Note: I'm an admin, I'll be networking with DSO's at all schools to get you answers fellow monkeys. But please let's keep this insightful.
Rumor that you can pay to use the OPT for US summer internships but I am not sure if it is true
New CPT rules (Aug 24 SEVP memo)... what does this actually mean for int'l students doing US IB/consulting internships this summer?
SEVP put out a broadcast memo on Aug 24 (BCM 2608-02) tightening CPT enforcement... basically saying CPT only counts if the internship is a genuinely required, integral part of your curriculum, not just an elective "internship for credit" course you enroll in to get work authorization. Berkeley, UPenn, and UMich have reportedly already suspended their "Course Credit CPT" pathways because of this.
I've seen a bunch of conflicting answers on this, including from people who should know better, so I wanted to ask people actually going through it right now:
- Has anyone at these schools (or others) actually gone through CPT authorization post-Aug 24? What is your DSO actually telling you?
- If your major doesn't literally require an internship, are you still able to get CPT approved for something like an IB/PE/consulting summer internship, or is that door closed now?
- Anyone hear anything about how this affects OPT instead, as a fallback?
Trying to actually understand what's happening on the ground here rather than going off secondhand info. Appreciate any real experiences.
Bump
no, all internships post like first year fall under this wording of "integral" for blah blah. believe it just has to be relevant to your degree.
they canned duration of status and made f1 visas restricted to 4 years at first (then u apply for 1 year extensions at a time if you need it, believe they might be stingy with these extensions). also reduced the grace period or whatever its called from 60 to 30 days
but for anyone confused about this just talk to your school and DSO, not wso
I donβt get why you would type when you have done 0 research most schools paused ALL CPT indefinitely itβs cooked
As a current international student at a T20 university, I can confirm that for-credit CPT has been fully suspended at my school. The only alternative now is pre-completion OPT. However, pre-completion OPT reduces the amount of OPT time available after graduation. Not by much if you're only using it for one summer, but it's still a downside. The main obstacle with pre-completion OPT is that it's authorized by USCIS, which makes the process significantly longer and more complicated than CPT. The average processing time for OPT applications is reportedly around five months, compared to CPT, which were previously be authorized by DSOs in as little as five biz days. This raises a serious question about whether summer internships are even feasible for international students under the current circumstances. I've also heard of pre-completion OPT being approved relatively quickly (in as little as three weeks), but processing times remain unpredictable. At this point, it seems that international students have two realistic options: pursue summer internships through pre-completion OPT or focus on full-time recruiting while considering opportunities outside IB to maximize their chances of staying in the US after graduation. And quite frankly, I doubt many employers would be willing to hire an intern whose work authorization could remain in bureaucratic limbo for months, especially when summer internships have fixed start dates. That leaves full-time recruiting as potentially the more realistic path for internationals as of now.
quick question, but arent intern offers given 18 months BEFORE the start date gving plenty of time for OPT logisitics to run their course?
or ~15+ months?
Et ab aut est eum nulla dolor. In sit quia deleniti qui deserunt qui dolor. Quia debitis voluptatem ullam modi.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...