F STUDENT VISA
Internships for F-1 students who are attending school full-time may be allowed under regulations for Curricular Practical Training (CPT), which is considered to be an integral part of your curriculum. Although this permission is relatively simple to obtain, students must meet certain requirements for the training and must receive written permission for the training from ISSS before beginning the internship. You may participate in full-time CPT ONLY during your graduating semester and during the summer semesters. If you request CPT for your graduating semester and, for whatever reason, are not able to graduate, it is not possible to grant another authorization for graduating semester. However, it is acceptable to do ONE part-time CPT in any semester you choose before your graduating semester. Below, all information about CPT is detailed for your reference. For more information about CPT, refer to the handout you receive in the required workshops. You may also e-mail questions to intlstu@odu.edu.
The FIRST STEP in qualifying for CPT is attendance at a CPT workshop. To be eligible to attend, you must have been enrolled full-time and within the U.S. for at least six months at the time of the workshop. If you have been outside the U.S. for the five months preceding your CPT application, please make an appointment with an ISSS advisor.
In addition, you must meet all of the following requirements. Unfortunately, no exceptions can be made.
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You must have been enrolled full-time for two consecutive semesters.
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Undergraduate students must have a 2.0 GPA and graduate students need a 3.0 GPA.
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You must receive academic credit for the internship.
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If you would like to do full-time CPT, please note it is only possible to do this during the summers or in the final semester of your degree program. It is possible to have one additional part-time CPT.
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If you are applying for a full-time CPT during the fall or spring semester, you must obtain approval for reduced courseload (RCL).
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You may not have an assistantship, as per University policy. If, however, you do not have an assistantship in the summer, you may apply for an internship for that time.
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If you are taking a graduating semester CPT, you MUST be registered for CPT credit in addition to other credit as determined by your department.
To receive approval for CPT, submit the following items to the ISSS Inbox, just outside the office. PLEASE DO NOT STAPLE OR CLIP ANYTHING.
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Request for Practical Training Form - This must be completed and signed by you, your GPD (graduate students) or Chief Departmental Advisor (undergraduates) and your Career Management Center advisor. (To view slides of the CMC's portion of the CPT Workshop,
click here.) There should be no blank spaces. If something doesn't apply to you, please write "N/A" or cross it out.
- Internship Offer Letter - A template for your internship supervisor is available on the ISSS web site. Offer letters must indicate a start date that is at least seven business days in the future. In addition, the letter can only be for the current semester. If you are eligible to do CPT in the following semester, a new offer letter must be submitted.
Things to Know
The ISSS Office can only communicate via e-mail regarding CPT applications. Phone calls or visits to the office to check on the status of an application will result in a longer processing time. You will be contacted via your ODU student e-mail address (not cs.odu.edu, physics.odu.edu, etc.) if anything is needed to complete your application or if it is ready to be picked up.
Processing & Approval of Application
*Complete applications generally take SEVEN BUSINESS DAYS for processing in the ISSS office during non-peak periods; please plan accordingly.
*When approved, a new I-20 with a special endorsement on page 3 will be issued.
*Please refer the Human Resources office at your internship to our web site to the "Information for Employers of Internationals" section for links to information on how you are taxed as an F-1 visa holder.
Preparation of Application
*Internship authorizations will only be done within the dates of the current semester and you must be registered for the credit by your CMC advisor before processing can be completed.
*Be sure to have no registration holds. These must be removed from your record (i.e. on LeoOnline) before submitting your application.
*If you are working on your Masters project or dissertation, your registration should reflect your activities at school. Therefore, in the fall and spring semesters you must register for both CPT and dissertation/project credit. NOTE: Immigration does not consider audit credit to count toward a student's courseload. Therefore, GRAD999 is not sufficient for enrollment. See your academic advisor to inquire about alternative pass/fail or letter-grade credits.
Hours
*If you have an on-campus job of 10 hours per week and want a CPT for the fall or spring semester, you can only be approved for a 10-hour per week CPT. Students with assistantships are not allowed any off-campus employment while they hold an assistantship.
*Full-time CPT is anything over 20 hours.
*Full-time CPT for the graduating semester will only be granted one time.
*You may apply for a full-time or a part-time internship during the summer or your graduating semester.
*You may apply for a full-time internship (over 20 hours per week) if the internship is required of ALL participants in that degree program. Elective credits required in a program do not constitute an internship requirement.
Health Insurance
*You must have insurance through the end of the current semester as published on the ISSlist and in the Health Insurance Section of the ISSS web site.
Additional Semesters of CPT
*If there are any changes to your approved CPT authorization, a new application must be submitted for consideration.
*If you wish to change internship employers, need to extend for an additional semester, wish to change your full-time/part-time status or need to makes any changes to your current authorization, the entire application process must be repeated.
Important Miscellaneous Items
*Volunteer (i.e. unpaid) internships must be processed and authorized through the same procedures as paid internships.
*Alternating co-ops will only be authorized if the internship is required of ALL students in the program in which you are enrolled.
*While Immigration regulations provide the legal opportunity to conduct an internship in your field, certain academic programs have the right to deny CPT if they feel it is not warranted. Please speak with your academic advisor to verify departmental policies.
