ADMISSIONS APPLICATION PRIORITY DEADLINES:

2025-2026 Academic Year

• Winter 2026: not accepting new admissions applications
• Spring 2026: not accepting new admissions applications

2026-2027 Academic Year

• Summer 2026: March 2, 2026
• Fall 2026: check back for date
• Winter 2027: check back for date
• Spring 2027: check back for date

If you are currently attending another U.S. college and want to transfer to CPTC, please follow these steps:

1. Complete the CPTC International Transfer Forms:
   1. Admission Application for Intl 25-26
   2. International Student Transfer Eligibility Verification Form

      • The Transfer Eligibility Verification Form must be completed by the International Program Designated School Officer (DSO) at your current college.

         

2. Submit your completed application and transfer form, along with the following required documents: 
   1. Bank statement(s) showing enough funds to cover your first year of study. 
   2. Other required supporting documents (see full required documents list).
   3. $100 USD non-refundable application fee
   4. A small color photo (head shot).

   5. A short personal essay about yourself and your education/career goals. 

       

3. Submit your official transcripts from all current or previous colleges.

   1. Send transcripts directly to the Credentials Evaluator at: evaluator@cptc.edu.

       

4. Submit copies of your current immigration documents:
   1. Your I-20
   2. Your I-94
   3. The visa page of your passport

• No TOEFL/IELTS is required for admission if you have successfully completed the highest level of an accredited intensive English or English as a second language (ESL) program in the U.S.
• TOEFL iBT61/PBT500/CBT173 or higher.
• IELTS overall band score 5.5 or higher with no band score lower than 5.0.
• If English is an official language of your country of citizenship, no proof of English language proficiency is required.
• Duolingo test scores may be accepted as proof of English proficiency. Contact Outreach & Entry Services for details.
• Please request your test scores to be sent to us directly from ETS or IELTS.

Some programs may require higher test scores. Contact Outreach & Entry Services for details.

We look forward to welcoming you to our friendly and safe college! 

Located south of Seattle, only 40 minutes from the Seattle-Tacoma airport in the City of Lakewood, we're ready to help you every step of the way, from the time you apply to the time you graduate.

We offer personal attention to help you settle in to your new life in Washington State.

Housing Options

Full Homestay:

• 3 months to 1 year or more
• Furnished bedroom
• Host family provides two nutritious meals per day

Partial Homestay:

• 3 months to 1 year or more
• Furnished bedroom
• Student buys and cooks own food in the family kitchen

(Single Rooms, Double Rooms, and Triple Rooms available) 

**If you wish to live with an American host family, please contact us. We partner with The Pacific Language and Cultural Exchange who helps us with homestay placements. For more information and current the P.L.A.C.E homestay rates, please visit www.theplaceseattle.com

Travel Policy

ANNUAL VACATION What is Annual Vacation? | Study in the States

An annual vacation is an authorized break in a student’s studies that is taken once per academic year and lasts one term.  F-1 students are eligible to take an annual vacation after completing their academic year requirement at a Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified school and once every year after that.  Although it is most frequently taken during the summer term, it can be taken during another academic term, which is usually determined by a student’s school calendar.  

Annual vacation differs from a school break, which occurs when a school closes for a short period of time during a school term, normally during a U.S. holiday, spring break or winter break.

Before taking annual vacation, F-1 students should speak with their designated school official (DSO). Their DSO can confirm their eligibility for vacation and should sign the student’s Form I-20, “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status,” if they plan to travel outside of the United States.

F-1 students must be enrolled in a full course of study any time they are not on annual vacation. M-1 students are not eligible for annual vacation.  

Emergency Situations 

HARDSHIPS F-1 Off Campus Employment and International Organization Internship | Study in the States

Off-campus employment is a benefit available for some F-1 students who are:

• Experiencing an economic hardship.
• Seeking special student relief due to emergent circumstances.
• Participating in an internship with an international organization.

A designated school official (DSO) must verify that the student qualifies for off-campus employment by entering the employment information in SEVIS.

Off-campus employment recommendations cannot exceed one year; except for employment during Special Student Relief (SSR), which can end either on the last date of the authorized SSR, as published in the Federal Register notice, or the student’s program end date, whichever is earlier.

The student must then file a Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Remind your F-1 students:

• Not to file the Form I-765, “Application for Employment Authorization,” until you have recommended off-campus employment in their SEVIS records, and they have the updated Form I-20 with the off-campus employment recommendation. 

If a student submits the Form I-765 on paper or electronically before you recommend the off-campus employment:

• USCIS will deny the application. (Federal regulations require the DSO off- campus recommendation on the student SEVIS record before the Form  I- 765 is submitted.) 
• The student will have to reapply for off-campus employment and pay the fee again, if required.

IMPORTANT: Making these mistakes can dramatically delay the final USCIS authorized employment start date.

Severe Economic Hardship

The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) defines “severe economic hardship” as a financial condition caused by unforeseen circumstances beyond the student’s control that make it difficult for a student to continue education in the United States.

• These financial conditions may include:
• Loss of financial aid or on-campus employment through no fault of the student.
• Substantial changes in the exchange rate or value of the currency upon which the student depends.
• Inordinate increases in tuition or living costs.
• Unexpected changes in the financial state of the student’s source of support.
• Medical bills.
• Other substantial and unexpected expenses.

Special Student Relief Due to Emergent Circumstances

In special global circumstances (e.g., famine, war, economic downturn, etc.) the U.S. government may allow students from affected countries temporary special benefits. This practice is called Special Student Relief (SSR). One of the SSR benefits is to apply for off-campus employment. In these cases, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will issue a notice in the Federal Register that gives timelines and details of the benefits.

Internship with an International Organization

Students who are offered an internship with an international organization may be eligible for an employment benefit. The internship must:

• Be in the United States.
• Be with a public international organization that falls within the International Organization Immunities Act, as defined in 22 U.S.C. § 288 59 Stat. 669.

CPT (Curricular Practical Training)

CPT (Curricular Practical Training) F-1 Curricular Practical Training (CPT) | Study in the States

Some F-1 students are eligible for practical training. There are two types of F-1 practical training: curricular practical training (CPT) and optional practical training (OPT).

Regulations and Policy

Complex rules apply to CPT because the training opportunity must comply with both:

• Federal regulations
• School policies regarding internships, experiential learning, etc.

Designated school officials must understand the following federal regulations and policy guidance to determine if a student qualifies for CPT:

Regulations applicable to CPT:

• 8 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 214.2(f)(10) and (f)(10(i)
• https://www.ice.gov/sevis/practical-training Practical Training page on ICE.gov

Eligibility

A DSO can authorize CPT for an F-1 student enrolled at an SEVP-certified college, university, conservatory, or seminary if the student:

• Has been lawfully enrolled on a full-time basis for at least a full academic year.       
  Note: An exception exists for students in graduate studies whose programs require earlier training.
• Is not studying English as a second language.
• Has secured a training position.

CPT authorization is only required when the training is inside the United States. For example, a summer internship in a student’s home country does not need CPT authorization.

CPT Process Overview

Optional Practical Training

OPT (Optional Practical Training F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT) | Study in the States

F-1 students often want to work. However, employment opportunities are limited, and strict rules apply. This document discusses different types of optional practical training (OPT) including: required forms, processes, and updating SEVIS.

What is Optional Practical Training?

Optional practical training is one type of work permission available for eligible F-1 students. It allows students to get real-world work experience related to their field of study.

While a Designated School Official (DSO) recommends OPT in SEVIS, it is the student who must apply for the work permit with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). If the OPT is approved, USCIS will issue an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). The student must not begin working before the start date on the EAD.

Regulations and Policy Guidance

Complex rules and guidance apply to OPT. Any OPT requests entered into SEVIS must comply with federal regulations. DSOs must understand the following regulations and policy guidance:

• 8 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 214.2(f)(10) through (13)
• 8 CFR 274a.12(c)(3)
• SEVP Policy Guidance on OPT
• SEVP Policy Guidance: Practical Training – Determining a Direct Relationship between Employment and a Student’s Major Area of Study

OPT Types

There are three general types of OPT:

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OPT Request Statuses

The table below lists the statuses used to identify the stages of OPT requests in SEVIS. 

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OPT Eligibility

A student is eligible for OPT if:

• The student has been a full-time student for one academic year in an SEVP-certified:
  • College
  • University
  • Conservatory
  • Seminary
• The student is not studying English as a Second Language.
• The student’s proposed employment relates to the student’s major area of study. For more information see SEVP Policy Guidance: Practical Training – Determining a Direct Relationship between Employment and a Student’s Major Area of Study.
• The student has not used all optional practical training available at the current level of study.
• The student has not been authorized for 12 months or more of full-time Curricular Practical Training (CPT).

Full-time CPT at a previous school at the same program level counts toward the CPT 12month total affecting OPT. CPT at another program level does not affect OPT.

OPT Process at a Glance

Remind your F-1 students: 

• Not to file the Form I-765, “Application for Employment Authorization,” until you have recommended OPT in their SEVIS records, and they have the updated Form I-20 with the OPT recommendation.  
• They must file within the 30-day period after your DSO OPT recommendation. 

If a student submits the Form I-765 on paper or electronically before you recommend the OPT or after the 30-day post-DSO recommendation period: 

• USCIS will deny the application. (Federal regulations require the DSO OPT recommendation on the student SEVIS record before the Form I-765 is submitted.)  
• The student will lose the application fee. 
• The student will have to reapply for OPT and pay the fee again. 

IMPORTANT: Making these mistakes can dramatically delay the final USCIS authorized OPT start date.

The OPT application process involves many players and several steps:

Any F-1 Optional Practical Training request in Requested status longer than 180 days is automatically canceled by SEVIS. 

Form I-765 Filing Deadlines Once DSO Requests OPT in SEVIS

If the student does not file a Form I-765, the DSO should cancel the OPT request in SEVIS. 

Recommend Optional Practical Training

DSOs must be mindful of several key dates when entering OPT in SEVIS.

Key Dates

DSOs must be mindful of several key dates when entering OPT in SEVIS.

Post-Completion OPT Planning Tool: This Excel spreadsheet allows users to calculate the amount of OPT available for a student and generates suggested timelines for a student, based on the Program End Date and the desired OPT start date.

Recommend OPT

• SEVIS will not allow DSOs to request overlapping segments of OPT. You must specify if the OPT is pre-completion or post-completion OPT and must be either full or part part-time. 
• DSOs should verify and, if necessary, shorten the program end date on the Form I-20 before recommending a student for post-completion OPT
• If a DSO is recommending OPT for a student who plans to split their OPT time between degree programs at the same education level, you should explicitly note in SEVIS that the student is requesting to split their OPT time. The requested OPT validity dates for each particular degree program should be limited to the planned duration of OPT for that program.