Renew Yearly or Semesterly? Day 1 CPT Renew Frequency and its Influence

1. The Importance of CPT Renewal Frequency

From Ankit’s story, it's clear that while using Day 1 CPT, timely renewal of the CPT is something that cannot be neglected.

CPT provides international students with employment authorization, allowing them to participate in paid or unpaid off-campus internships or employment directly related to their field of study. When it comes to CPT authorization renew frequency, it’s understandable that many international students prefer universities that only require students to renew their CPT as infrequently as possible for convenience whenever possible. However, the insights I will share next may lead you to make a more suitable choice for your own circumstances.

One of the reasons that Ankit forgot to renew his CPT authorization is that the policy from the university he was attending stipulated that the CPT renew frequency is only once a year. Students like Ankit might forget their current CPT authorization deadline and miss renewing CPT on time.

Additionally, although according to USCIS, CPT authorization can last up to a year, some legal experts believe that obtaining new CPT authorization every semester is more logical.  Since CPT internships are part of the curriculum, it is reasonable that CPT internship courses require registration each semester. This approach seems to be more in line with common sense and may also reduce the risk of a Request for Evidence (RFE) during subsequent H1B or green card applications.

Therefore, we need to treat CPT Renewal with great importance.