Entry Level CPT Jobs
Entry level CPT roles let F-1 students earn U.S. work experience as a required part of their degree program, before graduation and without waiting for OPT. Employers authorize CPT through your DSO, not USCIS, so the hiring timeline is faster and the paperwork falls on your school, not the company.
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Get Access To All JobsRole Summary:
Flowserve Corporation, a global leader in flow‑management products and services, is seeking a Summer Engineering Intern for our Cookeville, Tennessee valve manufacturing facility. This internship provides hands‑on experience with the design, testing, and validation of valve products while exposing the student to how engineering supports manufacturing, order fulfillment, and product development. The ideal candidate is a Mechanical Engineering student who has completed their junior year and has a strong interest in applied engineering within a manufacturing environment.
Hours: 7 AM – 4 PM
Responsibilities:
- Support the design, testing, and proofing of valve products and components
- Work in the engineering lab to learn and perform valve testing procedures, interpret data, and understand performance characteristics
- Assist the order engineering team in learning the ERP system and understanding how drawings, routings, and bills of materials (BOM) support manufacturing
- Partner with the product engineering team to learn about valve materials, design concepts, and engineering standards
- Gain exposure to manufacturing processes and how engineering decisions affect production, quality, and reliability
- Complete a final report or presentation summarizing learning outcomes and demonstrating an understanding of how engineering integrates with the manufacturing process
Requirements
- Currently enrolled as a junior‑level Mechanical Engineering student or similar discipline
- Strong interest in hands‑on engineering, mechanical systems, testing, and manufacturing
- Ability to work onsite in Cookeville, TN, for 10 weeks
- Effective communication and teamwork skills
- Ability to learn technical procedures, follow test methods, and work safely in a lab and manufacturing environment
Preferred:
- Exposure to 3D CAD modeling or engineering drawings
- Familiarity with basic testing or lab equipment
- Interest in valves, fluid control equipment, or mechanical product design
- Coursework in materials, fluid mechanics, or mechanics of machines
- Experience with ERP systems, BOMs, or manufacturing documentation (school or internship)
Role Summary:
Flowserve Corporation, a global leader in flow‑management products and services, is seeking a Summer Engineering Intern for our Cookeville, Tennessee valve manufacturing facility. This internship provides hands‑on experience with the design, testing, and validation of valve products while exposing the student to how engineering supports manufacturing, order fulfillment, and product development. The ideal candidate is a Mechanical Engineering student who has completed their junior year and has a strong interest in applied engineering within a manufacturing environment.
Hours: 7 AM – 4 PM
Responsibilities:
- Support the design, testing, and proofing of valve products and components
- Work in the engineering lab to learn and perform valve testing procedures, interpret data, and understand performance characteristics
- Assist the order engineering team in learning the ERP system and understanding how drawings, routings, and bills of materials (BOM) support manufacturing
- Partner with the product engineering team to learn about valve materials, design concepts, and engineering standards
- Gain exposure to manufacturing processes and how engineering decisions affect production, quality, and reliability
- Complete a final report or presentation summarizing learning outcomes and demonstrating an understanding of how engineering integrates with the manufacturing process
Requirements
- Currently enrolled as a junior‑level Mechanical Engineering student or similar discipline
- Strong interest in hands‑on engineering, mechanical systems, testing, and manufacturing
- Ability to work onsite in Cookeville, TN, for 10 weeks
- Effective communication and teamwork skills
- Ability to learn technical procedures, follow test methods, and work safely in a lab and manufacturing environment
Preferred:
- Exposure to 3D CAD modeling or engineering drawings
- Familiarity with basic testing or lab equipment
- Interest in valves, fluid control equipment, or mechanical product design
- Coursework in materials, fluid mechanics, or mechanics of machines
- Experience with ERP systems, BOMs, or manufacturing documentation (school or internship)
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding CPT Jobs
Confirm your CPT eligibility before applying
CPT requires your program to list the internship or co-op as a curricular requirement. Check your I-20 and talk to your DSO early, if the role doesn't map to a course, your school can't authorize it, and employers can't hire you.
Target employers already enrolled in E-Verify
Some employers assume CPT requires complex immigration paperwork on their end. E-Verify-enrolled companies have already cleared the baseline compliance step, so they're more likely to move forward without delays or HR hesitation specific to F-1 hires.
Search CPT-authorized roles on Migrate Mate
Migrate Mate surfaces entry level positions at employers with documented F-1 hiring history, so you're not guessing which companies will actually process CPT. Filter by occupation and location to find roles that match your degree program's requirements.
Verify your offer letter includes required CPT details
Your DSO needs a formal offer letter stating the employer name, job title, start and end dates, and whether the role is paid or unpaid. A vague or informal offer will stall your CPT authorization and delay your start date.
Use O*NET to match your role to your major
If your DSO questions whether a role qualifies as curricular, pull the O*NET occupation profile for your job title. It lists the standard educational requirements and tasks, giving your DSO documented evidence that the position aligns with your field of study.
Start CPT authorization at least three weeks before your start date
DSOs update your I-20 to reflect CPT authorization, and that processing takes time your employer won't wait for. Bring your offer letter to your international student office immediately after signing, not after negotiating your benefits package.
CPT jobs are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find CPT JobsFrequently Asked Questions
Can I work full-time on CPT while still in school?
Yes, but full-time CPT, defined as 20 or more hours per week, counts against your OPT eligibility. Twelve months or more of full-time CPT eliminates your post-graduation OPT entirely. Part-time CPT, under 20 hours per week, has no impact on OPT, so most students in academic-year semesters opt for part-time roles to protect their post-graduation options.
Do employers have to file anything with USCIS for CPT?
No. CPT authorization is handled entirely through your school. Your DSO updates your I-20 to reflect the specific employer, job, and dates. The employer does not file anything with USCIS, pay government fees, or wait for federal approval. That's what makes CPT faster to activate than OPT or H-1B sponsorship for entry level roles.
What kinds of entry level jobs are available for F-1 students on CPT?
CPT is available in any field that ties to your degree, so qualifying roles span engineering, computer science, business, finance, healthcare administration, and data analytics, among others. The key constraint is that your academic program must have a curricular link to the position. Migrate Mate lists entry level openings at employers with F-1 CPT hiring history, filtered by occupation and location.
Can I change employers mid-semester after CPT is authorized?
Not without a new CPT authorization from your DSO. Your I-20 lists the specific employer and dates. If you switch companies, your original CPT authorization becomes invalid and your DSO must issue a new I-20 reflecting the new employer before you start working. Starting at a new employer before the updated I-20 is issued violates your F-1 status.
What if a company offers me a role but says they don't sponsor visas?
For CPT, employers aren't sponsoring a visa in the traditional sense. There's no petition, no USCIS fee, and no government approval required from their side. If an employer declines because they think CPT is too complex, clarifying that CPT authorization is processed entirely through your university, not through any federal filing, often resolves the concern. Many HR teams simply aren't familiar with how CPT works.
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