This document summarizes different types of on-campus and off-campus employment options for international students. It discusses working on campus, curricular practical training (CPT) internships, optional practical training (OPT) before and after graduation, economic hardship employment, and special situations like the H-1B extension and international organization employment. The last section provides contact information for the International Student and Scholar Services office for questions about employment authorization.

2. On campus
employment
Off campus
employment

3.  Work on campus while enrolled in a full course of
study
 Institutional vs. work study
 Does not have to be related to major of studies
 Not guaranteed and limited to availability

4.  Allowed to work part-time (20
hours per week or less) during
the semester and full-time
(more than 20 hours per week)
during official school breaks
 On-campus employment must
provide direct student services
 Trinity University employers:
Aramark and Barnes & Noble

5.  Babysitting
 House cleaning
 Translating texts for the local town library
 Editing papers for other students online
 Working for outside companies
 Participating as a research subject

6.  An internship, or co-op that is an “an
integral part of an established curriculum”
 Must be part of a student’s program of
study, either required for completion or
optional, but for academic credit
 Most F-1 students are eligible for curricular
practical training after completing 1 full
year of academic study
 Is job specific, if you change employers or
employment terms, a new I-20 must be
issued

7.  May be part-time (20 hours per week or
less) or full-time (more than 20 hours per
week)
 International students who participate in
12 months or more of full-time CPT are
ineligible for OPT

8.  Prove internship course registration for 0-3 credits
 Internship policies vary by department
 Job offer letter that shows job duties, proposed start
and end of employment dates, salary, part-time or
full-time employment and office location
 Completed CPT recommendation form

10. I-20 (Page 3) of a CPT Student
• International students must receive SEVIS authorization
from their DSO prior to starting employment (no USCIS
application required)
• A new I-20 with CPT authorization will be issued
• Free and quick processing
• CPT authorization must be processed for both paid/unpaid
positions

11.  related to a student’s field of study and
can occur during or after completion of
a program of study
 Does not have to be job specific

12. Pre-completion
 Rather uncommon
 Deducted from the
post-completion OPT
time (12 months)
 Must file a new petition
each time and include
processing fee
 More difficult to
establish a relationship
with an employer in a
short period of time
 Could be a good
option for STEM majors
 Prepare well in
advance
Post-completion
 No need to wait for a
job offer
 USCIS must receive
your application 120
days before or within
60 days after your
official graduation
date
 The application
process takes 2-3
months after the
application is mailed
 Prepare well in
advance

13.  Application components
 New I-20 processed by Trinity ISSS
 Copies of all previous I-20 form(s)
 Copies of all passport identity pages
 Copies of previous Employment
Authorization Documents (EAD cards)
 Money order for $380.00 payable to the
US department of Homeland Security
 Verification of enrollment with
anticipated graduation date from the
Office of the Registrar (verifying major(s))

14.  Application components
 2 recent passport-style photos on white
background
 electronic I-94 print out
 Your name and I-94 number must be printed
in pencil on the back of the photos
 Completed I-765 form
 Preferred beginning and end dates
 ISSS mails and monitors your OPT application.
You will receive scans of OPT petition submitted
for your record keeping purposes, original
Notice of Action documentation and an EAD
card when it is received by our office.

15.  Difficult to predict, but try to
estimate strategically
 Earliest start date: on or
after the program
completion date
 Latest start date: 60
calendar days after the
program completion date
 You cannot begin working
before you receive the EAD
and you reach the stated
start date
 Dates cannot be changed
after submitted, so think
carefully

16.  post-completion OPT students may be
eligible for a 17-month extension if they
received a degree in a DHS-designated
science, technology, engineering or
mathematics field
 What majors qualify?
 E-Verify

17.  Report any changes of
official name, address,
employer name and
address, or loss of
employment within 10 days
of each change,
throughout the OPT period
 In addition, STEM extension
students must report at 6-
and 12-months after the
start of the extension
period
 DHS may terminate the F-1
status of OPT students who
do not fulfill all reporting
requirements
• part of the OPT update e-form

18.  Paid employment of at
least 20 hours per week
 Unpaid employment
(volunteer/unpaid
internship) of at least 20
hours per week
 Multiple employers
 Work for hire/1099
employment
 Self-employed business
owner (student should
have evidence of proper
business licenses)
 Employment through an
agency or consulting firm
 The job must be directly
related to the major(s) and
educational level that is on
your current I-20
 You and the employer
make this determination
 You can change
employers as long as each
job is directly related to
your current major and
educational level
 If you withdraw your OPT
application, you lose the
paid SEVIS fee

19.  To maintain your F-1 status DHS
requires that you limit days of
unemployment during OPT
 Students during the initial OPT
period – maximum of 90 days
allowed during the 12-month
OPT period
 Students with an OPT STEM
Extension – an additional 30
days applies, for a maximum
of 120 days allowed during
the 27-month OPT period
 It is crucial that you report all
periods of employment to
avoid unnecessary accrual of
unemployment days

20. Students on OPT must have the following to
re-enter the U.S.:
 Valid, unexpired passport with an
expiration at least six months into the
future
 Valid, unexpired visa
 OPT I-20 (check that signature on page
3 is valid)
 OPT EAD
 Proof of employment or evidence of an
active employment search
Homeland Security has indicated that a
student may leave the U.S. while OPT is
pending, but if the OPT is approved the
student will need the EAD and proof of
employment to re-enter.
The ISSS recommends that students do not
leave the U.S. while an OPT extension
application is pending.

21.  H-1B visa – work visa for skilled workers
 Because corporate H-1B visas begin on October 1
and most students graduate in May or December,
there is often a gap of time between the OPT end
date and the H-1B start date
 To remedy this, USCIS provides a temporary
extension of F-1 status and work authorization while
the H-1B petition is being processed

22.  This benefit is offered only from April 1 to October 1
and only in conjunction with a corporate H-1B
petition that is pending or approved with an October
1 start date. The extension begins the day after the
OPT EAD end date and ends on October 1
 You can obtain a new I-20 that indicates this
extension and remain F-1 until the H-1B start date
 If your H-1B petition is denied or withdrawn and your
OPT has ended, your status ends 60 days from the
date posted on your denial/withdrawal
 H-1Bs with nonprofit organizations do not follow these
deadlines

23.  F-1 students suffering a severe economic
hardship due to unforeseen changes in their
financial circumstances
 Eligibility:
 Be in F-1 status for one academic year
 Be in good academic standing
 On campus opportunities are unavailable or
insufficient to meet your needs
 Examples of circumstances: loss of financial
support or employment, medical bills, etc.
 Application processing – 2-3 months

24.  Application:
 Form I-765
 $380 fee (can request to waive the fee due
to extreme economic hardship)
 Photocopy of I-20 form with your ISSS
adviser’s recommendation for economic
hardship employment
 A letter describing your financial situation
and supporting evidence
 Photocopies of passport/visa pages
 Photocopies of previous EAD pages (if
applicable)

25.  You may work for a qualified
international organization, as defined by
the International Organization Immunities
Act of December 29, 1945
 If you have an offer from an employer on
the List of International Organizations you
may apply to the United States
Citizenship and Immigration Services
(USCIS)for an EAD
 Application process: similar to the
employment based on severe economic
hardship’s application process

26.  Aimed to relieve student coming from
countries suffering from temporary
economic/ civil unrest
 2012 – 2015: special student relief (SSR)
benefits to F-1 students from Syria who
are “experiencing severe economic
hardship as a direct result of civil unrest”
 Eligibility criteria
 On-campus benefits
 Off-campus benefits

27. When considering an employment off
campus, ask ISSS Advisor before pursuing
employment-- regulations often change and
information from friends or family may not be
accurate. Homeland Security is increasingly
strict about employment violations. There can
be severe penalties for working without
proper permission, including exclusion from
the US for up to ten years.

28.  Email: isss@trinity.edu
 Website: http://web.trinity.edu/x9118.xml
 Facebook:
http://facebook.com/trinityisss
 Inessa Stepanenko
Assistant Director, International Student &
Scholar Services
istepane@trinity.edu
(210) 999-7313