Working without CPT Letter?

[chandni_arora]

Hi.

My name is Chandni Arora and I am a new member here.

I have a question regarding CPT

Can I work in an internship without a CPT Letter?

I got a internship in my field of study and it is a non-paid internship. 
I am having problems with dropping a 3 credit course and adding a 3 credit internship course as I will be penalized heavily.

Can I work without the CPT letter?? Is there any way out?

I donot want to lose the internship and a learning opportunity.

 

PLEASE HELP...!!

 

Thank you

Regards

Chandni Arora

[ashakell]

Chandra there is no way you can work without cpt it clearly voilating F1 rules...

[rahul412]

 

My name is Chandni Arora and I am a new member here.

I have a question regarding CPT

Can I work in an internship without a CPT Letter?

I got a internship in my field of study and it is a non-paid internship. 

I am having problems with dropping a 3 credit course and adding a 3 credit internship course as I will be penalized heavily.

Can I work without the CPT letter?? Is there any way out?

I donot want to lose the internship and a learning opportunity.

 

What do you mean by CPT letter??

All you need is employment letter and CPT approval from school.

[bopomofo]

You need offer letter from employment stating that nature of the position as well as hours worked per week, you need to make sure nature of position is closely relative to your current program of study plus hours worked per week not over school policy-->usually during semester, 20 hr, summer 40 hr unless some school has co-op courses which will charge you tuition on credit hours but allowing you work 40 hr per week. After school approves your cpt request, you will be issued a new i-20 with comments allowing you work for a certain company for certain time period and certain hours per week.

 

Even it is unpaid, in theory you can not work without CPT approval. However, I knew some student do that as volunteer/social/unpaid intern works without CPT. But they are taking risks of being caught: like co-worker report that to school or law enforcer, workplace accident causes student's illegal work being uncovered, some DSO staff found a student work at local coffee shop. (etc).

[JoeF]

You need offer letter from employment stating that nature of the position as well as hours worked per week, you need to make sure nature of position is closely relative to your current program of study

Not just "closely related". That's for OPT.

For CPT, the work has to be an integral part of the curriculum. It has to be required by a class.

"Closely related" is NOT enough for CPT.

[catx]

Chandra there is no way you can work without CPT it clearly violating F1 rules ...

 

There are two other ways of working while attending university / college on a F-1 visa that do not need Curriculum Practical Training (CPT) employment authorization (EAD). One is a student on a F-1 visa can have a part-time, on-campus job with the school (i.e. at the school library, residence food court, helping in a department, etc.) for up to 20 hours a week while school is in session and 40 hours per week when school is not in session (e.g. summer break) without needing any EAD. Two, there is a pre-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) EAD for working in your field of study prior to graduation. The pre-completion OPT is the correct EAD to use for employment in your field of study when the work is not a stated part of the required degree plan curriculum. (To often CPT EAD is used (in violation of the law) when it should be a pre-completion OPT EAD.)

 

One other note:  "Work" and getting paid are separate, an unpaid job is still work.

[F1struggle]

In my school, my DSO would ask for a letter stating title, company, location, hours, start and end date, pay ( if paid internship) on the company letter head for CPT. Also, CPT was allowed for master's and PhD students only in their final semester if they have finished most of the courses for the program. For under-grad students CPT rules were stricter. CPT had to be part of curriculum.

[catx]

CPT was allowed for master's and PhD students only in their final semester if they have finished most of the courses for the program. For under-grad students CPT rules were stricter.

 

That sounds like it should be pre-completion OPT, not CPT, as it is not part of the required curriculum.  If so, then CPT would be a violation of the law.