OPT and CPT for F-1 Students: Practical Training Options, Rules, and the STEM Extension

Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

CPT allows F-1 students to work in paid or unpaid positions — internships, practicums, cooperative education programs, or other types of required internship experiences — that are an integral part of their program of study.

Key CPT rules:

• CPT is integral to your major — the training must be required by your degree program or earn course credit if not required;
• At the graduate level, your Designated School Official (DSO) may authorize CPT during your first semester if the program requires it from the start;
• Your DSO issues a new Form I-20 showing DSO approval — you may not begin CPT without this;
• CPT may be full-time or part-time;
• CPT requires a signed cooperative agreement or a letter from your employer;
• CPT is employer-specific — each authorization is for a specific employer for a specific time period.

Optional Practical Training (OPT)

OPT authorizes F-1 students to work in a position directly related to their major area of study, either before (pre-completion) or after (post-completion) completing their degree. This guide focuses on post-completion OPT, which is the most common form.

Key OPT rules:

• You may apply for 12 months of OPT at each education level — bachelor's, master's, and doctorate are each treated separately. You may have 12 months at the bachelor's level and another 12 months at the master's level.
• OPT must relate to your major or field of study — the work must be directly related.
• OPT is not employer-specific — unlike CPT, OPT allows you to change employers as long as the work remains related to your major.
• You must apply for OPT through your DSO (who provides a new Form I-20) and then file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, with USCIS. You must wait for your EAD to arrive before beginning work.
• While school is still in session, you may only work 20 hours per week on pre-completion OPT. Post-completion OPT allows full-time work.

Timing Rules for Filing

For post-completion OPT, USCIS must receive your Form I-765 during the window that begins no earlier than 90 days before you complete your degree and ends no later than 60 days after completion. Additionally, the I-765 must be filed within 30 days after your DSO enters the OPT recommendation into SEVIS. Missing these windows is one of the most common status problems for international students — plan well ahead and confirm DSO timelines early.

Unemployment Limits During OPT

During post-completion OPT, you may not be unemployed for an aggregate of more than 90 days. If you are on a STEM OPT extension, the unemployment maximum expands — but cumulative unemployment must remain below 150 days across the entire OPT plus STEM extension period.

24-Month STEM OPT Extension

F-1 students who earned a degree in a STEM field listed on the STEM Designated Degree Program List may apply for a 24-month extension of post-completion OPT — bringing the total OPT period for that education level to 36 months.

STEM OPT eligibility requirements:

• You are currently participating in a regular period of post-completion OPT;
• You received a qualifying STEM degree at an undergraduate level or higher from a currently accredited, SEVP-certified US institution;
• Your employer uses the E-Verify program — this is required, not optional; and
• You and your employer have completed and signed Form I-983 (Training Plan for STEM OPT Students).

Filing timing for STEM OPT: USCIS must receive the I-765 during the 90-day period before your current OPT authorization expires and within 60 days after your DSO records the STEM OPT recommendation in SEVIS.

Working while the extension is pending: If you have properly and timely filed your STEM OPT extension application and are currently in a period of post-completion OPT, you may continue working on your expired OPT EAD for up to 180 days while the extension application is pending.

Reporting requirements during STEM OPT: You must report changes in name, address, employer, or loss of employment to your DSO within 10 days of any change. Compliance with reporting requirements is a condition of STEM OPT authorization.

Lifetime limit: A student may not receive more than two STEM OPT extensions in their lifetime.

OPT Across Multiple Degrees

Each education level provides a fresh 12-month OPT entitlement — plus, for STEM graduates, a 24-month STEM OPT extension at each level. For example:

• Bachelor's degree (STEM): 12 months OPT + 24 months STEM OPT = 36 months;
• Master's degree (STEM) — separate from bachelor's: another 12 months OPT + 24 months STEM OPT = 36 months.

The key condition: the new degree must be at a higher educational level than the prior one. A second bachelor's does not reset OPT. And of course: no more than two STEM OPT extensions in total across a lifetime.

Key Differences Between OPT and CPT

M-1 Students and Practical Training

Practical training is the only type of work authorization available to M-1 students (vocational or non-academic programs). M-1 students are eligible for on-the-job training for up to six months after completing their program. The M-1 practical training framework is more limited than F-1 OPT — it is available only after program completion and only for a short period. M-1 students considering longer work authorization after graduation should plan their transition to other immigration status categories (such as H-1B) well in advance.