Day 1 CPT Quick Application Guide

Your OPT is gonna expire and didn’t get selected in the H1B lottery? Enrolling in a Day 1 CPT university can help you continue working in the US. This blog will walk you through on how to quickly get your CPT work authorization from an eligible Day 1 CPT university!

Once you have received the offer letter from the university who provides CPT option from day 1, the first thing you need to consider when preparing for enrollment is how to apply for CPT and how to obtain it as quickly as possible. In this article, using Monroe College as an example, we will provide a detailed step-by-step guide on the fast track application process for CPT. If you've been wondering why there has been no progress in your CPT application even after a week, this article will shed some light on the matter.

Step 1: The first important prerequisite for applying for CPT is to receive an admission offer from your school !

Step 2: After receiving and accepting the offer from the new school, they will usually send an email guiding you on how to transfer your SEVIS record from your previous school to the new one. Only after the SEVIS transfer is completed can the new school issue your I-20 and subsequently authorize CPT. The image below shows Monroe College's SEVIS Release Form, which needs to be filled out jointly by the student and the DSO Advisor from the previous school.

Important note: Students can choose the SEVIS transfer date. Monroe College suggests completing the transfer at least 15 days before the start of classes (some schools like New England College, NEC, allow transfers up to 3 business days before the start of classes). Once the SEVIS is transferred to the new school, the OPT from the previous school will automatically terminate. During this period before CPT becomes effective, students cannot work. It is important to plan your time in advance to avoid any illegal work situations.

Step 3: After transferring SEVIS to the new school, students need to promptly select their courses (the practical course for CPT). Some schools, like Monroe, HU, and Ottawa, may also require payment of tuition fees for the selected credits (Monroe's tuition policy allows 100% refund before the start of classes).

Step 4: Once course selection and payment are completed, students will receive an email instructing them to apply for CPT. Students simply need to follow the instructions in the email and submit the required documents to the relevant department at the school. The typical documents required for a CPT application include:

• I-94

• Job Offer Letter from the employer

• Signed CPT Cooperative Agreement

• Screenshot of successful tuition payment (only applicable to schools that require prepayment of tuition; sharing the successful payment screenshot with the school expedites the process as the school's tuition system may have delays)

Step 5: After submitting the required documents, the school will review and process the applications in the order they were received. In most cases, Monroe College completes the CPT authorization within approximately 3 business days (faster during non-peak periods).

Summary

The steps mentioned above represent the complete process for applying for CPT. Typically, it takes 5-10 business days for most schools, from initiating the SEVIS transfer to obtaining the CPT. However, there have been cases where students obtained their CPT in as little as 2 days (many students have reported fast CPT application processing at NEC). 

If your CPT application has been stagnant for several days, you can refer back to the above guidelines to identify potential issues. Based on our previous communication with international office staffs, many students' CPT applications were delayed due to the following reasons:

• The previous university failed to release the SEVIS transfer on time (in this case, remind the previous university to release the SEVIS as soon as possible).

• Tuition fees were not paid (applicable to some universities; in this case, pay the tuition fees promptly and send a screenshot.

That’s it for the sharing today, feel free to contact us if you have any questions regarding CPT application!