Can International Students Work for Pay in the United States?

The short answer is yes.

However, there are restrictions and guidelines.

You can work on-campus as an enrolled F-1 student.

On-campus employment can either be on the school premises (must be work that directly provides services to students, such as commercial business in a bookstore or cafeteria; construction work or other employment that does not immediately relate to students does not count), or in an educationally-affiliated off-campus location, such as a research lab affiliated with the school.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has the following basic guidelines for on-campus employment: Students should report their work to the Designated School Official (DSO) and receive certification letters from the DSO and the employer to present to the Social Security Administration, which in turn will provide a social security number. Students should not work more than 20 hours per week while school is in session, but you are allowed to work full-time during annual vacations or while classes are not in session. Moreover, work cannot displace a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.

F-1 students may begin on-campus work as soon as 30 days before the start of their academic program. The DSO should be informed of the start date, however. Students can have more than one on-campus job, but the 20-hour-per-week guideline still applies.

If a student finishes a program (such as a bachelor’s degree) and pursues another degree in the same campus, they can continue their on-campus employment, as long as they fully plan on continuing enrollment in the next term. Otherwise, on-campus work cannot continue into the 60-day grace period after the program end date, which is time intended for F-1 students to prepare to leave the United States. However, you can apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT) in order to work after graduation (more information on OPT below).

If you are looking to gain off-campus work relating to your field of study and you are currently pursuing a degree, you need Curricular Practical Training (CPT).

CPT is designed for F-1 students to gain paid or unpaid practical work experience offered by a sponsoring employer through agreements with the student’s school or university. CPT is only available prior to graduation and the student must have a job offer at the time of application submission. Additionally, CPT cannot delay completion of a student's academic program.

The CPT is approved by the student’s college, after which the DSO authorizes it in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and provides the student with a new I-20 form. While some schools allow international students to apply for CPT in their first semester, others require you to have completed a full academic year.

Students can apply for part-time or full-time (more than 20 hours per week) CPT. While one can still apply for OPT after completing part-time CPT, you are no longer eligible for OPT after 12 months or more of full-time CPT with the same educational level.

Students can have more than one CPT at a time, given that you are working for more than one employer at that time. An authorization is required for each employer and each time period.

It is important to get all the details that you need regarding CPT from your DSO, because every college or university may have differing guidelines for its CPT approval process.

If you are looking to work within your field of study upon graduation, you need OPT.

OPT allows someone on F1 status to work for 12 months before or (typically) after graduation.

If you are working on an OPT while pursuing a degree, you cannot work more than 20 hours a week while school is in session.

Note: You are not eligible for OPT if you had a full-time CPT for 12 months or more with the same educational level (For example, you may have 12 months of OPT after your bachelor’s degree and another 12 months of OPT after pursuing a master’s degree).

STEM students can apply to extend their OPT by 24 months through the STEM OPT Extension. OPT is approved by USCIS and DSO provides the student with a new I-20 form. In order to qualify for the additional 24 months, recent graduates must fit the following criteria:

• Currently participating in a regular OPT
• Have a STEM degree at the undergraduate level or higher and plan to work in a training program relating to this degree
• STEM degree came from one of the currently accredited SEVP-certified colleges or universities
• Prospective employer uses the E-Verify Program
• You and prospective employer have completed the form I-983, “Training Plan for STEM OPT Students”

If you are looking for off-campus work unrelated to your field of study, you need work authorization.

This scenario is reserved for severe economic hardship and need for income that cannot be found on campus. Off-campus work unrelated to your course of study is typically uncommon because F-1 students, who are not supposed to plan on working off-campus purely for financial reasons, must demonstrate their ability to afford the costs of living and schooling in the U.S. before entering the country.

Nonetheless, in the case of severe economic hardship that occured after a student has been enrolled in a university and has been in F-1 status for at least a full year, a student can apply for work authorization.

Work authorization can also be granted for “emergent circumstances,” which are “world events that affect a specific group of F-1 students and which causes them to suffer severe economic hardship, including, but not limited to natural disasters, wars and military conflicts, national or international financial crises.”

In this case, international students may receive “special student relief,” which is “the suspension of certain regulatory requirements for an F-1 student subsequent to an emergent circumstances determination, affecting any or all of the following on-campus employment, off-campus employment, duration of status, and full course of study,” according to ICE.

The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) categorizes the following financial situations as “severe economic hardship”:

• Loss of on-campus employment or financial aid through no fault of the student
• Unexpected changes in the financial status of the student’s source of support
• Unusual increases in tuition or living costs
• Medical bills
• Other substantial or unexpected expenses

You will need to pay an application fee for a Form I-765 or motion. If that is not financially possible, you may apply to have the fee waived. Moreover, approval only lasts for a year. Students who need to continue their off-campus work must reapply.

Another possibility is gaining work authorization through employment from a public international organization that falls under the International Organization Immunities Act. In this situation, you would not need to have completed two semesters in the U.S. to be eligible.

A border commuter is eligible for neither economic hardship-related work authorization nor internship with a public international organization. However, they may apply for practical training, such as CPT or post-completion OPT.

There are likely countless variations of work-related scenarios that you may find yourself in. You should discuss those with your DSO, who is best equipped to handle individual student concerns.