F1 International Students’ Co-op Process

Updated June 2024

Checklist

❑ 1. Register for Co-op in Leopardweb.
❑ 2. Complete your Co-op Terms & Conditions in WITworks, at the beginning of the semester before you will go out on co-op and meet with your Co-op & Career Advisor for access to search for co-ops.
❑ 3. Search for and accept an offer for a co-op job. Get your Report of Hire approved in WITworks by your WIT Co-op & Career Advisor and by your Co-op Employer.
❑ 4. Download your fully approved Report of Hire as a PDF and it to ISSE with your CPT Application to send to ISSE. Not sure how to do this? Check out the video below.

Stop here if your co-op is unpaid or if you will be outside of the United States working for a company that is not based in the United States. You still must communicate with your Co-op & Career Advisor and your International Student Services Advisor that you are going out on co-op.

Continue to follow the steps below if your co-op is paid and you are working for a company based in the United States.

❑ 5. Submit your WITworks Report of Hire and Supplemental Co-op Approval Form in person or by email to your International Student Advisor. *You must allow 5 business days prior to the start date of co-op for the CPT application to be processed.
❑ 6. Your International Student Advisor will alert you by email when your I-20 with CPT approval is processed. Ensure that employer information and dates of employment are correct. It is a violation of your F-1 Student status to begin working before authorization is granted.
❑ 7. Go to the Social Security Administration if you do not already have a Social Security card. (It takes approximately 2 weeks to receive your card.)
❑ 8. Start work on the date listed on your CPT I-20, not before (You may only work dates permitted on your CPT I-20.). You must bring your CPT I-20 and passport with you to your first day of work.

Tips for Success & For Maintaining Your F-1 Visa Status

See Your International Student Services Advisor to:

  • Learn about the process of getting permission to work in the U.S.
  • Get submission deadlines for work authorization paperwork.
  • Find out how to obtain a Social Security Number.
  • Report any change including your address, employment, enrollment status.

See Your Co-op & Career Advisor to:

  • Plan your Co-op search.
  • Get answers to questions about WITworks or about registering for Co-op on Leopardweb.
  • Learn how to talk about your status with employers.
  • Get tips for interviewing and negotiating with employers.
  • Get deadlines for Co-op registration, reporting a Co-op hire, and starting a Co-op.
  • Get date ranges for Co-op employment.

For Important Dates and Deadlines: