Skip to main content

If you are an Arizona State University F-1 student interested in off-campus employment or internship opportunities prior to graduation, off-campus work authorization is required. You may be eligible for off-campus employment after you receive approval for Pre-Completion Optional Practical Training or Curricular Practical Training. To be eligible for either option, you must maintain your F-1 status for a minimum of one academic year in your current degree program.Pre-Optional Practical Training (Pre-OPT)Generally, F-1 students are eligible for a total of 12 months of OPT per degree level. The time requested for Pre-OPT will be deducted from the 12 months of Post-OPT. The proposed employment must be in the student’s field of study.Applying for Pre-OPT >If you are interested in applying for Pre-OPT for the spring 2019 semester, we recommend applying by Sept. 29, 2018.Curricular Practical Training (CPT)CPT is a type of off-campus employment authorization available for F-1 students who have an internship course as an integral part of their established curriculum. The proposed employment must meet one of the following requirements:Internship is required of all candidates for a particular degree program.The student has chosen to engage in experiential learning. Received departmental approval to add internship to IPOS or DARS, and the student has not completed all the degree requirements.We recommend applying for CPT 10 working days before the start of the requested session. Please note that if you are not eligible for CPT, you may wish to consider applying for Pre-OPT. It can take up to 100 days to receive your work authorization so apply early.Applying for CPT  >You must be enrolled in an internship course as required or approved by your academic unit. Each academic unit has unique internship requirements. Please contact the International Students and Scholars Center with any questions at 480-727-4776 or issc.employment@asu.edu