By Yes, international students can do internships, but you need work authorization before you start. In the US, F-1 students generally use CPT or OPT, arranged through a designated school official. In Canada, post-secondary students no longer need a co-op work permit for placements their program requires, as of April 1, 2026. Employers differ widely on sponsorship, so check each posting.
This is general information from government sources, checked October 31, 2026. It is not immigration advice. Your school's international student office knows your situation and is the right place to confirm anything before you act on it.
US internships: CPT and OPT
The Department of Homeland Security's Study in the States site describes both options. Your first step with either is your designated school official (DSO).
| CPT | Pre-completion OPT | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Work, internship, or co-op that is an integral part of your curriculum | Training directly related to your program of study |
| Who approves it | Your DSO, in SEVIS, with an updated Form I-20 | Your DSO recommends it, then USCIS approves your Form I-765 |
| Hours | Can be full time, with no weekly 20 hour limit | 20 hours a week in session, full time during breaks |
| When you can start | Generally after one full academic year, unless your graduate program requires immediate CPT | Only after you receive your Employment Authorization Document |
| Main catch | One year or more of full time CPT ends post-completion OPT eligibility | Counts toward the 12 months of OPT available at each education level |
Two more points from the same guidance. If you receive pay of any kind, you must apply for a Social Security number. And STEM graduates may qualify for a STEM OPT extension. DHS also links to an August 2026 broadcast message giving school officials guidance on CPT, so ask your DSO whether your school's policy has changed.
An offer letter is not authorization. Talk to your DSO as soon as you are interviewing, not the week before your start date.
Canada: the 2026 co-op permit change
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada says that as of April 1, 2026, post-secondary international students do not need a co-op work permit for student work placements such as co-ops and internships. Existing permit holders can keep using theirs until they expire. Secondary students still need one. To qualify, you must:
- Have conditions on your initial study permit that say you may work on campus.
- Have a letter from your designated learning institution confirming the placement is required.
- Hold a valid study permit, or have applied to extend it before it expired.
- Be a full time post-secondary student.
- Be in a program where work placements total 50% or less.
There is no weekly hour limit on the placement itself, and you can work for any employer your school's program accepts, including off campus. The key word is required: this covers placements your program needs, not any internship you find on your own. How co-ops differ from internships generally is in internship vs co-op.
How employers treat sponsorship
What employers say about work authorization, from their own pages and postings:
| Employer | What it says |
|---|---|
| Microsoft | Its university internship FAQ says it provides visa sponsorship |
| Deloitte (audit intern) | Limited immigration sponsorship may be available |
| Deloitte (Government and Public Services) | Must not need sponsorship now or in the future, and must be able to obtain clearance |
| IBM (Intern Application Developer) | No visa sponsorship for the position, now or in the future |
| PwC | Does not intend to hire people who will need sponsorship through the H-1B lottery, except under its published policy |
| Shopify | Requires existing authorization to work in the internship location for the whole assignment |
| Meta (Software Engineering Intern) | Must obtain work authorization by the time of hire and maintain it |
These are examples at a point in time, and policies can differ by posting. The takeaway is that a company name alone will not tell you the answer. Read the last few lines of each posting before you spend time on the application.
Answering work authorization questions
Most applications ask two separate things: whether you are authorized to work in that country now, and whether you will need sponsorship now or in the future. They are not the same question, and CPT or OPT can make the first one feel simple while the second still needs a careful answer.
- Read the exact wording every time. Employers phrase these differently.
- Answer truthfully. A wrong answer can cause problems later, even if it gets you past the form.
- Ask your international student office how to describe your status if you are unsure.
- Expect some instant rejections from these questions. It is one of the most common causes, as covered in why you keep getting auto rejected.
How to search efficiently
- Start with your school.Employers recruiting through your career portal or co-op office often know how to work with your school's process.
- Screen postings before applying. Search each one for sponsor, authorization, clearance, and citizen.
- Ask directly when it is unclear. A short message to a recruiter can save you hours. Templates are here.
- Apply to more roles. Some will be filtered out for reasons unrelated to you, so plan for it. See how many internships to apply to.
- Start early. Authorization takes time on top of normal recruiting. The calendar is in when to apply for summer internships.
Common questions
- Can international students do internships in the US?
- Yes, with authorization. F-1 students generally use Curricular Practical Training (CPT) or Optional Practical Training (OPT). You must work with your designated school official (DSO) and have authorization before you start. Working without permission can end your SEVIS record.
- What is the difference between CPT and OPT?
- CPT is training that is an integral part of your curriculum, authorized by your DSO, and it can be full time. OPT is training directly related to your program, approved by USCIS after a DSO recommendation. Before you finish your program, OPT is limited to 20 hours a week while school is in session, and it can be full time during breaks.
- Does CPT use up my OPT?
- Only at a certain point. Study in the States says students who complete one year or more of full time CPT are ineligible for post-completion OPT. Part time CPT, or less than a year of full time CPT, does not trigger that rule.
- Do international students need a co-op work permit in Canada?
- Not at the post-secondary level since April 1, 2026, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. The placement must be required by your program, you need a letter from your school confirming that, and it cannot total more than 50% of your program. Secondary students still need a permit.
- Do employers sponsor international interns?
- It varies by employer and role. Microsoft's internship FAQ says it provides visa sponsorship. IBM's Intern Application Developer posting says it will not. Deloitte's audit intern posting says limited sponsorship may be available, while one of its government roles requires no sponsorship need at all. Check each posting.
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