Employment For International Students

Work Regulations for F-1 Students

On-Campus Emloyment
Off-Campus Employment
Travel Regulations
Severe Economic Necessity Employment

On-Campus Employment

Immigration regulations
F-1 students can work part time (up to 20 hours per week) on campus while they are attending classes and full time (more than 20 hours per week) during vacation semesters or when classes are not in session.

University regulations
You can work 20 hours per week during the fall and winter semesters. If you are taking fewer than six credits in the summer term, you can work up to 35 hours. If you are taking at least six credits during the summer, work is limited to 20 hours per week.

How to look for an on-campus job
First visit the Financial Aid office, located on the ground floor of the Fisher Building. Here, you will find postings advertising jobs available on campus. International students are eligible to work only at non-work/study jobs (jobs which are not funded by the U.S. government). If you do not find any non-work/study job opportunities listed, try visiting individual areas such as the library, Public Safety or the computer labs. Graduate students may also be able to find jobs as research or teaching assistants. Check with your department for information on these positions.

Doing the paperwork
If you find a job, report immediately to the Financial Aid Office to complete your employee paperwork. Ask for the International Student Employee Packet. The packet contains an I-9 (Employment Eligibility) form. You must fill out this form and have your employment eligibility verified by the ISO within three days of being hired.

Off-Campus Emplyoment

Off-campus employment is normally done as curricular or optional practical training. This type of employment always requires authorization. You must not work off campus until you receive authorization, either from the ISO (for curricular practical training) or from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) (for optional practical training).

Curricular Practical Training (Co-Op)
Curricular practical training (CPT) is off-campus work in your field of study, which may or may not be a required part of your degree program. At UDM, almost all curricular practical training is arranged through the Cooperative Education (Co-op) Program.

Cooperative Education is an academic program which allows students to gain practical experience in their chosen field while attending school. Each semester, the Cooperative Education and Career Center places many UDM students, including international students, in interesting and well-paying jobs around the metro area. In addition, the Center sponsors a career fair on campus each year.

The Co-op Office is located in Reno Hall on the first floor. If you are interested in working off campus, you should speak with a co-op advisor and familiarize yourself with the many services available.

Immigration regulations:

The work must be related to your program of study (the "major" indicated on your I-20).
Before you are eligible to do curricular practical training, you must have maintained status for two consecutive academic terms (including vacation terms). For example, if you registered for the first time in the winter term, you would be eligible to work in the fall term. If you transferred to UDM from another U.S. school, time spent in status in an academic program at that school counts toward the two terms.
You must be authorized to work by a Designated School Official in the ISO. (This is usually done by the foreign student advisor.)
Curricular practical training can be part time (up to 20 hours per week) or full time (more than 20 hours per week). If you do part-time work, you must be registered for a full load of courses: 12 credits for undergraduates, 9 credits for graduate students. If you work full time, however, you won't need to register for any academic classes.
USCIS does not limit the length of time you can participate in CPT, but if you do 12 months or more of full-time CPT, you won't be eligible for any optional practical training after finishing your program. (Optional practical training is up to one year of work in your field, usually done after graduation. It must be authorized by USCIS. You can read about optional practical training below.) Please see the section Co-op Regulations below for information about University limits on CPT.

Co-op Regulations

According to University policy, undergraduate students may not participate in Co-op until their Junior year.
All students who do co-op jobs must register for co-op credits and complete a co-op assignment or project. If you work full time, you must register for 2 or 3 credits (depending on your major); part-time workers register for 1 or 1.5 credits.
The Co-op Program limits you to 3 full-time co-op assignments or 6 part-time for-credit assignments.

Applying for a Co-op Job (CPT)
Once you have been in status for the required number of semesters , you will be eligible to work at an off-campus job. The best way to go about looking for a job is to work with a co-op advisor. however, many students find jobs on their own. However you manage your job search, once you have an offer from an employer, you should do the following:

Take a letter of offer from your company to your co-op advisor. The advisor will use the information in the letter to complete a form. The form will show the name of the company, the position title and the number of the co-op course you should register for. The form will be signed by your co-op advisor, your academic advisor and by you.

Present to the foreign student advisor a copy of the form and your letter of employment.

The foreign student advisor will check your documents and determine whether you are eligible to work per USCIS and University regulations. If so, the FSA will authorize you to work by issuing you a new SEVIS I-20 endorsed on page 3 for curricular practical training. The authorization states the name and address of the company, whether the work is full time or part time, and the dates you are authorized to work. Show this to your employer to confirm your work authorization.

Important: Authorization for CPT is for one semester only. You must be re-authorized by the ISO in the following cases:

You wish to be employed in the next semester (even if you are continuing the same job)
You change jobs during the semester
You wish to change from part-time to full-time work

You may not do curricular practical training after completion of studies.

Be sure to give the foreign student advisor time to process your authorization. We recommend that you submit your paperwork at least two days before the starting date of your employment. We cannot guarantee same-day authorization.

Optional Practical Training (OPT)
Optional practical training is work which is directly related to your field. Unlike curricular practical training, however, it is not done as part of a course of study nor for course credit. You do not need to have a job offer or a specific employer before applying for OPT.

Students are eligible to participate in OPT after two consecutive terms in status. However, because the co-op program provides ample work opportunities before graduation, almost all UDM students choose to participate in OPT after they finish their studies.

Immigration Regulations

You are eligible for one year of full-time OPT. However, if you complete a degree, do 12 months of optional practical training, and then complete a degree at a higher level, you are eligible for an additional year of optional practical training. If you use up your optional practical training, leave the country for a period of more than five months, then reenter and complete another two consecutive academic terms in status, you are then eligible for another 12 months of OPT. The same is true if you change from F-1 to another status for a period of more than five months, then change back to F-1 and complete the required 8 months in status.
If you have done 12 months or more of full-time curricular practical training, you are not eligible for any OPT.
OPT is full time if done after completion of studies (and may be full time if done after completion of all degree requirements except the thesis). If done before completion of studies, OPT must be part time while you attend classes and can be full time during vacation periods.
You may attend school part time while engaging in full-time OPT as long as you do not begin a degree program at a higher level or transfer to another school.

Applying for OPT:
Before you apply, consider the following:

Choosing a starting date (the date on which you want to begin working). Your starting date can be any day in the sixty-day period following the date on which you complete your studies. (The ISO considers the date of completion to be the date listed in the academic calendar as the official end of the term in which you finish your program.)
Timely submission of your application. You cannot work until authorized and you must apply directly to USCIS for authorization. USCIS must receive your application before you finish your program. Since the authorization process can take four months or more, you should submit your application to the International Services Office approximately four months before the date you wish to begin working.

You can download the OPT application packet from this site. The packet contains:

Academic Clearance form to be signed by your academic advisor certifying your expected date of completion (for students applying for post-completion OPT only)
USCIS form I-765 (application for employment authorization) + instructions for completing the form
Employment Information form
Information on applying for OPT

Submit to the foreign student advisor:

A money order (preferred) or check for $340.00, made payable to USCIS
2 passport-size photos
A copy of both sides of your I-94 card
A copy of the information page of your passport or, if you do not have a passport, a copy of your driver's license. Your picture must show clearly. No dark copies accepted.
Completed form I-765
Completed Employment Information form
Academic Clearance form signed by your academic advisor (if applicable)

The foreign student advisor will review these materials and, if all is in order, will recommend you for the requested period of OPT by issuing you a new SEVIS form I-20.

The application materials will be sent to USCIS. If you are approved, you will receive an Employment Authorization document (EAD card). You may not begin to work until you receive this card and until the beginning date indicated on the card.

Once authorization is granted, it cannot be cancelled. If you do not find a job within your authorized period, you will forfeit that time.

Travel Regulations

You are permitted to depart the U.S. and reenter as long as your OPT application is pending with USCIS. Once your application for OPT has been approved, if you have finished your academic program, you may not reenter the U.S. from abroad unless you have a job or an offer of employment. (If you are a Canadian student and are living in Canada, please consult the ISO for information.)

If you have your EAD card and a job, you may return to the U.S. to resume employment after a temporary absence of not more than five months. You will need a valid visa, your EAD card and your I-20 with an endorsement for travel on page 3 which is no more than six months old.

Severe Economic Necessity Employment

Students in F-1 status who are experiencing extreme financial hardship due to circumstances beyond their control may apply to USCIS to work off campus at any type of job for a one-year period.

In order to be eligible:

You must have maintained your F-1 status for at least two consecutive semesters.
You must be in good academic standing and be carrying a full course of study.
The financial hardship must be due to circumstances beyond your control. For example, the currency exchange rate has substantially declined, you have lost your on-campus employment, or you have large, unexpected medical bills.
On-campus employment opportunities must be either unavailable or insufficient to meet your needs.

This type of employment is limited to 20 hours per week while you are attending classes. It may be full time while you are on vacation or during school holidays.