F-1 students participating in CPT must submit Form I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status) which includes the evidence of nonimmigrant status, per RM 10211.135, and evidence of employment status.

Accept the Designated School Official’s (DSO) annotations on page 2 (employment page) of the Form I-20 as evidence of employment status.

Page 1 of the Form I-20 must have the DSO's signature and date. DHS has deemed acceptable the following methods that the DSO can choose for signing and sending Form I-20 to F-1 students (students must print emailed Form I-20s prior to visiting their field office or social security card center):

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  Email Form I-20 that contains a digitally reproduced copy of a physical signature (e.g., a scanned image of a physical (original) signature); or

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  Email a digitally signed Form I-20 with an electronic signature produced with software programs or applications (e.g., Adobe); or

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  Provide a physically signed Form I-20.

Page 2 of the Form I-20 must show all of the following employment information:

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  whether CPT is full-time or part-time;

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  employer name and location; and

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  employment start and end dates (employment start date can be 30 days before the start of classes).

Sometimes the DSO completes page 2 of the Form I-20 to show approval for Optional Practical Training (OPT). Please ensure the annotation specifies CPT.

CPT is an 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. CPT must be an integral part of an established curriculum and may occur on or off campus.

For example, participation in cooperative education and working for university-approved off-campus employers is a degree requirement for many students at Drexel University in Philadelphia.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) does not require an Employment Authorization Document (EAD, I-766) from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and instead requires the school’s DSO's documentation of CPT on page 2 of the student’s Form I-20. The DSO’s completion of page 2 of the Form I-20 with employment information is evidence that the F-1 student meets academic requirements and authorized for CPT. When establishing CPT work authorization, F-1 students do not need to provide a DSO letter, pay stub, or other evidence of employment status as described in RM 10211.270.

RM 10211.275 Reviewing the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and Form I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status)