employer’s main address. 

Employer Form

A student can only participate in CPT as authorized on p. 2 of their I-20. Work is not permitted outside those dates. Not everyone qualifies for CPT. 

Important Information

After both forms complete their course, our process takes 5-7 business days. 

  • The Employer Info Form must be uploaded. 
  • The Academic Advisor must have finished their review of the student’s eform. 

Busier times of year may take longer. Holidays and the start or end of semesters are busy, including summer. Plan accordingly. 

ISSS can only approve CPT when a degree requires it.  

CPT is: 

  • internship,  
  • cooperative education  
  • or any other type of required internship or practicum. 

We’ll refer to those arrangements as internships, employment, or CPT on this page. 

CPT requires sponsoring employers to have cooperative agreements with CSU. We use our Employer Information Form to achieve this. 

F-1 students interested in optional internships should instead ask ISSS about Pre-Completion OPT. 

The role of payment in an internship 

Paid or unpaid, F-1 students should seek CPT authorization. Do so before starting these internships. 

A note about on-campus employment 

F-1 students can concurrently do CPT and on-campus employment. The two are separate work authorizations. 

Your Admit Until Date (AUD) 

From Sep 15, 2026, onward, any CPT after the Admit Until Date requires an I-539 Extension of Stay (EOS).  

That process is neither free nor fast.  

You must plan out your EOS with ISSS. Start the conversation 7 months before your AUD. 

ISSS cannot authorize CPT beyond those dates until an EOS is timely filed. 

TALK TO YOUR ACADEMIC DEPARTMENT 

Before applying to internships, talk to your academic advisor about the following: 

  1. Your degree’s requirement for internship. 
  1. Any advice on what to look for in potential internships to meet those requirements. 
  1. Make sure you have their email address correct. 
  1. Ask them about how long it would take them to complete their part of the ISSS CPT form. They might need a week. Or they might be on vacation and actually need to get someone else to help out. 

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS 

Then, you can request CPT if the following are true. 

The internship 

  • Your degree requires CPT. 
  • The CPT opportunity is directly related to your degree. 
  • You have an offer for the CPT opportunity. 

Your status 

  • You’re in valid F-1 status.  
  • From Sep 15, 2026, this may require an Extension of Stay application. 
  • You’ll keep making normal progress on your degree. 
  • You’ll keep a full course load. 
  • Undergraduates: 12+ credits/semester 
  • Most graduate: 9+ credits/semester 
  • Approved RCL is an exception. 

The Timing 

  • You’ve been enrolled for at least one academic year 
  • Time in an Intensive English Program doesn’t count. 
  • Graduate programs requiring immediate participation: the one academic year rule can be waived. 
  • Generally, we won’t approve full-time CPT during full-time semesters. Only part-time. 

We see a lot of mistakes with CPT. Here’s how to avoid issues. 

  1. Don’t start with the job hunt.  
    • Start with your academic department and ISSS. 
    • That way, you won’t waste time searching and interviewing for nothing.  
    1. Don’t do an internship without CPT.  
      • Check your I-20 on page 2. If you have CPT, it will be noted there.  
      • Note the dates. Note the weekly hours. 
      • Don’t work beyond those. 
          1. To change the CPT arrangement means a new CPT application.  
            • New dates. New employers. New locations. New weekly hours. 
            1. 12 months of full-time CPT forfeits your Optional Practical Training (OPT). 
              • Part-time CPT and less than 12 months of full-time CPT avoids that impact. 
              • The impact doesn’t carry over to upper degree levels.  
              • Example: You do more than 12-months of full-time CPT at a master’s level. Graduate. Then start a PhD. At the PhD level, your 12 months of full-time practical training opens up again. 

                  CPT is a benefit available to some F-1 students. 

                  F-1 student status is governed by federal oversight. That oversight includes regulations, policy guidance, and SEVIS reporting. We at CSU didn’t create those rules. 

                  But in order for CSU to host international students, we must follow those rules. 

                  Our CPT eForm helps us document that an F-1 student’s internship meets federal rules for CPT. 

                  Sources of federal rules on CPT include: 

                  Student Instructions for Completing CPT Request

                  You’ve met with your academic advisor. You have their name and email address ready. You’ve talked with them about your internship requirements. You have an internship offer. Your prospective employer has filled out the Employer Information PDF. Great, then you’re ready to apply for CPT. 

                  Step 1 – You Submit the main eForm

                  1. Click on the CPT eform link at the top of this page.  
                    • It’ll direct you to log into your WorldRams account. 
                    • Then you’ll land on the CPT Request eForm dashboard. 
                    1. Click the first link. “F-1 Student Curricular Practical Training Request.” 
                    1. Complete that eForm page.  
                      • Now the form routes to your academic advisor! You’ll get an email confirmation at this stage. 
                      • After your advisor does their part, the form comes back to ISSS for processing. But remember, there’s one other form! Read on. 

                        Step 2 – You submit the Employer Information Form

                        1. Go back to the CPT Request eForm dashboard. 
                          • Digital signatures and scanned copies are acceptable.
                          • If the internship will be performed remotely, the employer should both indicate such on the form and also still provide their company’s address.
                        2. There’s one open checkbox left, for the Employer Form. Click this link. 
                        3. Upload the Employer Form. 
                        4. Submit! 

                        Step 3 – ISSS Process and I-20 Creation

                        1. Our process can take 5-7 business days after both parts of the form are done. 
                        2. If and when approved, we’ll email you the new CPT I-20. 

                        Step 4 – Final Steps

                        1. Check the CPT info on the I-20 to make sure it’s correct. 
                        2. Print out the I-20 in color ink. Hand-sign in wet ink on the student attestation line on page 1. 
                        3. If your CPT will be paid, you need an Social Security Number (SSN). Don’t have one? Follow our guidance on Social Security Numbers. 

                        Academic Advisor Instructions for Completing CPT Request

                        Step 1 – You get an email from ISSS 

                        1. The subject will be “Action Needed: CPT Request for International Student.” 
                        1. Read the email. 
                        1. At the bottom of the email is a link, labelled, “F-1 Student Curricular Practical Training Request.” 
                        1. Click that link, and you’ll land on the student’s CPT eform. 

                        Step 2 – Fill out your side of the eform. 

                        1. Complete the required fields, marked with an asterisk (*).  
                        1. You’ll be asked questions to determine and verify how this internship is required for the student’s degree. 
                        1. When you click “Submit,” your portion of the eForm will be automatically forwarded to ISSS for final review.  

                        Your part of the process is complete! Thank you! 

                        The F-1 student can’t begin their internship until the time specified on the CPT I-20. Our office will email the student if and when CPT has been approved.