Curricular Practical Training in 2026: what SEVP now expects
In short
CPT is unchanged by the Duration of Status rule, but SEVP has told every school how narrowly it reads the regulation. CPT is permitted only where the training is an integral, required part of an established curriculum — required of every student in that curriculum, foreign and American — offered by employers under cooperative agreements with the school, and authorized by your DSO after you formally request it.
What SEVP said, and why
On August 12, 2026, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program issued Broadcast Message 2608-01, telling Designated School Officials that it had observed a rise in CPT authorizations that appear to violate the regulation, which permits CPT only where the training is an integral part of an established curriculum. On August 24, 2026, Broadcast Message 2608-02 followed with detailed guidance. Both remind schools that failure to comply may cost an institution its certification to enroll foreign students.
How CPT is defined
A foreign student may be authorized by a DSO to participate in a CPT program that is an integral part of an established curriculum. Curricular practical training is defined as alternative work/study, internship, cooperative education or any other type of required internship or practicum that is offered by sponsoring employers through cooperative agreements with the school.
Three words carry the weight: integral, required, and cooperative agreements. SEVP reads "integral" in its dictionary sense — essential to completeness — so the training must be something without which the curriculum cannot be completed.
CPT and OPT are opposites
| CPT | OPT | |
|---|---|---|
| Relationship to the curriculum | An integral element of an established curriculum | Not part of the curriculum |
| Is participation required? | Yes — completion of the program depends on it | No — it is optional and fulfils no program requirement |
| Who must participate | Every student in that curriculum, regardless of citizenship | Only students who choose to apply |
| Employer | A sponsoring employer under a cooperative agreement with the school | Any employer in the field |
| Work authorization document | DSO authorization in SEVIS; no EAD | EAD from USCIS (Form I-765) |
The questions SEVP answered
Can CPT be part of an elective course?
Not if the elective is optional. Where an elective is optional, the CPT is optional, and the integral and required elements are not met. CPT must be required of all students participating in the curriculum.
Must every student in the curriculum do practical training?
Yes. Unlike OPT, participation in CPT is not optional for any student participating in an established curriculum that the school has determined requires CPT as an integral part of the educational experience. This means that all students — foreign and American — are required to participate in practical training if they are enrolled in an established curriculum where practical training is integral.
SEVP said it has found schools describing CPT as if it were optional, and schools that did not require every student in the same curriculum to participate. Both are the pattern it is auditing for.
Do students have to ask for CPT authorization?
Yes. You must make an official request to your DSO. The school then confirms that you are in an established curriculum where practical training is integral, determines that the training is directly related to your major area of study, and updates your SEVIS record so DHS can exercise oversight. A DSO who fails to keep those verification and record-keeping requirements faces SEVP sanctions (8 C.F.R. §§ 214.2(f)(10)(i); 214.3(l)(2); 214.4(a)(2)).
Must CPT be with an employer under a cooperative agreement?
Yes. Schools should enter into cooperative agreements only with legitimate, bona fide employers able to provide a quality training experience. The agreement commits the employer to sponsor the school's students for specific training — alternative work/study, an internship, cooperative education, or another required practicum — specific to the student's major. Students are not expected to obtain an EAD for this training.
What if a DSO is pressured to authorize CPT improperly?
SEVP has opened a confidential tipline, run through the SEVP Response Center, for DSOs who believe they are being asked, directed, or pressured to make attestations that do not comply with the regulations. Concerns are reviewed by SEVP and Homeland Security Investigations.
What this means for you
- Check the curriculum, not the course description. If practical training is genuinely required of every student in your program, CPT is available. If it is offered as an optional elective, or if American classmates in the same program are not required to do it, expect your DSO to decline — and be wary of any program that authorizes it anyway.
- Ask formally. CPT starts with a written request to your DSO and ends with an updated SEVIS record. Do not begin work on a verbal go-ahead.
- The employer must be on a cooperative agreement. An employer that has not signed one with your school cannot host your CPT.
- Keep your own record. An employer letter confirming the dates and that the training was in your field is worth having later — for example, in an extension of stay package.
- CPT is separate from the 2026 rule. The Duration of Status rule did not modify CPT. It continues during your studies and does not affect OPT eligibility.
Frequently asked questions
Is CPT still valid after the Duration of Status rule?
Yes. The rule did not change CPT. What has changed is enforcement: SEVP's August 2026 guidance tells schools to authorize CPT only where it is an integral, required part of an established curriculum, offered through a cooperative agreement, on the student's formal request.
Do I need an EAD for CPT?
No. CPT is authorized by your DSO in SEVIS. An EAD is for OPT.
Does CPT reduce my OPT?
CPT does not affect OPT eligibility under the rule. Ask your DSO about the separate, long-standing rule on twelve or more months of full-time CPT.
Sources
The primary documents this page is written from. Check them before you rely on anything here.
- SEVP Broadcast Message 2608-01 (August 12, 2026)
- SEVP Broadcast Message 2608-02 (August 24, 2026)
- SEVP contact information
- DHS Study in the States
Citations. 8 CFR 214.2(f)(10)(i); 8 CFR 214.3(l)(2); 8 CFR 214.4(a)(2).
F-1 status under the 2026 rule
The Duration of Status rule, the Form I-539 extension of stay, OPT and the March 18, 2027 deadline, CPT, travel, and the FAQ.