CPT vs OPT

What is OPT?

Optional Practical Training (OPT) is a provision offered by US government, which is equivalent to a temporary work permit, which enables international students to undergo training by working in the industry to gain experience in hands-on application of the concepts they learn in an academic setting. An international student pursuing studies in the US on an F-1 visa is eligible for the OPT. The OPT work authorization is granted by the USCIS (the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services). Under the OPT, eligible students are permitted to work in the industry for a 12-month period, which can be extended by 24 months for students enrolled in a program that is classified as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). During the OPT period, the student is allowed a maximum of 90 days when he can stay unemployed while hunting for a job role in an area related to his field of study. If the student fails to secure employment during this window, he or she will have to leave the US.

The working of OPT is divided into two parts:

1. Full time– The student is permitted to work 40 hours or more a week

2. Part time– The student is permitted to work 20 hours or less a week

OPT itself is divided into two parts:

1. Pre-completion – Students can work along with pursuing their studies before or after classes or during weekends.

2. Post-completion– After completing their degree, students can secure employment that requires a minimum of 20 hours per week during their OPT period.

Few students choose to work part-time while still in their program and later work full-time during the vacation. A student has the liberty to decide whether he wants to work only after the program concludes or during and after it. The University that they are enrolled in recommends them the start and end date of the OPT. The students need to furnish information about the completion of graduation within the specified time-frame. Once the I-20 form is received, filled, and submitted, students then have to submit the I-765 form. The application approval might take time (approximately 3-4 months since there is a long wait time. While the petition is under process, the student may continue to work for a maximum of 180 days even after the EAD and OPT period expires. While applying for jobs under OPT, it is not mandatory to mention the job position or have a job offer in hand while making the application. For the benefit of the student, the employer needs to be in contact to prevent the student from being unemployed for more than 90 days.

Constraints to be followed:

➤The start date should be at least one day after and a maximum of 60 days before

➤The total duration of 12 months of the OPT can be used by taking the breaks

The above criteria for OPT require students to be in constant connect with their employers regarding their start date. It is advisable to pick a start date by which the EAD is expected to be received, while also ensuring that the unemployment duration is not more than 90 days. If one has plans to continue higher studies, then it is advisable to not exhaust the entire OPT period. Although breaks are allowed, it is advisable to work in continuity. Traveling outside the US during the OPT period is strictly prohibited, and students can work with any employer in the US as long as the job relates to their field of study.

After completing the degree, the students are provided a grace period of 60 days to obtain a job where they could work as part of the OPT. Applications to extend OPT have to submitted before the OPT completion date. If the Student’s OPT duration is exhausted, the student will not be permitted to work even if he has the grace period. The student can begin working when the student receives EAD which states that their employment under OPT has been approved.

Permitted Activities:

The job undertaken during the OPT has to necessarily be related to the program of the student had enrolled for. The government needs to be presented with the legal paperwork.

For a job to be permitted for work under OPT, students have to secure a position that requires them to work for at least 20 hours a week, to a maximum of 40 hours a week if international students incept their own business. A student may also switch jobs if he gets a better opportunity as long as the new job role also fits in the OPT criteria of the relevance of job role to the field of study and minimum and maximum working hours. Also, a student may be permitted to work more than one job simultaneously, and also work in unpaid internships, for-profit and non-profit jobs, as long as the jobs meet the OPT criteria mentioned above.

Once the work duration ends, students may avail of an extension of employment on the H1B visa or through the STEM extension. Also, if the student does not want to continue in the OPT, he may apply for cancellation of the same. When the OPT work authorization for a foreign student expires, and if the student has not managed to obtain the H1B visa, it becomes mandatory for him to leave the US.

The specific degrees that qualify for the extension are:

• Actuarial Sciences

• Computer Science Applications

• Engineering

• Engineering Technologies

• Life Sciences

• Mathematics

• Military Technologies

• Physical Sciences

Other common fields with specialty occupations include architecture, social sciences, medicine and health, education, business specialties, accounting, law, theology, and the arts.

What is CPT?

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is the temporary employment authorization for foreign students enrolled in a college-level degree program in the US on an F-1 non-immigrant visa. The CPT provision allows F-1 international students to work in paid off-campus academic internships during their ongoing degree program to learn the application of conceptual knowledge gained during the program. To be eligible to apply for CPT, the duration of stay in USA must be of 9 months.

CPT work authorization for F1 visa Candidates:

CPT is work authorization as mentioned before for working in a job directly related to the student’s degree major and is an integral part of a student’s academic program, which also includes curricular credits.

Unlike the OPT, CPT needs to be completed before graduation, although similar to the OPT, it can be carried out part-time or full-time. Students appear for part-time CPT during their classes while in vacations, they may take up the full-time CPT. Working less than 20 hours a week comes under the part-time, while working for more than 20 and up to 40 hours a week forms the full-time.

Practical Training offers an avenue to sharpen the skill to apply classroom concepts by exploring their application in an industry environment. Before starting the CPT, it needs to be authorized by the DESGINATION SCHOOL OFFICE during the first semester itself. The mandatory requirement for getting the CPT approved is a letter from the employer where the student has applied to and agreed to work with.

The maximum duration of the CPT is 12 months. If the student has utilized his entire 12-month CPT duration, he/she becomes ineligible for the OPT, but if he has only undertaken part-time CPT or has not completed his 12-month CPT, he might be eligible to apply for OPT jobs. Students pursuing MBA should not have worked for more than 9 months during CPT to be eligible for 11 months of OPT.

The benefit of Curricular Practical Training is students can obtain an exemption on one of their courses if they take up the CPT as it is similar to an academic course which adds credits to student’s grades. Those who take up the thesis option however are not eligible for the CPT work authorization. Accumulation of full-time CPT would lead the student to be blacklisted from the OPT program.

The limitation with the CPT is that student’s applying for the program cannot work with any kind of employer, only those who support the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and I-20 list. CPT is employer-specific, and you need to apply for a new CPT authorization before you work in a new job. CPT can be paid or unpaid and if it is a paid one, the student must have his Social Security Number for receiving the payments. The student’s earnings are subject to federal, state and local taxes as applicable, and employers are required to deduct those taxes from your paychecks.

Students do not receive the EAD for the CPT as the I-20 form contains within itself the eligibility proof. The I-20 form is used in complement with the I-94 card for employment formality completion.

Eligibility Criteria:

A DSO can authorize the CPT for an F1 student who is enrolled at a SEVP-certified college, University, conservatory, or seminary. In order to be eligible for CPT, a student must:

• Be lawfully enrolled on full-time for one academic year (i.e. two full consecutive terms) unless the academic program requires immediate participation for all students.

Note: An exception exists for students in such graduate studies programs where earlier training is part of the program

• Be on a lawful F-1 Visa

• Not be enrolled in an intensive English language training program

• Not be studying English as a second language.

• Have secured a job or training position.

• Have a job must be related to student’s major

• Obtain CPT authorization BEFORE beginning employment

CPT Process Overview

Step 1: Student requests CPT using the schools established processes

Step 2: DSO reviews request and determines student’s eligibility for CPT

Step 3: DSO authorizes CPT in SEVIS for a specific employer

Step 4: Student prints and signs Form I-20 with CPT authorization

Step 5: Student begins work on or after the CPT starting date.

Limits of CPT

• The CPT option is not available once a student completes the degree

• Engaging in 12 months of full-time CPT will eliminate the OPT option at the same degree level

• The student cannot begin working before the start date.

• All work must be completed by the CPT end date.

Types of CPT:

Part-time CPT: Employment for less than or equal to 20 hours per week is considered part-time. The student must be simultaneously enrolled for classes full-time and be physically present on campus so as to maintain lawful F-1 status during the fall and winter terms.

Full-time CPT: Employment for 20 hours+ per week is considered full-time. Availing of the CPT for 12 months or more will eliminate your eligibility for OPT. During the fall and winter terms, a student should be enrolled full-time or have an approved RCL (Reduced Course Load).

Major points that can enable a student to be eligible for undertaking the CPT are:

➤ Holder of F-1 visa

➤ Compulsory enrolment at a University

➤ CPT is for the majors

➤ The credits are added to the degree

There are two variations in the CPT:

➤ Non required for academic- the practical work experience is for credit and directly related to your field of study.

➤ Required for academic- non-academic program mandates practical work experience in the field of study to graduate.

Difference between OPT and CPT?

Many students get confused between the meaning of the terms OPT and CPT, and this part of the article will attempt to resolve the confusion.