CPT Information for Employers and Campus Partners

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is an employment authorization for F-1 students. Eligible students may seek authorization to work in an internship, co-op, or practicum that is directly related to their major field of study. The purpose of CPT is to apply the knowledge and skills they are gaining in the classroom to practical work experience in the U.S. 

CPT is not a separate visa category and does not require “sponsorship” from an employer. However, the student must have a practical training offer from the employer before they can apply for CPT authorization. A template letter can be found below. 

CPT is for paid and unpaid experiences. Remuneration of any kind constitutes payment for immigration purposes. This includes free or reduced cost housing, parking, meals, etc. Be mindful of Department of Labor criteria for internships and volunteer positions.

CPT is authorized by a Designated School Official (DSO) at International Student Services (ISS). It may take ISS 15 business days to review and approve a student’s CPT request. An F-1 student must request authorization from the school at which they are enrolled full-time with their F-1 I-20. 

A student must have CPT authorization before they can start their practical training experience. CPT authorization is typically granted for one semester at a time, because authorization is contingent on enrollment in a specific course. More information on CPT authorization dates can be found in the student information section. 

Once an F-1 student has accepted an offer from your company or organization, they will need an offer letter. This letter must be on letterhead, signed by the supervisor or hiring authority, and address each required field in the template above. 

The student must upload the completed offer letter their online CPT request in Terra Dotta. This is a requirement of the student’s CPT application process. 

CPT is authorized on an F-1 student’s Form I-20 on page 2 (of 3 pages total). The authorization is granted using the information collected on the ISS CPT application form. The student must keep the original document for their permanent records. The employer should see the original document and verify the authorization dates and details.

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is an employment authorization for F-1 students. Eligible students may seek authorization to work in an internship, co-op, or practicum that is directly related to their major field of study. The purpose of CPT is to apply the knowledge and skills they are gaining in the classroom to practical work experience in the U.S. 

CPT is authorized by a Designated School Official (DSO) at International Student Services (ISS). It may take ISS up to 15 business days (3 weeks) to review and approve a student’s CPT request. An F-1 student must request authorization from the school at which they are enrolled full-time with their F-1 I-20. 

A student must have CPT authorization before they can start their practical training experience. CPT authorization is typically granted for one semester at a time, because authorization is contingent on enrollment in a specific course. More information on CPT authorization dates can be found in the student information section.

An eligible F-1 student visa holder at UW–Madison must first secure an offer for a practical training experience and follow the steps in the CPT application process. 

You are asked to: 

1. Review the CPT offer letter. 
2. Determine if the position description is directly related to the student’s major. If it is not, you cannot proceed with your CPT recommendation. 
3. Discuss proper course enrollment for the practical training opportunity. 
4. Instruct the student to send you (or the appropriate CPT verifier) the CPT Verification through their Terra Dotta portal. The student will need your name and email address to send the verification. 
   • The appropriate CPT verifier is typically the staff member who gives the student permission to enroll in the CPT course. This is typically their academic or career advisor. 
5. Complete the CPT Verification via the Terra Dotta link that will be sent to you automatically via email. The student will see that you have completed the CPT Verification in their CPT Request in Terra Dotta. The CPT Request cannot be submitted by the student until your CPT Verification is completed. 

The student will enter the name and email address of their CPT verifier in their Terra Dotta request. The verifier will receive an email from UW International Student Services (Do_Not_Reply_TerraDotta@iss.wisc.edu) with the subject line, “Verification Request from (student name) for Terra Dotta”. The email will contain a link to the verification form and a Verification ID. Students are instructed to provide their Student ID number as well.  

Click on the link: https://terradotta.wisc.edu/recommenders/, enter the Verification ID and the student’s last name to access the verification form.  

This will open the CPT Verification form. Please carefully read through the instructions at the top of the page. If you have any questions or concerns about the verification, please contact your ISS liaison.  

Once you have completed the verification, the submission will show as completed when the student logs into their application. The student will not be able to submit their CPT request in Terra Dotta until the verification has been completed. The student will separately need to log back into Terra Dotta to submit their CPT request.  

CPT Verification Questions: 

1. Academic department in which course is offered (typed response) 
   • The name of the department offering the course the student will enroll in for their practical training experience. 
2. Course number for CPT registration (typed response) 
   • What course will the student enroll in for their practical training experience? This course must be appropriate for practical workplace development.  
3. Number of credit hours for CPT (numeric information only) 
   • How many credits is the CPT course the student will enroll in? 
4. Does the department consider registration in this particular course to meet a full-time academic load? (Yes or No) 
   • Does the CPT course have a full-time academic load exception in SIS? 
5. Employment Start Date (This is the requested start date and must be verified with your academic department as well as employer offer letter) 
   • Exact start and end dates are required. These dates must match the student’s CPT offer letter. These dates are typically aligned with the dates of the semester/term. 
6. Employment End Date (This is the requested end date and must be verified with your academic department as well as employer offer letter) 
   • Exact start and end dates are required. These dates must match the student’s CPT offer letter. These dates are typically aligned with the dates of the semester/term. 
7. Full or Part Time Employment (Part-time: 20 hr/wk or less; full-time: over 20 hr/wk) 
   • This information should match the CPT offer letter. If there is a change in the number of hours per week the student is expected to work, that will change it to or from part- or full-time, the student must submit a new CPT request to ISS. 
8. Does the position description directly relate to the student’s major? (Yes or No) 
   • The position must relate directly to the student’s major (not minor or certificate) for CPT authorization. The student has been instructed to discuss this training or provide you with the employment offer letter for reference 
9. CPT Curricular Component (please choose the option that best matches the student’s degree program or thesis/dissertation course): 
   • An academic internship/co-op is required of all students in this program in order to graduate 
   • Academic internship/co-op is an elective option and the course above was designed for this purpose 
   • Work experience gained is integral or an appropriate professional experience for thesis/dissertation 
   • Research/independent study course enrollment is integral. A plan of study is developed and on file 
10. Will the student complete all degree requirements in the term for which CPT is requested above? (Yes or No) 
    • If yes, does the student have outstanding degree requirements to be completed concurrently? Note: Student must be enrolled in traditional (on-campus) credit hours required for degree completion in the final term of study. CPT cannot delay degree completion. For students in dissertator status, choose “No.” 
11. CPT Advisor Title 
12. CPT Advisor Certification: I certify that the academic information above is correct. I hereby recommend the above-mentioned student be granted CPT authorization for the practical training experience offered. If a request is made by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, I will provide documentation showing that the CPT course is an integral part of the student’s academic program. 

CPT is authorized on an F-1 student’s Form I-20 on page 2 (of 3 pages total). The authorization is granted using the information collected on the ISS CPT application form. The student must keep the original document for their permanent records. The employer should see the original document and verify the authorization dates and details. 

Enrollment in directed/independent study courses for practical training experiences should have a written plan of study and should be no more than 3 credits, unless it is a graduate student who has completed all coursework requirements and has an approved ISS Reduced Course Load (RCL)- coursework completed. Undergraduates must follow UW–Madison policy for directed/independent study enrollment.

CPT is not a separate visa category and does not require “sponsorship” from an employer. However, the student must have an offer for practical training from the employer before they can apply for CPT authorization.

Here is a quick reference CPT-vs-OPT Handout. Detailed information is available on the CPT and OPT web pages for students. Are you working with a J-1 student visa holder? The practical training option for J-1 students is called Academic Training (AT). 

Practical training authorization for F-1 students (CPT and OPT) requires that the training be directly related to their major. It cannot be related only to a minor or certificate; it must be directly related to the major that matches their current I-20. If the offer does not relate, you cannot recommend the student for CPT.  

If there is no course appropriate for CPT enrollment, an alternative option is for the student to apply for pre-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT). Direct students to the ISS website and refer them to ISS  advising for specific questions. Advanced planning is required. Application processing may take up to 5 months. 

It is ultimately the student’s responsibility and decision. The student may assume the risks of accepting the practical training opportunity without authorization. 

ISS and UW–Madison employees are not government officials or USCIS adjudicating officers and cannot guarantee their current or future benefits. We can only educate and empower our F-1 and J-1 students to make informed decisions to maintain their current immigration status.