Internships

Internships are a great way to gain experience in your career field for your planned degree. Students wanting to work in an internship in the U.S. must first get curricular practical training (CPT) work authorization from International Services. If you would like to do an internship outside of the U.S., you do not need CPT and can meet with an international student advisor to plan it out. Interested in student employment? Come talk to us!

How Does CPT Work?
As part of the CPT work authorization, you must also take the internship class for your major. However, on a very rare basis, CPT can also be given to a student for a non-internship credit that requires them to work. For example, some majors require things like student teaching, or a practicum or senior project that involves working for a company. The internship or non-internship class must be taken each semester they wish to participate in CPT.
When CPT has been authorized for your job, you will be given a new I-20. You cannot begin working without this I-20 in hand. The I-20 has details about your job including your employer, start and end dates, and the number of hours that you are permitted to work. If you work outside the authorization listed on your I-20 including the dates, hours, or employer, it is considered illegal, a violation of your status.

The CPT regulation specifically states that “a student may begin curricular practical training only after receiving his or her Form I-20 with the DSO endorsement.” You cannot work before receiving your CPT I-20. If you work before receiving a CPT I-20, it is considered a violation of your status.

If you continue to work for the same company, but your job title/description changes, you must receive new work authorization. If you do not, it is considered a violation of your status.

Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible to apply for CPT:

The internship class (or other authorized class, explained above) is required for all students in your major to graduate.
You must be fully enrolled on-campus at BYU-Idaho on the same SEVIS ID/I-20 for two full semesters.
Transfer students may occasionally be eligible to start an internship or non-internship CPT sooner if:
- You remain on the same SEVIS ID from their previous school,
- Your previous study was the same degree level (i.e. bachelors to another bachelors program)
- You were fully enrolled for two full semesters at their previous school
Your employment must be directly related to your major (not minor, emphasis, etc.).
Your employment must provide “practical training.” In other words, it must be some type of mentorship or program that will help you in your future career field.

Internship Application
You can apply for CPT through I-Plan. Before you can apply for the CPT, you must have a job offer. Make sure that the job relates to your major and will give you practical training in that field. If your internship request is approved, you will be given a new I-20 that authorizes you to work for that job.

Non-Internship CPT
If you wish to apply for a job and use a different class to receive academic credit, such as a senior project or a practicum, you will first need to meet with an International Student Advisor in the International Services office to discuss your options. The advisor will be able to explain the application process and answer any questions you may have.

Recent Changes
On 8/24/2026, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) issued an updated official guidance regarding internships. You can read the broadcast message, and the updated official guidance.

The messages instruct us to approve CPT only when it is truly integral to the program, successful completion of a degree is contingent on doing an internship, and the associated work is required for all students pursuing that degree.

What This Means for CPT at BYU-Idaho

Moving forward, CPT can only be approved for those completing an internship in the U.S. that is required to graduate. Many majors require one or two internships, and some majors do not require any. You can check your degree catalog for internship class requirements at the academic catalog. Make sure you have the correct year selected for the catalog you are in (it should be the year you declared the major). You may be able to do multiple internships in the U.S. depending on your major’s requirements. If your major does not require an internship, you cannot do any internships in the U.S.

In other words, the fact that a course is available for academic credit does not, by itself, make it sufficient to support CPT anymore. To keep you safe, we must be able to establish that the CPT experience is necessary to fulfill requirements that apply to your degree program.

Full Enrollment Internships

Full-time, required internships will no longer count as your full enrollment by itself. Full-time internships may only be done when you are eligible for a break (which may be different from your official off-track). International Services emails you before every semester alerting you of your enrollment requirements.

If you would like to do an internship in the U.S. when you are required to be fully enrolled, the internship must be 20 hours or less per week and either remote or in the Rexburg area, and you must take 12 credits with at least 9 credits in person.

This policy will be effective immediately– any previous or current CPTs will not be affected. If you are considering internships, please contact International Services before making commitments to an employer. We can help you determine whether the proposed work and associated class meet the current requirements for CPT authorization. As always, internships done outside the U.S. are still allowed and do not require CPT authorization.

We understand these changes may cause you to change your plans for the upcoming Fall semester, and we are here to support you. If you would like to meet with an advisor, please schedule an appointment under the reason “Internship Questions”.

BYU-Idaho’s CPT Policy

Please review the entire CPT policy.