Practical Training Options

CURRICULAR PRACTICAL TRAINING

• To be eligible the international student must have maintained F-1 status for 1 full academic year.
• The permit must be used for off-campus employment in the field of the student’s academic major.
• Must have an offer letter from the prospective employer AND campus approval (usually through the Office of Cooperative Education) for credit.
• Students may engage in Curricular Practical Training on a part-time basis during the academic year and on a full-time basis during the winter/summer breaks.
• 12 months or less of Curricular Practical Training will NOT detract from the 12 months of Optional Practical Training that international students are eligible for.

Optional Practical Training ("OPT")

• To be eligible the international student must have maintained F-1 status for 1 full academic year.
• The permit may be used for off-campus employment.
• APPLICATIONS MUST BE SENT BEFORE PROGRAM COMPLETION
• Eligible students have a total of 12 months of full-time practical training. These 12 months may be used before or after graduation.
• If used after graduation the request must be for a full-time permit
• If used before graduation, during the academic year, the request must be for part-time employment. Using part-time optional practical training will detract from post-completion optional practical training at a 50% rate. (Example. If you use 4 months of part-time optional practical training it will count as 2 full months of optional practical training. You would then have a maximum of 10 months of full-time optional practical training remaining.

To Apply

1. Contact the International Student Coordinator to determine which work permit to apply for.
2. The International Student Coordinator will help you prepare your application.
3. If eligible - Curricular Practical Training permits are issued by the International Student Coordinator.
4. If eligible - Optional Practical Training permits are issued by "US Citizenship and Immigration Services"
5. Please allow sufficient time (30-90 days) for application processing PRIOR to starting training/employment.

Questions

Contact Tushar Trivedi, International Student Coordinator at ttrivedi@spc.edu or 201-915-9415