| DWI |
Posted
on 03-May-03 07:17 AM
OPT AND CPT
Matribhumi, the best place to ask was your Foreign Student Office of your college. We will try to help from our experience.
CPTs are issued for work prior to the graduation. So if you are still a student and have atlest one more semester, then you have to apply for CPT (Curricular Practical Training). If you are an undergrad, you are normally not allowed to get CPT for the first academic year (so no freshman and sophomore in his/her first semester); although a select few academics are designed to allow that. You require a job offer before you can file for CPT. You have to bring the job offer letter to your Foreign student office; and make sure the job offer is related to the field of study that you are enrolled for. One last thing, Try to do the CPT for a total of up to 11 months only (or 11 months and 27 days).
The reason is listed in the OPT paragraph.
OPTs (Optional Practical Training) are normally issued after you finish your studies; but sometimes students do take it even prior to their graduation. You don't require a job offer for this and once you are approved you get a card (EAD: Employement Authorization Document) that is valid for a year, you cannot extend it beyond. CPT doesn't affect your OPT period, as long as the CPT issued doesn't reach 12 full-months.
You are eligible for one full OPT after your bachelors and another after your masters. So you can stay in this country legally, for a year after your studies.
As I said earlier, visit your foreign student office to get the details on the process. They are the final authority as far as you are concerned.
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