Curricular Practical Training

• You must be maintaining valid F-1 status.
• You must have completed at least two semesters of full-time study in the United States in valid non-immigrant status (the summer term does not count).
  • Time spent in the United States studying full-time in a non-immigrant status other than F-1 may qualify if you have maintained a non-immigrant status that permits full-time study and you have been approved for a change of status with USCIS to F-1 at the time you plan to begin CPT.
• The employment must be related to your field of study.
• The employment can be paid or unpaid.
• CPT can be authorized for part time (20 hours or less per week) or full time (more than 20 hours per week).

• Check with your academic department to find out whether your program's internship policy permits you to complete an internship.
• Find an off-campus position related to your field of study.
• Submit the ELA.
  1. Go to HireNew and log in with your Net ID and the password you use for MyNewSchool
  2. Click Experiential Learning.
  3. Click the New Experience button at the top of the page on the right.
  4. After you've filled out the ELA, click Save at the bottom of the page (doing this will save a draft of your ELA but will not submit it).
  5. Click the Submit for Approval button at the top of the page on the right.

• Your supervisor will complete the employer's portion of the ELA and approve it. They will receive an email with instructions for completing the ELA once you submit it.
• Once your ELA has been approved by your supervisor, Experience will review the ELA and approve it.
• You will then receive the internship course information necessary to register for the internship course.
• You will then be registered for the internship course by the Registrar.
• After your ELA has been fully approved by your supervisor and Experience, you will receive a letter of eligibility stating that you will receive credit for the internship.
• Experience will approve your ELA and inform ISSS.
• ISSS will process your CPT (if you are CPT eligible) and email you the I-20 with CPT authorization.
  
  If you need a Social Security number (SSN) for this internship, you will receive information on obtaining a SSN in the CPT approval email sent from ISSS.

  
  See the Social Security section for more information about the SSN application process. If you have been issued an SSN for a past experience, you do not need to apply for a new number.

CPT is job-specific employment authorization. You need to be offered employment in order to complete the ELA. If you change employers, you must submit a new ELA in order to be authorized for the new employer.

If you participate in 12 months or more of full-time CPT (21 hours or more a week), you become ineligible for OPT.

You must submit a new ELA for every semester you would like to participate in an employment opportunity. An ELA must be submitted for each semester even if you are participating in the same job two semesters in a row.

If you are traveling outside of the United States around the time when you submit the ELA, please inform Experience of your travel plans at [email protected].

Off-campus work and internships must be approved through The New School; students may not receive authorization to work off campus or intern in any other way. F-1 students must never accept pay or compensation in any form without the proper authorization.

Unauthorized internships can affect OPT applications, change of status applications, other visa applications, and/or any application with USCIS. International students who are not eligible for CPT will not be able to register for the internship course.

For questions about your F-1 status, please email [email protected] or visit the ISSS office during drop-in hours.