New CPT Application
New CPT Application form is for international students first time applying, or stopped employment and working again.
To apply for new CPT, please follow the steps below:
New CPT applications open dates and deadlines
Each session, new CPT is open for application. Please refer to the IA Calendar for the open dates and deadline dates :
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1s0z8rd2DgCSjWBLU7I1PngqmmW8Oq0G6h9v6ggq1Ul0/edit?gid=1704043374#gid=1704043374
CPT Start Date
For current students, the earliest CPT start date available to request is about 30 days prior to next session/semester start date. Each session the specific date is listed on the New CPT Application form.
For new students, the earliest CPT start date avaialbe to requst is the program start date on your I-20.
Processing time
- For current students, the processing time of a completed application is 7-10 business days excluding weekends and holidays. For new students, the CPT I-20 will be in queue for processing after the initial issuance of your 1st I-20 from WU and your completion of SEVIS registration requirements, and you can submit the CPT application form two weeks before your new program start date.
- For new students, your CPT applications will be in queue for processing after 1) NSO zoom meetings, 2) your receipt of the 1st I-20 from the admission team, 3) and your completion of SEVIS registration requirements(all items on your admission portal have been checked off).
Required documents : Cooperative Agreement, Offer Letter, and Internship Course Fee Payment Receipt.
- The Cooperative Agreement
- Offer Letter: Signed by employer on company letterhead. If your Offer Letter is outdated (issued 90 days before the program start date), please request an updated Offer Letter or Letter of Employment or Verification of Employment from your employer.
- Internship course/fee/payment/receipt
- The internship course fee for 12-month CPT is paid semester by semester. The internship course will be added to your GAP semester by semester.
- Internship course fee is one credit hour rate for one semester (16 weeks), and 0.5 credit hour rate for one session (8 weeks).
- Find the academic year credit hour rate on the Tuition and Fees webpage here: https://www.westcliff.edu/financial-aid/tuition-fees/.
- Payment link: https://www.westcliff.edu/payment-form/.
- Payment receipt : After you make a payment, your email will receive a Payment Receipt from the system-Paymentus or you can download your receipt directly from your Student First portal, and then upload the payment receipt to this form.
- Payment receipt for newly enrolled students:
- upload the receipt of your $1,000 tuition deposit after you make payment via your application portal.
- or upload the receipt for your CPT course payment after you make payment via your Student First portal.
Internship course
- As part of the CPT participation, F-1 students will be required to be enrolled into internship courses throughout the CPT authorization period.
- The CPT applicant makes payment for the internship course and uploads it to this form. The IA team will review the application, if the CPT is approved, the Registrar team will enroll the student into an internship course, and then the Student Accounts team will credit the payment to the student's account for the internship course. If the CPT is not approved, the student account will credit the payment to the student's account or the next tuition invoice.
- Students on CPT will be automatically enrolled into an internship course by the Registrar office at the beginning of the session/semester.
CPT Length and OPT Eligibility
Please note that if you are applying for OPT to work after the program end date, you must not participate more than 12 months of full-time CPT throughout the program/per academic level. One option to consider is to switch to part-time approaching 12 months and part-time CPT won't impact OPT eligibility.