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May 18, 2020 Question of the Week: International Internships and CPT

Monday, May, 18th, 2020 Archived / Inactive

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Question of the Week

Each week the International Center will pose a frequently asked question from students and scholars. These questions are general in nature and have been edited for conciseness and clarity. If you have a question you'd like us to include in this column, send us an email at internationalcenter@tufts.edu.

May 18, 2020

Question: Hi, I am a current student and I am going to be doing a summer internship outside of the US - it will be in another country. Do I need to get Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorization?

Answer: Congratulations on getting a summer internship. Curricular practical training (CPT) authorization is the most common type of work authorization for F-1 students who plan to do paid or unpaid summer internships. However, CPT authorization is only required for internship experiences that are taking place inside the US. It is not required (although it is still available) if your internship experience will take place outside of the US. However, you should get CPT authorization if there's a chance that any part of the internship will take place while you are physically inside the US.

If you will be doing the internship in a third country that is other than your country of citizenship, you should consult with your CPT employer to see if there are procedures or requirements for working in that third country.

If the internships is being doing to fulfill an academic degree requirement or to obtain internship credit, you can work with your academic department to make sure that you follow your program's procedures for obtaining academic credit for your internship experience.

If you have any questions about these options, please contact us at internationalcenter@tufts.edu. Good luck with your internship this summer, and take care to stay healthy and safe, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic are still affecting travel and working conditions worldwide.