Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

• • Students must have the CPT authorization PRIOR to beginning employment.
• • Students must be F1 student status for a minimum of one academic year and must meet the additional requirements for CPT specified in the student section of this page.
• • Students are eligible to apply for an unlimited amount of CPT.
• ◦ However, if 12 months or more of full-time CPT are used, a student forfeits Optional Practical Training (OPT) eligibility. Accrual of part-time CPT does not affect eligibility for OPT.
• • CPT is authorized for one term at a time, i.e. fall semester, spring semester, or summer.
• ◦ The student must repeat the process for each subsequent term.
• ◦ Authorization dates may not match terms exactly but will be within a two-week time frame of the beginning and end of a term.
• • CPT employment is specific to an employer.
• ◦ The student may not work for other employers during the time frame unless specifically authorized on the I-20 form.
• ◦ CPT may be full-time (more than 20 hours per week) or part-time (maximum of 20 hours per week).
• • Be in good academic standing (not eligible if on probation).
• • Graduate students who have completed all their coursework and are working only on the thesis or non-thesis project are NOT eligible for CPT.
• ◦ Those students should apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT), not CPT.

CPT Instructions and Reporting Requirements - download the checklist and complete all steps before making an appointment with the Ivanhoe International Center:

• 1. Follow all guidelines for co-op/internship through the Career and Professional Development Center.
• 2. COMPLETE the CPT Information/Request Form on the Rocker Central Page
  • • UPLOAD Offer Letter in the above form (We cannot proceed until we have all information below)
  • • Letter or Email from employer on letterhead MUST include:
  • 1. brief job description;
  • 2. beginning and ending dates of employment
  • a. if an ending date cannot be determined, we will use the last date of the term;
  • 3. Full or part time
  • 4. specific location of employment (must be physical address, not P.O. Box)
  • 5. supervisor's name, email, and phone number.
• 3. Ivanhoe International Center Staff will send information to the internship coordinator / advisor and copy you
• 4. MAKE an appointment with your internship coordinator or advisor to sign approval form and REGISTER for two (2) CP credits for fulltime employment. You must be registered to comply with the U.S. Government regulations.
• 1. Talk to your academic advisor or internship coordinator
• 2. You may need a Permission of Instruction form
• ◦ You can find this form here: https://www.sdsmt.edu/Academics/Registrar/Forms/

To extend CPT beyond the authorization dates, contact the Ivanhoe International Center for more information.

You may need to complete the Application Process again. An extension of CPT authorization cannot be granted until proof of enrollment is available.

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is described as "an integral part of the curriculum", which includes cooperative education and internships. To be eligible for CPT, the student must:

• • Have a valid internship/CO-OP offer from a company (CPT is employer-specific);
• • Be supervised by a professor within the academic department;
• • Have a signed CPT approval form;
• • Be in valid F-1 status for one academic year (9 months);
• • Per U.S. Government regulations, undergraduate and graduate students must register for credit;
• ◦ For graduate students with a thesis or dissertation in their last semester, South Dakota Mines graduate policy requires two (2) research credits (must be directly related to thesis or dissertation);
• • Follow all of the prescribed guidelines for the CO-OP program as published by the Career and Professional Development Center.
• • Be in good academic standing (students on academic probation are NOT eligible).

CPT is authorized for one term at a time, i.e. fall semester, spring semester, or summer. The student must repeat the process for each subsequent term. The authorization may be for part-time or full-time employment.

• • Part-time authorization is limited to 20 hours per week.
• • A student is limited in the amount of CPT they can use and must be very careful with it. You may want to evaluate the time spent in a CO-OP/internship program in relation to the length of the academic program.
• ◦ If he/she uses a full year of full-time, then that student is no longer eligible for Optional Practical Training (OPT) once they graduate.
• • Graduate students who have completed all coursework and are working only on the thesis or non-thesis project are generally NOT eligible for CPT and should apply for OPT, not CPT. If the CPT is for research directly related to and will be included in the thesis or dissertation, it is allowable (see below).

WHAT IS IT?
• • Off-campus work authorization for F-1 students who are currently pursuing degree programs at South Dakota Mines and have completed one academic year
• • Employment must be related to student's field of study and can be paid or unpaid
• • Typically issued for internships or short-term employment opportunities
• • Authorized by the South Dakota Mines Ivanhoe International Center (IIC)

DURATION OF EMPLOYMENT
• • Employment authorization is given on a semester by semester basis
• • CPT may be extended or renewed with advance approval
• • Generally, students are limited to part-time (20 hours or less per week) during the Fall/Spring semester and full-time work during the summer; some graduate students may be eligible for full-time CPT
• • If a student is doing a co-op, they would be authorized for full-time CPT (20+ hours)

EMPLOYER'S ROLE
• • Provide student with an offer of employment, Offer Letter must include:
• ◦ brief job description;
• ◦ beginning and ending dates of employment;
• ◦ numbers of hours per week of employment;
• ◦ specific location of employment (must be physical address, not P.O. Box);
• ◦ supervisor's name, email, and phone number
• • Request a copy of the CPT I-20 from the student for I-9 purposes
• • There is no cost to the employer for the CPT process; the CPT application is entirely the responsibility of the student

PROOF OF AUTHORIZATION
• • A new CPT I-20 listing the authorized employer, address, dates of the authorization, and whether part-time or full-time employment has been granted on page 2 of the I-20;
• • Work cannot begin until student obtains authorization
• • The "Handbook for Employers (M-274)", pp. 32-34 (section 7.4.2) and page 70 (section titled: Form I-20 Accompanied by Form I-94 or Form I-94A), indicate the documents necessary to verify this type of employment.
• ◦ This handbook was updated January 11, 2018, and is available on the USCIS website at https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/handbook-employers-m-274.

• Employer's Guide to Hiring International Students
• E-Verify
  • • http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify
• South Dakota School of Mines & Technology Ivanhoe International Center
  • • Contact us: international@sdsmt.edu
  • • http://www.sdsmt.edu/Campus-Life/Ivanhoe-International-Center/Current-International-Students/Working-in-the-USA/
• U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS)
  • • http://www.uscis.gov/
  • • Handbook for Employers (M-274)
    • ◦ https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/handbook-employers-m-274
• U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
  • • http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/index.cfm
• U.S. Department of Labor Fact Sheet on Internships
  • • http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs71.pdf
• U.S. Department of State
  • • http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/employment.html