Employment for F-1 Students

Students on F-1 visas have the opportunity to be employed in on-campus work or off-campus practical training opportunities. However, the appropriate work authorization must be obtained before starting your job. Working even one day without proper authorization constitutes illegal employment. Learn what you need to do to start employment and avoid violating your visa status.

On-Campus Employment

On-campus work is limited to part-time (20 hours or less per week) when school is in session. It may be full-time (up to 30 hours per week) during the official school breaks. Search for open positions here by selecting the campus you wish to work. Please note any job openings marked ‘FWS’ are not available to international students. Once hired, you can apply for a Social Security Number. 

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) 

F-1 students are eligible for the work authorization known as CPT if it is required as part of the degree program for which academic credit is granted. CPT includes internships, student teaching, or fieldwork experiences that are directly related to your major field of study. CPT can be both paid and unpaid positions. You are eligible for CPT after you have been lawfully enrolled on a full-time basis in a degree program for one full academic year (excluding time spent in an intensive English program) and are currently in F-1 status. Exception: Graduate students in F-1 status are exempt from the one full academic year requirement only if their graduate program requires immediate participation in CPT. 

The internship must occur within the dates of the term in which you are registered for internship class. Your internship must be associated with academic credit to be authorized for CPT and your academic department will prepare you to fulfill necessary requirements prior to selecting an internship. Students authorized for CPT will receive a new I-20 with the CPT notation before starting the position. The steps below will guide you on receiving an I-20 from ISSS.

How many hours can I work under CPT? CPT must be specified as either part-time or full-time. Part-time CPT is for employment that only requires 20 hours (or fewer) of work per week. You are required to register for a full-time credit load if you engage in part-time CPT for the term you are completing internship. Full-time CPT is for employment that will require more than 20 hours of work per week. You are not required to enroll in additional courses if you are engaged in full-time CPT (for select Undergrad programs only).

Full-time enrollment is 12 credit hours for undergraduate students, 6 credit hours for graduate students. Exceptions to full-time registration while performing CPT include the term of your Annual Break period or the last quarter of graduation. 

Once your internship site is approved, you can use your CPT I-20 to apply for a Social Security Number (SSN) if you do not already have one. NOTE: Special procedures are in place during COVID-19 limiting in person appointments at the SSA. Please contact the ISSS office for more details.

Step 1. Register for internship class. Proceed with instructions from your academic department of the course requirements. Get the internship site approved by NLU Career Bridge Staff and/or the academic department prior to the start of the term. 

Step 2. Once contractual agreements have been approved in Handshake or by the Kendall Letter of Agreement with your employer information and provided to ISSS, complete and return the CPT Checklist.

Step 3. ISSS will provide an I-20 including the details of employment (obtained through Handshake or Kendall Letter of Agreement) authorizing you for CPT within 1-2 days. 

Optional Practical Training (OPT) 

F-1 students are eligible for OPT if they have completed at least one academic year in the U.S. OPT provides students with 12 months of paid or unpaid practical training that is directly related to their major area of study which can be done either during (“pre-completion OPT”) or after your academic program (“post-completion OPT”). A student may be eligible for another 12-month period after completing a new degree program at a higher education level. Students do not need a job offer in order to apply for OPT.

OPT requires the student to get authorization from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) before they can begin employment. The application process to get authorization from USCIS can take up to three to five months to obtain. Students should apply for OPT in their final term of study after completing the Degree and Diploma Finalization Request. You are eligible to apply no earlier than 90 days prior to your program end date on your I-20 (not the graduation date) and no later than 60 days passed your program end date.

Students applying for OPT must receive a new Form I-20 with OPT recommendation notation on page 2 from NLU, which is valid for 30 days upon issuance, BEFORE submitting the application.

Check Steps 1-4 in the section titled "How do I apply for OPT through the online application?" to learn what is involved in applying with USCIS for work authorization on OPT. You can request an OPT appointment to receive a new I-20 with OPT recommendation.

To learn more about the OPT process, your eligibility, when to apply, choosing your start date, and other issues associated with the benefit, please read the following document, What is OPT?  

If you decide to travel while OPT is pending or while working on OPT, please be advised of the OPT Travel Guidelines.