What's the difference between CPT and OPT in America?

CPT visas are used during study, such as paid internship courses, such as studying hotel management. You can practice for one year during your sophomore year, but the total length of CPT can be close to one year (364 days) and not more than one year (365 days). OPT visa is used after graduation, and it is a transitional visa after studying in the United States.

Students who have graduated from American institutions of higher learning can find work practice units in related professional fields. During the internship period, you can retain the foreign student status of F 1, and you can apply for an H- 1B visa during the internship period, that is, you can apply for immigration by changing your student status into your work status. In the past, the period of OPT visa was 12 months, which means that if they want to apply for immigration, you need to get an H- 1B visa within 12 months. At present, if you study science, technology, engineering or mathematics, it can be extended to 29 months, but other majors usually take 12 months, and there are still two months to pack up and return to China after the OPT visa ends.

It should be noted that for newly graduated students, no matter what major they study, the OPT visa they apply for is always 12 months, except for students majoring in science and technology, engineering and mathematics who can apply for an extension of 17 months in the first OPT state, so the OPT time is 29 months in total. When applying for extension, the applicant needs to be employed by an American employer and work in a field directly related to his major.

CPT usually takes one year to apply, but this is not the case if graduate students have to take an internship immediately because of the needs of the course. If you have studied more than one degree at the same level, for example, you have studied several master's degrees, then the length of one year is that all master's degrees add up to one year, instead of each master's degree having one year.

OPT visa needs to be applied 3-4 months before graduation, not later than 3 months after graduation. During the internship, you can work for any employer, and you won't lose your identity immediately after you get rid of your job. Students can apply once after each learning stage, which means that you can apply once for undergraduate, master and doctoral graduation.