All You Need To Know About Curricular Practical Training (CPT) as an International Student in the USA.
By: Mitesh Rajput
Tags: Cpt, Student Visa, USA, Students, Us

(CPT) Curricular Practical Training.

International Students spend a huge amount of money on their education abroad. The United States is one of the favorite locations for most International Students. The United States is one of the costliest places for education abroad. The Majority of students take a loan from the bank and also work while they are studying. There are programs like OPT and CPT which allow international students to work in the USA while studying.

The Curricular Practical Training or CPT allows International Students to work temporarily with an F1 visa to gain practical experience in their field of study. The Employment can be a paid or unpaid internship, Volunteering, or a paid Employment. You cannot apply for CPT after the completion of your studies. You can only apply for a CPT before your education program gets over. The CPT program can be done part-time for less than 20 hours per week or you can do it full-time for more than 20 hours per week. If you work full-time in the CPT program, you will lose eligibility for your OPT program.

People always get confused between the OPT and CPT programs. There are some differences between them. The most important difference between OPT & CPT program is the time you are allowed to work in. OPT program gives you an opportunity to work for 12 months before or after your course completion but CPT is a curriculum-oriented program that allows the International Students to work in their field of education while they are studying. OPT stands for Optional Training Program and it is not an employer-specific program and allows to work anywhere a student wants. CPT is an employer-specific program that needs to be completed before your education.

You can do your CPT job On-Campus or Off-Campus. In On-campus CPT the international students are allowed to work on campus for 20 hours or less than that in a week. The international students can start working during their first semester. In Off-Campus CPT the international students are allowed to work for a minimum of 40 hours a week. The international students coming to the USA for their further education often hire a recruiter from famous job portals like United opt, My resume jobs, Career ghost, etc. These websites will provide you a professional consultant to make a professional and powerful resume for you and train you for the interviews. They also provide a much-needed service like Resume Blast which will deliver your resume to thousands of correct and responsive employers in a single click. These services are more than enough to get a job as an international student. Students should give enough time to the ISS adviser to issue a new CPT authorization in case if they are willing to extend their CPT.

CPT candidates should always plan their job search process prior to landing in the USA. CPT candidates can work for straight 12 months in the field of their education and this is a great advantage for those who want to do both earn and gain experience in their respective study fields. You can also extend your CPT period if your education falls under the Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics category (STEM), and if your employer is ready to renew your employment tenure. There is no need for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) as the CPT authorization on page 2 of the I-20 is proof of employment eligibility.

All you need to remember is that you should have some extra skills that are in-demand and pays well as there must be a strong reason why your employer should renew your job tenure. If your skills are strong enough to get you an extension for your job period then there are chances that your employer could also think about sponsoring you on an H1b visa.