2a : a definite course or method of action selected from among alternatives and in light of given conditions to guide and determine present and future decisionsb : a high-level overall plan embracing the general goals and acceptable procedures especially of a governmental body.
1 The work may be paid or unpaid, full-time or part-time, which take place off-campus. 2  CPT is granted for a specific position, employer, and period.  You are not required to obtain work authorization to engage in bona fide (legitimate) volunteer activities or unpaid internships. However, if possible, we recommend that you apply for CPT if you are engaging in an unpaid internship. Please see our page on âVolunteering and Unpaid Internshipsâ for more information.
Unpaid Internship Requirements. First and foremost, you should know already that if you are doing a CPT or pre-completion OPT unpaid internship and the internship is during the times that school is session, you CANNOT work over 20 hours a week. That is a USCIS regulation for F-1/J-1 visa students. However, if the internship occurs during school breaks, such as spring/summer/winter breaks, it is ok to work 40 hours a week. Now, there are US Department of Labor laws regarding unpaid internships.