Blog: Is Day-1 CPT Legal? An Honest Look at the Debate

Day 1 CPT is completely legal. According to the regulations set by the immigration authorities, students holding an F1 visa can participate in internships during their academic studies or after graduation. This initiative aims to encourage students to accumulate work experience through internships and to apply the knowledge and skills acquired during their academic tenure. The USCIS delegates the authority to formulate CPT policies to individual universities, which includes decisions on whether to allow off-campus CPT internships during the first year, as well as the option for full-time or part-time CPT internships.

These policies are determined independently by each institution.

However, there are also specific requirements that need to be fulfilled to ensure compliance and avoid any potential risks.

• First and foremost, students who participate in CPT must ensure they maintain their full-time F1 student status and adhere to the attendance requirements set by their universities. Enrolling in 6 to 9 credit hours of courses per semester (or quarter) is sufficient to meet the academic requirements for graduate students and fulfill the criteria for a full course of study.
• Additionally, the internship/work that students undertake should be closely aligned with their area of study.
• Finally, students must remember to submit their CPT application to the university and obtain approval before they can officially start their internship.