Student Request for CPT

Student Eligibility for CPT Verification Form

  1. CPT is only for the purpose of participating in legitimate internships in a student’s area of study. It is not a means of gaining employment eligibility.
  2. Students are required to register with Cooperative Education or be registered to receive credit for the internship before being eligible to receive CPT authorization from ISS.
  3. Students who have maintained full-time enrollment as required by federal immigration regulations (12 hours for undergraduate students, 9 hours for graduate students, and 6 hours for graduate students with assistantships) and who have completed all semester hours required for the degree are NOT eligible for CPT.
    There are ONLY four exceptions to this rule:

    1. an unusual opportunity of short duration, such as a weekend performance in a symphony orchestra or one-day participation in a workshop or research study.
    2. the internship is required by the program of study as documented by information published in the UI General Catalog, department catalogs, etc.
    3. the internship will contribute directly to the student’s thesis or dissertation (ex: data gained through internship is used in thesis).
    4. the student is a PhD candidate who is ABD and who is registered for PhD Continuous Registration, in which case he/she will be allowed a maximum of 12 months of CPT eligibility following completion of all required semester hours but prior to submitting the first deposit of the thesis in the Graduate College.
  4. It is not acceptable for students in advanced stages of a degree to delay making progress by not registering full-time without prior permission from ISS. If a student is eligible to take a full-time load as defined in #3 above, the student MUST do so or risks violating U.S. immigration policy. The only exceptions for students to be enrolled less than full-time are those exceptions that appear on ISS “Part-Time Enrollment Authorization Form.”
  5. If any information is misrepresented on this form,ISS will not be held responsible and any resulting violations of immigration regulations will be solely the student’s responsibility. Some potential results of a violation can include ineligibility for benefits of F-1 status including Optional Practical Training, having to apply to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service for reinstatement to F-1 status, denial of future requests to change to another non-immigrant status, or possible deportation proceedings by the U.S. Immigration and Citizenship Enforcement branch of the Department of Homeland Security.