CPT information session University of Central Missouri Fall 2017

Graduate & international student services Two Locations Main Campus: 1800 Ward Edwards (WDE) Missouri Innovation Campus: 1101 NW Innovation Parkway, Floor 2 Lee’s Summit, MO Phone: 660-543-4092 Email: isss@ucmo.edu Advising Hours WALK IN ADVISING: Monday through Friday from 1pm to 3pm on both campuses CALL IN ADVISING: For students outside the Warrensburg/KC area you can call in anytime between normal business hours (8am-5pm Monday through Friday) to get a message to your international student advisor. You will receive a call or email back within 1 business day

International student advisors & staff Shellie Hewitt, Director, WDE 1800 Emily de Melo, Assistant Director, WDE 1800 Advisors are located at both campuses Main Campus (Warrensburg) Andrea Wiggins Jana Brookshier Jennifer Bock Missouri Innovation Campus (Lee’s Summit) Cecilia Leugers Jen Ashley Marcie Barajas

Who is my international student advisor? Advisors: Cecilia Leugers Andrea Wiggins Marcie Barajas Jen Ashley Jennifer Bock Jana Brookshier Last name starts with: A-Chim, Yerrah-Z Chin-Jaim Jain-Maa Mab-Paj Pak-Sine Sing-Yerrag

The ‘forms’ page We encourage all students to save this page and use it frequently. https://www.ucmo.edu/graduate/current/Forms.cfm This page contains information related to F1 visa holders The page should be used to address your questions first before contacting an advisor This page contains all the electronic forms students should complete to request: Employment Authorization SSN or DL letter Travel Endorsement Reduced Course Load Request And much more!

What is curricular practical training? Curricular = related to your program Curricular = related to your classwork Curricular = related to your degree of study Curricular does NOT equal finding a job that pays the highest Curricular does NOT equal finding a job that will keep you for OPT employment Curricular does NOT equal a job that you help you find better employment after you graduate CPT is strictly for curricular purposes. It is not for career placement. If USCIS believes you have abused CPT you may be denied future employment opportunities such as OPT, STEM OPT and H1B.

Am I eligible for cpt? The student must currently be in valid F-1 status. The student must have been enrolled in a full course of study for at least one full academic year. Intensive English Program students do not qualify for CPT The student must be in good academic standing (2.0 minimum GPA for undergraduate students, and 3.0 minimum GPA for graduate students). The student must have required courses remaining to complete their degree. CPT is not available to students who have met all program requirements. The training must be an integral part of an established curriculum. CPT is academic in nature, it is not to be used for any other reason.

Eligibility for cpt continued The training must be directly related to the student's major area of study. The student must enroll in a course for credit while on CPT. The student must continue to make normal progress toward degree completion while participating in CPT.

Cpt eligibility-enrollment requirement The student must continue to enroll in a full course of study during CPT in the fall and spring semesters. Undergraduate students must enroll in 12 credit hours, unless approved for reduced course load for the final semester. Graduate students must enroll in 9 credit hours, unless approved for a reduced course load for the final semester. Graduate students participating in full-time CPT (more than 20 hours of work per week) and who are enrolled in an internship course for credit in order to progress toward program completion are considered to be enrolled full-time. The summer semester is a break period, and therefore full time enrollment is not required for that semester only. Full-time CPT (more than 20 hours as week) can be counted as full-time study. Part-time CPT (20 hours or less per week) requires full time enrollment. Do not drop your CPT course or end your CPT employment for any reason without talking to an International Student Advisor first.

When can I participate in cpt? Internship can be taken in any semester. The internship dates should coordinate with an academic semester. Applications must be submitted two weeks prior to the requested start date of employment. Applications must be received no later than the last date to add/drop during the fall and spring semesters. It is very important that students do not begin working until the start date listed on the I-20. Even attending an orientation at the company after being offered the job can be considered work. Working outside of the CPT dates listed on the second page of the I-20 is an offense that requires termination of the SEVIS record. If the employer requests that you come in before or after your CPT authorized dates, please check with an International Student Advisor in our office to clarify any doubts that you have before going to the place of employment.

What is an acceptable cpt opportunity? Work may be paid or unpaid, depending on your academic department and your career field. Work performed must be directly related to your course of study. Employer must provide a job offer letter or learning contract for review. Internship dates should align with the academic semester dates of your internship course. Must have approval from academic department CPT requests submitted solely for the purpose of positioning oneself for employment, such as in preparation for OPT employment, are not acceptable CPT opportunities.

How do I apply for cpt? Enroll in your program’s internship course. Review the CPT Power Point on the forms web page and/or attend a scheduled CPT workshop Complete and pass the CPT quiz, found on the forms web page Submit the electronic CPT application, found on the forms web page Submit a completed CPT Agreement Form to isss@ucmo.edu. This form must be completed by you, your employer and your academic department. Provide a job offer letter that includes the following requirements(listed on the next slide). Or, provide a job offer letter and a supporting letter from the employer that includes all requirements to isss@ucmo.edu

CPT Agreement form This form is an agreement between the student, the academic department, the CPT employer and the DSO. The student agrees to follow the rules & regulations pertaining to CPT employment, enrollment and on campus attendance requirements. The academic department agrees to ensure the employment opportunity is directly related to the students program of study and provides the academic expectations to be achieved. The employer agrees to provide training for the student to meet the academic expectations and to follow all federal regulations related to CPT The DSO reviews all the information provided and will either agree that the opportunity presented qualifies for CPT, or reject the application if the opportunity does not meet all the requirements.

How to complete cpt agreement form It is the students responsibility to ensure this form is completed by all parties and submitted properly The form should be filled out electronically Electronic signatures are acceptable Once the student, the academic department and the CPT employer have each completed their sections of the agreement, the student then scans and emails the completed form to isss@ucmo.edu Once emailed the DSO will review the information on the CPT Agreement Form, as well as the CPT application and the CPT quiz, and the CPT offer letter and make a final decision to either approve or deny CPT.

Offer letter requirements Prior to applying for CPT approval, students must confirm with employers that a sufficient amount of work will be available to meet the full number of internship hours required for the internship course. Your CPT Offer letter must contain ALL the following items: Printed on Letterhead Student name Date offer letter issued Start and end dates of training/CPT Address where you will be physically working - within the body of the letter Number of hours per week that you will work A brief description of your job duties. All duties must be directly related to program of study. Employer signature The following statement from the employer: “We agree to cooperate with the University of Central Missouri in achieving the curricular purposes of the employment/training for this student”. *If your employer is unable or unwilling to alter their offer letter to add the above statement, your employer can provide a supporting letter with this statement*

Application timeline Please notice that CPT deadlines will be strictly enforced. Students applying for CPT must submit the full CPT application no later than 2 weeks prior to the employment start date. Applications and offer letters must be received by the last date to add/drop. Students must be in the U.S. by the last date to add drop to be eligible for CPT. Spring 2018 –January 11 For the fall/spring semesters, students must have a CPT start date between the first day of classes and 2 weeks after the last date to add/drop. Spring 2018 – between January 8 and January 25 *Students applying for summer CPT may apply and begin work later in the semester with department approval, and with approval from our office *Please note your CPT I-20 will be issued up to 2 weeks after application submission.

Common application mistakes Common mistakes include: Job duties missing from offer No end date listed for employment, or estimated start date rather than actual start date included Incorrect start date listed, must be two weeks from application date Address where working is missing from the body of the letter, and is only found in the header Number of hours per week not listed, and only part-time or full-time listed Offer letter is not signed, on company letterhead, or does not include the date of issuance Incomplete CPT Agreement Form To avoid delays in your CPT application, be sure to have your employer update the offer letter to meet all requirements before you apply for CPT. You will be asked to provide an updated letter if it does not meet the necessary requirements.

When can I start working on cpt? CPT must first be authorized by a Designated School Official (DSO). All International Student Advisors at UCM are also DSO’s. The DSO will: Review the application to ensure it meets all requirements Approve the CPT opportunity Enter the CPT approval in SEVIS You may not begin working until all three steps have been completed AND you have the CPT I-20 physically in your possession. I-20 with CPT authorization must be in hand before starting work. This means you must physically have your CPT I-20 in your hand BEFORE you begin working.

Ending cpt employment early If your CPT internship ends early due to circumstances beyond your control, contact your academic department and GISS right away. You must maintain full-time enrollment in the fall and spring semesters so you will be required to take one of the following options should your CPT end unexpectedly: Find another internship job, if approved by your Academic Department and your International Student Advisor. Add on-campus classes to reach full-time enrollment. Apply for a reduced course load if it is your final semester. If accepting a new internship position, your I-20 must be updated with new employment information before beginning work.

Cancelling a current cpt request When you request approval for CPT, we update your SEVIS record with your employment details If you decide not to participate in CPT, and enroll in another course on campus instead, then you must notify our office before the CPT start date We will be able to cancel the CPT request before the start date If you submit the request after the start date, then it can take months and extensive documentation to have the CPT request removed. This can cause delays in your eligibility to apply for OPT.

Can I change employers? Changing employers during CPT will not be allowed once the I-20 has been issued. If you are requesting to change employers before the CPT I-20 is issued, then you must fill out the entire CPT application, including a new CPT Agreement Form, over again with the new employer details and immediately e-mail ISSS@ucmo.edu to let us know which employer you intend to work with.

How does travel affect my cpt? If you plan to travel during the break between semesters, you will need to receive a travel signature on your CPT I-20, or CPT should not be authorized until after you return. If you plan to travel during CPT, you should have a travel endorsement on your I-20 as well as a letter of support from your academic department and/or employer acknowledging their awareness of your absence. If you have a pending OPT application, it is highly recommended not to travel during this time.

What’s the difference between cpt & opt? Although their names are similar, they are very different types of employment. You do not need CPT to qualify for OPT. Bridging between CPT and OPT is NOT recommended. CPT is for academic development. OPT is for career development. Failure to report changes in CPT in a timely manner will significantly delay and possibly disqualify a future OPT application.

Personal responsibility while on cpt Must report any changes within 10 days Your Mailing and Physical Address Job Location Primary job description Employment end date Maintain Valid F-1 visa status We have seen a significant increase in Requests for Evidence as students apply for OPT, STEM and H1b. Many of these RFE’s ask for information about CPT

Examples of rfe’s for cpt information Here are a few of the items USCIS has asked for in an RFE regarding CPT: The name of the course and course code in which you were enrolled in that required CPT Documentary evidence establishing both the beneficiary's current major and that CPT is/was and integral (essential) part of the degree program at the University of Central Missouri A letter from the CPT employer explain the job duties, pay and period of employment Evidence of the cooperative agreement between the CPT employer and UCM A detailed statement explaining how the student obtained CPT whether individually, through the school or through an outside company or consultancy. Evidence that the CPT is or was directly related to his or her major area of study

How can I ensure I stay in valid status? You are ultimately the one who is responsible for ensuring you are participating in CPT appropriately and for the right reasons. You must follow all rules and regulations related to CPT and maintaining status as an F1 visa student. CPT should not be used for future job placement. CPT is not the same as OPT. Do not talk about CPT or refer to CPT as a way to further your career in the US. Do not intentionally bridge your CPT internship into OPT employment. Ask your International Student Advisor if you have any questions or concerns. We are here to assist and help interpret regulations related to CPT.

Questions?