CPT for Advisors

CPT Process for Advisors and Departments

Authored by staff in International Student Services and the Shocker Career Accelerator
Questions? Email iss@wichita.edu (Ext 3232) or careerdevelopment@wichita.edu (Ext 3688)

Step 1: Student Completes Online CPT Tutorial

• Students completes online CPT Tutorial each semester they intend to apply for CPT: https://www.wichita.edu/admissions/international/current_students/cpt_tut/index.php
• After tutorial submission Office of International Education (OIE) determines student’s general eligibility for CPT which includes; good academic standing, one full year of academic study, active SEVIS status. If student meets initial criteria OIE issues Application for CPT and completes Step 1 on the application.
  
  *  Students can complete this step before securing a position to speed up their process once they are offered a position

Step 2: Student Secures Position

• Student secures a position with a company and has a company representative sign Step 2 on the application form.
• An agreed upon start date must be indicated on Step 2. If no end date is indicated the CPT authorization will end on the last day of the semester. To avoid violating their F-1 stats, it is critical the student does not work outside their authorized CPT dates.

Step 3: Faculty and/or Academic Advisor Approval

- Students applying for CPT must have their intended position approved by the faculty and/or academic advisor and be enrolled in the associated internship, practicum, or training course. Advisor will complete Step 3 on the application form.

Advisor Steps:

1. Steps 1 and 2 on Application for CPT must be completed prior to submission to advisor.
2. Secure an Offer Letter and/or job description from the student.
3. Approving the position (Tips and Guidelines for Evaluating Positions)
   1. Read through documents to see how it relates to their declared program major
   2. Company and Job Title are key factors in knowing if the position qualifies
   3. Check Job Requirements/Responsibilities to see if any skills are relatable to their major/industry
   4. If questions still arise, you can research company online to find out more about the organization and possibly the position
      1. Check company website and find job posting
      2. Use LinkedIn and Handshake as resources for postings and other employees
      3. Google company location and see if you can find a physical location
         1. This has become more difficult since COVID but most places will have a set location
      4. If information is still lacking, your can contact Shocker Career Accelerator for guidance
      5. All companies must be located within the United States. Companies who are solely overseas are not CPT eligible
4. Once the position is approved, the student must enroll in a course to complete the CPT approval. It is up to the Faculty/Advisor to determine the correct course based on the students needs.
   1. Undergraduate Engineering students are the only students eligible to enroll in a Zero Credit class but only if the course is counting towards ENG+ credit. Once that credit is completed for them, they revert back to Academic Credit
5. Students needs approvals in Banner for their respective course on the SFASRPO screen.
   1. If past the first week of classes, the student needs to be manually enrolled with an ADD slip or email to Registration

Step 4: OIE Final Approval

• Once the student has the entirety of the Application for CPT completed it should be returned to OIE for final approval. OIE will issue a new I-20 indicating CPT authorization for designated period.

 *  Students can not begin work until new I-20 is issued and only during timeframe indicated on I-20.