Most international students will follow the process outlined here to apply for CPT. For rare exceptions when international students are being placed in an internship for credit that is not being certified by Career Development, please refer to the information below:
CPT as an Integral Part of Academic Program at MassArt
Please Note: As per US Federal Immigration Regulations, CPT must be an integral part of a student's academic program in order to be authorized. This means that one of the following must apply to the employment placement:
- Internship required for a course: Placement is required for all students taking a particular academic course and is stated as such in the course syllabus
- Internship required to graduate: Placement is a requirement for all students in order to successfully complete their degree and is stated as such in the course catalog under academic program requirements
- Internship required for Thesis or Dissertation: Placement is required for all students to successfully complete their Thesis or Dissertation requirements and the Department Chair will confirm this on MassArt letterhead
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STEPS TO APPLY: If you are planning to engage in an internship placement because of one of the 3 reasons listed above, please follow these steps to apply for CPT:
- STEP 1: Receive internship offer letter from employer (including start and end date of the position)
- STEP 2: Speak to your faculty advisor about internship and be sure they are willing to complete the Faculty Verification Form on your behalf
- STEP 3: (Optional) Schedule an appointment to meet with your International Student Advisor to discuss your plan(s)
- STEP 4: Complete the CPT Request Form
- STEP 5: Faculty Advisor completes the Faculty Verification Form: International Student Advisor (ISA) will forward your CPT Request Form to your faculty advisor and ask them to complete the Faculty Verification Form on your behalf
- STEP 6: ISA approves your internship , authorizes CPT in your SEVIS immigration record and issues you a new I-20 document with official authorization
- STEP 7: Receive new I-20 via MassArt email from your ISA and print out hard copy to show your employer your work authorization
- STEP 8: Begin and end work on the dates indicated on your I-20 (and in the email your ISA sends):
- you cannot begin work before the date indicated on your I-20
- you must complete all work on or before the end date indicated on your I-20
- any work performed outside of the indicated start and end dates will be considered unauthorized employment and can affect your legal status