Status note: This reflects reporting as of September 2026. Your school’s international office has the current rules for your program.
Curricular Practical Training lets F-1 students work off campus when training is part of their program. In August 2026, the Department of Homeland Security sent guidance to universities saying CPT may be used only when training is integral to the degree’s curriculum.
What’s changing:
Some universities previously let students from any major use CPT through a general internship course. Several are now limiting CPT to programs where an internship or practicum is built into the curriculum.
How to plan:
- Ask your DSO how your program’s CPT rules have changed
- Check whether your degree has a required internship or co-op
- Plan internships around those requirements
- Consider pre-completion OPT as an alternative, which uses part of your OPT time
