Traveling internationally on Day 1 CPT

Many students are concerned about traveling internationally while on CPT. Many international students often have concerns such as “will I be let in by the custom if I have CPT information on my i-20?” or “if I travel internationally, would I be automatically dropped out of the university and lose my F1 status?”. If this sounds like you, here is everything you need to know about traveling internationally while being enrolled in Day 1 CPT programs:

1. When can I travel internationally?

It is advised that you don’t travel during the semester (even if there are some breaks during holidays such as thanksgiving and between terms) and only travel during the winter and summer breaks if there are any. If you absolutely have to travel during the semester (which some of our students did), we would suggest that you write to your DSO, your academic advisor, and your professor at least a month before your travel. One of our students at Trine University reported to us that they traveled internationally for a week during the spring semester and they let the school know 2 months before they left the country. The response from their DSO at that time confirmed the possibility of traveling during the semester.

2. What do I need to do when I’m travelling?

One of the most popular Day 1 CPT university, Trine University, on their official website suggested that students change the end date of their CPT to the date when they leave the country, and re-apply CPT when they come back to the US, if the trip takes 1 week or more. However, according to our student’s report, they travelled during the summer break for 4 weeks (June 2024) and but they didn’t end their CPT, but the custom at JFK did not give them a hard time about it. We would still suggest students to follow university instructions, and consult their DSO about whether they should stop CPT when traveling internationally.

Here is an example of Trine University’s policy on traveling on CPT

If you are travelling during the semester, make sure to finish your homework that will be due during your trip before you leave the country, or get a VPN for accessing learning platforms such as Moodle. For example, at Trine University, students are not able to log in to the university’s learning platform, Moodle, because the system can detect if their IP address is within the US. If you absolutely have to travel during the semester, and have already received your DSO’s approval, you can use a VPN to access the school system when travelling.

3. What to do when I come back from my trip?

When you are at the custom, be honest and make sure you tell them clearly that you are coming to America to study, not to work, and your CPT is just a part of your academic requirement. If they ask you about why you are traveling during the semester, just relax and be honest that this is a trip you can’t avoid, and you have already asked your school for permission, although in our experience, custom officials rarely ask these questions. Usually the questions at the custom are generic, such as “how long you have left the US”, “where do you live”, “did you bring cash”, “what is your home address”, etc.