OPT Visa vs CPT Visa in USA is the difference between two types of practical training permitting an international student to get a temporary work permit in USA. International candidates with an F1 visa can apply for both OPT visa and CPT visa for a duration of 12 months. OPT visa offers an opportunity for an international student to gain practical experience in the respective study field after graduation. A CPT visa permits a student to work and gain practical experience in a company prior to graduation.

OPT for F1 Students

OPT is short-term employment associated with the field of study of an F1 student. CPT duration for F1 students is upto 12 months period for both before or after the completion of academics. All periods of pre-completion will be deducted from the period of post-completion of OPT visa. An international student can apply for 12 months of OPT at each degree level (bachelors and masters). USCIS will send a Form I-766 or Employment Authorization Document(EAD) upon mailing Form I-765 and paying a fee of USD 410 (INR 33,657.84). An international student while studying in a school is allowed to work for only 20 hours each week.

Types of OPT

All OPT are required to be directly associated with the respective fields of study of every individual student. An F1 student is eligible for OPT visa in two possible ways:

• Pre-Completion OPT: Students can apply for pre-completion of OPT after enrolling in a full-time a year in a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) certified university. Students do not need to have an F1 US student visa status for one full academic year and the requirement for OPT visa can be achieved with non-immigrant status. An authorized student is allowed to work for 20 hours per week or less while in school and with full-time status while not in school.
• Post-Completion OPT: A student is allowed to apply for post-completion of OPT after the completion of the field of study. A student with post-completion OPT status can work on a part-time (20 hours a week or less) or full-time basis.

STEM OPT Extension

The STEM OPT Extension is generally a 24 months extension of optional practical training. A student with a degree in fields of STEM courses in USA can apply for such visa based on the following features:

• The STEM degree must be listed in the STEM Designated Degree Program List.
• Employer name must be enlisted in E-Verify
• Receiving an initial grant of post-completion of OPT employment authorization related to the respective STEM degree.
• Submission of Form I-765 upto 90 days prior to the expiry of current OPT employment authorization, and within 60 days, the DSO enters the OPT recommendation.
• The proper application fee for USD 410 (INR 33,657.84)
• Form I-20 countersigned by respective DSO within the last 60 days
• A copy of STEM degree.

How to Apply for OPT Visa?

The Designated School Official (DSO) of the respective institutions of every student is required to give the recommendation of OPT. The DSO will give recommendations by signing Form I-20, which is a non-immigrant student eligibility certification. It will be followed by making an appropriate series of footnotes at SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) by DSO. Students are henceforth required to submit Form I-765 for employment authorization with USCIS with a fee of USD 410 (INR 33,657.84) and supporting documents.

Types of Degrees Associated While Applying	Types of OPT	Applying Process for OPT
STEM Degree	Pre-Completion of OPT	Aspirants are required to apply after the DSO of the respective institution enters the recommendation into the SEVIS record. Candidates may apply for OPT up to 90 days prior to the completion of a full academic year.
	Initial Post-Completion of OPT	Students must apply within 30 days after the DSO enters the recommendation for OPT into the SEVIS record. Candidates may apply upto 90 days prior to the completion of a degree but not after 60 days of degree completion.
	STEM-OPT Extension	Students can apply within 60 days after the DSO enters the recommendation for OPT into the SEVIS record. Candidates can apply upto 90 days before the expiry of the current OPT employment authorization.
Non-Stem Degree	Pre-Completion of OPT	Aspirants must apply after the DSO of the respective institution enters the recommendation into the SEVIS record. Candidates may apply for OPT up to 90 days prior to the completion of a full academic year.
	Post-Completion of OPT	Students are required to apply after the DSO of the respective institution enters the recommendation into the SEVIS record. Candidates must apply within 30 days after the DSO enters the recommendation for OPT into the SEVIS record. Aspirants can apply upto 90 days prior to the completion of a degree but not after 60 days of degree completion.

CPT for F1 Visa

The CPT visa validity for an F1 student is upto 12 months time period. The CPT is an essential part of the major of a student and the experience must be from the field of study. The designated school official(DSO) can authorize CPT during the first semester. A signed agreement letter from the employer is required for CPT. An F1 student can work in both full-time or part-time status by means of a CPT visa. A student will be disqualified for OPT with 12 months or more of full-time CPT, whereas part-time CPT is fine for doing OPT.

How to Apply for CPT in USA?

Some important steps to be followed by an international student to apply for CPT are as follows:

• Consultation with a student advisor of the top university in USA for finding the eligibility and potential employers of CPT programs.
• Choosing a college-required CPT course for becoming an eligible student.
• Getting an offer letter of a job from the employer on the official letterhead. The letter includes the information like address of the workplace.
• Planning for application must be done before as the authorization can take a few weeks. All requested documents like proof of class registration must be submitted at the time of the application process.
• Candidate will receive a document either by physical means or by email approving the application along with the start and end dates of CPT. Students must make a copy and print the documentation.
• Consulting with the employer and providing proper documentation.
• Beginning the CPT program with an employer on the mentioned starting date.

Authorization Process of CPT

The process to authorize CPT are as follows:

• Visiting the “Student Information page” on “Study in the States” website
• Clicking on the “CPT Employment Authorization” in the Employment/Training section.
• Selecting “New CPT Employment” and the page for adding CPT employment will pop up.
• Completing the steps of employment start date, end date, full or part-time, employer name, address, how the employment is circular, employment and student remarks.
• Adding the CPT authorization to the student record by selecting on “Add Employment”. A page written “Update Successful” will pop up. Individuals can either “Return to Employment List” to get back to the CPT Employment page or “Print I-20” to print the CPT authorization on page two.
• Clicking on “Reset Values” for clearing the entered values.
• Clicking on “Cancel” for returning to “CPT Employment” page without CPT authorization.

Process for Cancellation of CPT

DSO can cancel CPT before the date of starting and can only edit the authorization for shortening the end date, after the starting of the CPT. The steps for the cancellation of a CPT are:

• Visiting the “CPT Employment” page on “Study in the States” website.
• The “Cancel CPT Employment” page will open after selecting “Cancel” from the command column for the CPT authorization wants to be removed.
• Clicking on the “Cancel Employment” in order to cancel the CPT authorization.
• An “Update Successful” page will appear. Individuals can click either on “Return to Employment List” or “Print I-20”.
• Clicking on “Return to Employment List” for returning to the CPT employment page.
• Clicking of “Print I-20” for printing the Form I-20.
• Clicking on “Return” to get back to the “CPT Employment” page without the cancellation of CPT.

Process for Editing of CPT

The steps for editing a CPT are as follows:

• Visiting the “CPT Employment” page on the “Study in the States” website.
• The “Edit CPT Employment” page will open after clicking on “Edit” next to the CPT authorization a person wants to update.
• Updating the required editing fields.
• Clicking on “Update Employment” for editing the CPT authorization in the student record.
• An “Update Succesful” page will open.
• Individuals can return to the “CPT Employment” page by selecting “Return to Employment List”.
• Individuals can print Form I-20 with edited CPT authorization on page two by clicking on the “Print I-20” form.
• Clicking on “Reset Values” for clearing any entered values.
• Individuals can get back to the “CPT Employment” page without authorization CPT by clicking on “Cancel”.

Comparison of CPT vs OPT

Some basic differences between the OPT and CPT to travel and stay in UK for international students are as follows:

Parameters	CPT Visa	OPT Visa
Work or Training Time Period	It can be either part-time or full-time. During schooling: 20 hours and during summer break: 40 hours	Full-time after graduation
Training Authorizes By	Requires approval of ISS and academic department support	Requires approval of USCIS (US Government)
Process of Application	Application to ISS on an online-basis	Application to USCIS on paper-basis
Need of Job Before Applying	Must apply with a job offer	Jobs in USA is not required for applying
Time to Process the Application	2-3 weeks	3-5 months on an average
Employment Duration	CPT visa validity is up to 12 months	OPT visa validity is up to 12 months and can be extended up to 24 months
Employment Authorization Document (EAD)	Students does not get EAD from USCIS for CPT	Students receives EAD from USCIS post-approval
Application Fee	No application fee	An application fee of USD 410 (INR 33,657.84)
Employment Type	Can work with any employer across the USA	Can work with the employer from the I-20 list and the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS)

Both OPT and CPT can assist a student to get the benefits of studying in USA. International students can check the above-mentioned details about both OPT visa and CPT visa along with eligibility and process to apply.

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