Employment

F1 and J1 On-Campus Employment Conditions

F1 Students: 

• You must be enrolled full time during the fall and winter semesters.
• You do not require authorization for on-campus employment.
• You may work up to 20 hours per week while school is in session.
• You may work full time on campus during official College holidays and session breaks.
• You may not engage in on-campus employment after the program end date listed on your I-20.
• Most employers require a Social Security number from their employees in order to process employment paperwork, as a result, F1 student visa holders are required to apply for a Social Security card as soon as they are employed on campus.

J1 Students: 

• You must be enrolled full time during the fall and winter semesters.
• You require prior work authorization for on-campus employment.
• You may work up to 20 hours per week while school is in session.
• You may work full time on campus during official College holidays and session breaks.
• You may not engage in on-campus employment after the program end date listed on your DS 2019.

F1 Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is an employment authorization available to F-1 students when the practical training is directly related to a student’s area of study and is considered to be an integral part of the curriculum or academic program. Students must be registered for a course that requires an off-campus training experience.  
 
CPT requires DSO authorization and an updated I-20. CPT can be granted on a part-time or full-time basis, at the discretion of your academic program, however, you are not authorized to begin the employment until the start date indicated on your I-20.  Please note that one year of full-time CPT eliminates a student’s eligibility for OPT.  Students should submit a CPT Request via the OISSS Portal at least one week prior to your expected start date.  

To be eligible:

• You must have an offer of employment in the form of a letter that includes the name of the employer, physical location, start and end date of employment, and a description of expected activities. CPT may be remote or hybrid.  
• You must have an accompanying course registration
• Undergraduates must have maintained lawful F-1 status for a full academic year of study. Graduate students are eligible in the first semester of study if the CPT is a requirement of their program.   
• You must maintain full enrollment in your program during fall or spring CPT.  
• You must apply prior to employment.

F1 Post-Completion Optional Practical Training

To be eligible for OPT you must:

1. Maintain full-time student status for at least one academic year or two full semesters by the requested OPT start date.
2. Maintain valid F1 status prior to and at the time of application.

Post-completion OPT should be applied for up to 90 days before your graduation date and no later than 60 days beyond your graduation or I-20 program end date. 

If you plan to leave the United States at any time during the 60-day grace period, you must apply for OPT before you leave the country. If you leave the United States without applying for OPT, you forfeit the benefit of applying for OPT.  

When you apply, it is important to identify a start date that will:

Prepare you for any possibility and ensure you are eligible to work at the earliest time preferred. The earliest start date is the first day after graduation. You cannot start working before the start date on your OPT card and you cannot change the requested dates after you apply. The latest date requested to start your work authorization is 60 days after graduation.

You do not have to have a job to apply for OPT. 

You are required to have a job during your post graduation OPT period. The-12 month period of OPT allows you to be unemployed for up to 90 days. If you apply for and receive a STEM extension, you can be unemployed for up to 150 days. 

F1 Pre-Completion Optional Practical Training

Students who have remained in legal F1 status for a full academic year are eligible for off-campus employment through Optional Practical Training (OPT). OPT must be in the student’s major field of study. Pre-completion OPT can be used for up to 20 hours during the academic semester and full time during session breaks. The total amount of time for OPT (pre- and post-) is 12 months. Pre-completion OPT will count against the 12-month maximum. 

Please schedule a time to meet with an OISSS adviser to discuss the rules, regulations, and application process for OPT. 

To be eligible for OPT you must:

• Maintain full-time student status for at least one academic year or two full semesters by the requested OPT start date.
• Maintain valid F1 status prior to and at the time of application

You are able to use pre-completion OPT if:

• It is part time during the semester.
• It is full time during annual vacation periods (e.g., summer).
• It is full time once all course requirements are complete and only the thesis requirement is remaining.

How long will it take to complete the OPT application process?

The entire process can take 3-5 months to complete, it will take a minimum of 90 days for OPT applications to be processed. 

APPLY EARLY--you do not need to have a job offer to apply for OPT!

You are eligible to apply up for post-completion OPT up to 90 days before your graduation date and NO LATER THAN 60 days beyond your graduation date or end date of your I-20.  Applications are authorized by the United State Custom and Immigrations Services (USCIS).

Conditions of Academic Training 

It is flexible and can be applied to paid or unpaid opportunities that offer applicable field related engagement. Academic Training can be pursued part-time (up to 20 hours/week) during your studies and full-time at the end of your program. Academic Training requests can be approved if the position meets the criteria for Academic Training, your J-1 status has been maintained, you have followed the appropriate application procedures, and your stay in the U.S. will remain in the stated time limits. Academic Training is approved on a case by case basis.

The time limits for Bachelor's, Master's and Non-Degree Students are a maximum of 18 months or the length of the program; whichever is shorter. 

If you are considering academic training at the end of your program, your authorization must be processed before your official academic program completion date. In addition, the academic training/employment must begin within the first 30 days after the official academic program completion date.

Volunteering

A common misconception is that the only difference is that employees are paid, whereas volunteers are not. However, simply being an unpaid worker does not necessarily mean that you are a true volunteer.  Volunteerism refers to donating time with an organization whose main purpose is civic, charitable or humanitarian in nature, without the promise, expectation or receipt of any type of compensation for services rendered.  It is typically not related to your program or field of study. A volunteer cannot displace a genuine employee or work for free in a position that normally would be paid.  
Examples of volunteer work could include donating time at a soup kitchen or a homeless shelter, walking dogs at the animal shelter, or building a house for Habitat for Humanity.
 
Volunteer Opportunity Requirements:

• You do not expect compensation or future employment
•  You do not displace a genuine employee and the services you provide are not the same services that  were previously paid
•  You do not expect to be hired or paid in the future
•  There are other volunteers doing the same work as you who are also not receiving any form of compensation
•  Your employer/entity is not  labeling you a volunteer just to avoid paying you for your services
•  You are not  volunteering solely to acquire professional skills to add to your CV or Resume
•  You are performing services for a non-profit organization for public service or humanitarian objective

Employment

Work that is unpaid may still be considered employment that requires F-1 or J-1 off-campus work authorization. Just because you are not receiving payment, does not mean it is considered volunteering by USCIS. Many types of unpaid work are considered employment. 

Off campus employment for F-1 or J-1 students must be authorized OISSS.

Employment opportunities usually include the following:

• Expectation of compensation now or in the future by the entity
• Other interns or employees at the organization / entity are performing the same work for compensation  
• You are interning to acquire professional skills to increase your likelihood of future employment
• The internship is directly related to your current field of study

Without proper work authorization, off campus employment would be considered a violation of your F-1 or J-1 visa and your I-20 or DS-2019 would be terminated for “unauthorized employment”. You would have 48 hours to exit the U.S. with no option for reinstatement.  If you have any question about the type of opportunity, please contact [email protected].