1. CPT Information Session
University of Central Missouri Fall 2017

2. Graduate and International Student Services
Contact information:
Location: Main campus Ward Edwards (WDE),
Lee’s Summit Missouri Innovation Campus -
1101 NW Innovation Parkway, Floor 2
Phone: 
Webpage for live chat: 
It is important for international students to stay informed on the current regulations and policies.  The following webpage provides valuable information and forms for our international students:  

3. Advising Hours Walk-in advising hours:
Monday - Friday from 1 to 3 pm on both campuses
Call in advising:
Students living outside of the Warrensburg/Kansas City area can call in Monday - Friday anytime between 8 am and 5 pm to get a message to their international student advisor requesting phone advising
Live chat service on the website:
Monday – Friday from 1 to 5 pm

4. International Student Advisors and Staff
Director-Shellie Hewitt, WDE 1800
Assistant Director-Emily de Melo, WDE 1800
Advisors: Last name starts with:
Cecilia Leugers-Lee’s Summit A-Chim, Yerrah-Z
Andrea Wiggins-WDE Chin - Jaim
Marcie Barajas-Lee’s Summit Jain-Maa
Jen Ashley-Lee’s Summit Mab-Paj
Jennifer Bock-WDE Pak-Sine
Jana Brookshier-WDE Sing-Yerrag

5. What is CPT?
C = Curricular
P = Practical
T = Training

6. What is CPT? (cont.) CPT is an F-1 visa benefit
CPT is only available to F-1 visa holders
CPT permits a student to pursue an academic internship opportunity on or off-campus
CPT must be authorized by a DSO
I-20 with CPT authorization must be in hand before starting work

7. What is CPT? (cont.) CPT is an internship for academic credit
Must be enrolled in an internship course
The work performed must be relevant to your course of study
The internship dates should coordinate with an academic semester
Must have approval from academic department before I-20 can be issued
CPT requests submitted solely for the purpose of positioning oneself for employment, such as in preparation for OPT employment, will not be approved.

8. What is CPT? (cont.) CPT is employer specific
CPT is authorized for one specific internship
The name of the employer is found on page 2 of the I-20
Change of employer during CPT will not be allowed unless there are special circumstances such as the employer filing bankruptcy etc. Those circumstances would need to be discussed with your International Student Advisor prior to applying for the change.

9. Who is eligible for CPT?
F-1 visa holders who have been full-time enrolled for one academic year (2 semesters) before applying
OR F-1 visa holders enrolled in a graduate degree program that requires internship within the first year
Other visa types are not eligible for CPT
Must be in good academic standing (GPA 3.0 Grad, 2.0 UG)

10. What is a valid internship?
Work may be paid or unpaid, depending on your academic department and your career field.
Work performed must be directly related to your course of study.
Employer must provide an official job offer letter or learning contract for review.
Internship dates should align with the academic semester dates of your internship course.

11. When can I work?
It is very important that students do not begin working until the start date listed on the I-20. Even attending an orientation at the company after being offered the job can be considered work.
Working outside of the CPT dates listed on the second page of the I-20 is an offense that requires termination of the SEVIS record.
If the employer requests that you come in before or after your CPT authorized dates, please check with an International Student Advisor in our office to clarify any doubts that you have before going to the place of employment.

12. How to apply Get enrolled in your program’s internship course.
your valid job offer letter or learning contract to your department and to
Submit a completed CPT Application form on the ISS website.
Await departmental approval.
After department approval, allow time for CPT I-20 to be issued.

13. Application Timeline
Please notice that CPT deadlines will be strictly enforced. Students applying for CPT must submit the full CPT application no later than 2 weeks prior to the employment start date. Applications and offer letters must be received by the last date to add/drop.
Fall 2017 – August 17
Spring 2018 – priority deadline December 22, deadline January 11
For the fall/spring semesters, students must have a CPT start date between the first day of classes and 2 weeks after the last date to add/drop.
Fall 2017 – between August 14 and August 31
Spring 2018 – between January 8 and January 25
*Students applying for summer CPT may apply and begin work later in the semester with department approval, and with approval from our office
*Please note your CPT I-20 will be issued up to 2 weeks after application submission.

14. Offer Letter and Requirements
Prior to applying for CPT approval, students must confirm with employers that a sufficient amount of work will be available to meet the full number of internship hours required for the internship course.
Your CPT Offer letter must be signed by the employer, on company letterhead, and contain the following items:
Your name
Date offer letter issued
Start and end dates of CPT
Address where you will be physically working - within the body of the letter
Number of hours per week that you will work
A brief description of your job duties

15. Sample Offer Letter

16. Common Mistakes Common mistakes include: Job duties missing from offer
No end date listed for employment, or estimated start date rather than actual start date included
Incorrect start date listed, must be two weeks from application date
Address where working is missing from the body of the letter, and is only found in the header
Number of hours per week not listed, and only part-time or full-time listed
Offer letter is not signed, on company letterhead, or does not include the date of issuance
To avoid delays in your CPT application, be sure to have your employer update the offer letter to meet all requirements before you apply for CPT.
You will be asked to provide an updated letter if it does not meet the necessary requirements.

17. Stay enrolled full-time
Since you are an F-1 visa student, you must still be enrolled full-time. The summer semester is a break period, and therefore full time enrollment is not required for that semester.
Full-time work on CPT can be counted as full-time study.
If your internship is 20 hours or less per week, then you will be on part-time CPT and you must also enroll in on-campus classes to maintain full-time enrollment.
Do not drop your CPT course or end your CPT employment for any reason without talking to an ISS Advisor first.

18. Ending CPT employment
If your CPT internship ends early due to circumstances beyond your control, contact your academic department and GISS right away.
You must maintain full-time enrollment in the fall and spring semesters.
option one: find another internship job, if approved by your Academic Department and your GISS Advisor. This is only an option in extreme circumstances as mentioned above.
option two: add on-campus classes to reach full-time.
option three: apply for a reduced course load if it is your final semester.
I-20 must be updated to show the work end date.
If accepting a new internship position, I-20 must be updated with new employment information before beginning work.

19. Canceling CPT Requests
When you request approval for CPT, we update your SEVIS record with your employment details
If you decide not to participate in CPT, and enroll in another course on campus instead, then you must notify our office before the CPT start date
We will be able to cancel the CPT request before the start date
If you submit the request after the start date, then it can take months and extensive documentation to have the CPT request removed. This can cause delays in your eligibility to apply for OPT.

20. Changing CPT employment
Change of employer during CPT will not be allowed unless there are special circumstances such as the employer filing bankruptcy etc. Those circumstances would need to be discussed with your International Student Advisor prior to applying for the change.
If you are requesting to change employers before the CPT I-20 is issued, then you must fill out the CPT application with the new employer details and immediately to let us know which employer you intend to work with.

21. Travel and CPT
If you plan to travel during the break, you will need to receive a travel signature on your CPT I-20, or CPT should not be authorized until after you return.
If you plan to travel during CPT, you should have a travel endorsement on your I-20 as well as a letter of support from your academic department and/or employer acknowledging their awareness of your absence.
If you have a pending OPT application, it is highly recommended not to travel during this time.

22. CPT and OPT
Although their names are very similar, they are very different.
You do not need CPT to qualify for OPT.
Bridging between CPT and OPT is NOT recommended.
CPT is for academic development. OPT is for career development.
Failure to report changes in CPT in a timely manner will significantly delay and possibly disqualify a future OPT application.

23. Thank you for coming!