===== PAGE 1 ===== Dear Employer, Thank you for considering a Kentucky State University international student for employment with your company! As you may have known, international students are eligible and allowed to apply for permission to engage in temporary employment in order to gain hands-on experience in their fields of study. This type of employment is referred to as Practical Training (Optional Practical Training or Curriculum Practical Training). Practical Training may be authorized before completion of studies on a part-time or full-time basis, depending on the category of Practical Training. Students apply for Practical Training through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in coordination with their KSU Designated School Official (DSO). Students who have been authorized for employment for Practical Training will have either an I-20 Certificate of Eligibility for F-1 Student Status endorsed on page three for “curricular practical training (CPT),” or an Employment Authorization Document (EAD card) issued by Immigration. Employers who hire students authorized for Practical Training are not required to document recruitment efforts, nor are they required to pay fees or complete complicated paperwork. International students must have their CPT authorized before they start internships. Employers who intend to hire an international student as intern, either paid or unpaid, need to provide the student with an official offer letter. The letter needs to state the job start date and end date, work hours per week, and a brief description of the job. The student needs to use this offer letter to have his/her CPT authorized by a KSU DSO. CPT does not need USCIS's adjudication, but just authorized by a DSO. If an employer wants to employ a KSU international graduate beyond the 12-month Practical Training limit, an extension may be possible, depending on the student's field of study. The employer must be enrolled in USCIS's E-Verify program, and minimal reporting requirements may be required. Also, it is often possible to secure an H-1B Temporary Worker visa. The employer must petition the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on the international's behalf. If you need any additional information or concerns about the CPT or this student's F-1 status, please do not hesitate to contact me via phone or by email at eric.yang@kysu.edu Sincerely,
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Eric Yang, Ph. D Director, RO & ARO