Global Engagement > Student Resources > International Student & Scholar Services > Employment

Employment

Employment options for international students are limited but available. F-1 and J-1 international students are eligible to work on and off-campus with certain restrictions. Please familiarize yourself with the following information based on your visa type. If you have any questions about your eligibility to work on- or off-campus, please consult your International Student and Scholar Services (ISS) advisor.

Please note: All off-campus work authorization requires prior approval from the ISS.

Social Security Numbers

F-1 and J-1 visa holders are only eligible for a Social Security Number if they have a job offer from an employer.  Please request this job offer in writing from your employer. 

Please download and carefully read and follow the instructions to know how to apply for a Social Security Number and the ways our ISS office can support you:

On-Campus Employment for F-1 Students

As an F-1 student you are limited to 20 hours per week during the academic year i.e. when school is in session. This 20-hour limit per week includes all positions, including graduate assistantships and stipend positions. Additionally, hours worked are reviewed each week, not averaged for the 2 week pay period. If you worked 15 hours one week, this does not mean you can work 25 hours the next week. 

F-1 students who are maintaining their status may be eligible to work more than 20 hours per week during school breaks or summer vacation (e.g. spring break, winter break).  For questions regarding full-time employment eligibility please see your ISS advisor.

Please note: if you are authorized for pre-completion OPT or CPT during the school year and are seeking concurrent on-campus employment, your total combined work hours cannot exceed 20 hours per week.  
Non-immigrant students in F-1 status are eligible to work at the school they are attending and which issued them their SEVIS I-20 form. On-campus employment includes all on campus jobs, assistantships and fellowships. In order for a student to be considered eligible for on-campus employment, they must be enrolled as a full-time student and must be in lawful F-1 student status.

You may apply for on-campus jobs by visiting the Office of Student Employment. 

International students must maintain a full-time credit load during the academic year to maintain lawful immigration status and to be eligible for on-campus employment. Please see the ISS Maintaining and Changing Status page for detailed enrollment requirements based on your level and program of study.  

School is considered to be “in session” during official term begin/end dates (includes exam time). You are limited to 20 hours of work during the week when school is “in session” i.e. during official term begin/end dates. See  the "Part-Time vs. Full-Time Schedule Eligibility" chart on the Student Employment website here.

If you work more than 20 hours per week when school is in session, you will lose your lawful F-1 student status which will result in the termination of your SEVIS I-20 record. This means that you will need to depart from the U.S. and attempt to make a new lawful entry.
 
Working over the 20 hour per week limit may also jeopardize your eligiblity for any future benefits from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), such as "practical training," "academic training" and/or adjustment to another non-immigrant status.
Remind your manager that F-1 students may only work up to 20 hours per week. Additional hours or exceptions cannot be authorized by your manager; you may direct your manager to your ISS Advisor for more information. Remember - If you have multiple jobs, including stipend-paid positions, your total hours worked may not exceed 20 per week.
Hours must be entered on your timesheet for the week that you worked. If the time sheet is not available for the week you worked, talk to your manager for help contacting Payroll to have the hours entered on the correct time sheet.
Pay attention to the hours for which you are scheduled. Do not clock-in early or clock-out late. Do not take on extra shifts or substitute for another employee if those hours would put you over the total 20 hour per week limit.
No. You must stop working as a student employee after completion of your degree requirements. You may work until the last day of the term in which you complete your degree requirements. 
 

Off-campus Employment for F-1 Students

What is Curricular Practical Training (CPT)?

CPT is off-campus work authorization that may be obtained from ISS. It requires that you receive academic credit for the work experience for which you request authorization.

Applying for CPT

  1. Complete the CPT Application Guide & Tutorial. Detailed CPT application instructions are available by viewing the tutorial.
  2. Complete the CPT Application Form. Log into the ISS Portal and select CPT Application under Student Requests. Fill in your information and your Academic Advisor’s information when prompted
  3. Pick up your CPT I-20 from ISS before beginning your CPT employment. Your CPT I-20 will be available approximately 5-7 business days after you submit your I-20 request form.

Where can I get my questions answered?

  1. Review the CPT Application Guide & Tutorial. The application guide is designed to provide you with the information needed to complete your CPT request. ISS highly recommends that you begin by reviewing the entire tutorial.
  2. Still have more questions? Visit ISS during open advising on Zoom or schedule an appointment with your ISS advisor by contacting the front desk at (312) 362-8376.
  • Preconditions: Student must have been lawfully enrolled on a full-time basis at a DHS-approved school for one full academic year before being eligible for CPT. Exception exists for graduate students whose programs require immediate curricular training. Available only while student is in F-1 status, before completion of the educational objective. Students in English language training programs are ineligible for CPT. 
  • Location: Students may engage in CPT only for the specific employer, location and period approved and recorded by the DSO in SEVIS. 
  • Duration: Depends on the specific period granted by the DSO. Granted based on dates corresponding to start/end of term. It can only be approved before completion of the academic objective (degree completion). 
  • Hours Per Week: Can be approved for part-time (20 hours or less) or full-time (over 20 hours). 
  • Field/level of Work: Must be an integral part of an established curriculum, in the student's course of study.
  • Offer of Employment: Must have an offer of employment from an employer offering work that qualifies as curricular practical training. 
  • Effect on Other Work: Use of full-time CPT for one year or more eliminates eligibility for Optional Practical Traning (OPT). Use of part-time CPT does not affect eligibility for OPT. 
  • Approval Process: Must receive written authorization from DSO, who records authorization in SEVIS and issues SEVIS I-20 with notation, before work begins. USCIS approval is not required. 
  • Miscellaneous: Must continue to maintain a full course of study in F-1 status during the period of employment. 

For upcoming Virtual CPT Sessions please visit our workshop page Here.

What is OPT?

Optional Practical Training (OPT) is "temporary employment for practical training directly related to the student's major area of study" that may be obtained from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) as a benefit of maintaining lawful F-1 status. OPT authorization allows F-1 students to gain work experience in their field of study. Eligible F-1 students earn 12 months of OPT at each academic level (i.e., bachelor's, master's, PhD). 

Steps to apply for OPT

  1. Carefully review the OPT Application Guide & Tutorial. Detailed OPT eligibility and application instructions are available in the tutorial. The tutorial is designed to assist you in completing your own OPT application. Contact your ISS advisor if you have questions.
  2. Complete the OPT Recommendation I-20 Request Form. Log into the ISS Portal and select OPT Recommendation I-20 under Student Requests. Fill in your information, your employer’s information, and your Academic Advisor’s information when prompted.
  3. ISS will issue a new I-20 showing the OPT recommendation within 5-7 business days after you submit  a complete request  to ISS (and assumming you qualify for OPT at that time).  Please note: incomplete OPT I-20 request forms may result in delayed processing times. 
  4. Submit your complete OPT application to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) through their online application here (https://www.uscis.gov/i-765). Be sure to file within 30 days of your OPT I-20 issue date and before the expiration of your grace period.

     

After OPT is approved

  • Students must make the SEVP Portal Account within 30 days of their OPT start-date. During their OPT period, students must report any personal information and any changes of employment within the SEVP Portal within 10 days of any change.
  • For detailed information on using your SEVP Portal and troubleshooting assistance, please review the SEVP Portal Help page. Study in the States has created some very helpful videos to walk students through the Portal and its functions.
  • Failure to report employment within 90 days of your OPT start-date may lead to automatic status termination in SEVIS.

Common SEVP Portal Questions

  • I did not receive an e-mail from SEVP.
    • Please check your spam/junk inbox for an e-mail from do-not-reply.SEVP@ice.dhs.gov. This e-mail will go the e-mail address listed in SEVIS; which will match your preferred e-mail address in Campus Connect. 
  • My OPT is approved but I did not receive an e-mail.
    • This e-mail is generated on your OPT Start-date. In the event that your OPT application is approved prior to the start-date, you will need to wait for the start-date to receive the e-mail.
  • What information do I need to report?
    • Students on active OPT must report any changes to their personal or employment information to the SEVP Portal within ten days of the change.
  • What do I do if I am locked out of my SEVP account? 

For upcoming Virtual OPT Sessions please visit our workshop page Here.

F-1 students who received a U.S. Bachelor's, Master's or Doctoral degree in a STEM (science, technology, engineering or mathematics) field may be eligible for an extension of post completion OPT.  The CIP code of the degree's major field of study must appear on the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List.  Minors and concentrations do not qualify for STEM Extension eligibility. 

APPLYING FOR THE 24-MONTH STEM EXTENSION: 

  • Carefully review  the 24-Month STEM Extension Tutorial for detailed instructions on how to request your OPT STEM I-20 from your ISS advisor and how to prepare the application
  • Contact your ISS Advisor if you have additional questions
  • STEM OPT Hub: Detailed information for students and employers can be found on the DHS Study in the States OPT STEM Hub. 

After STEM OPT is Approved: 

  • Students on STEM OPT are required to update any changes to employment to the ISS Advisor within 10 days of any change. To report material changes, you must submit a new/updated I-983 to your ISS advisor for review.
  • Students on STEM OPT are required report any changes to their personal information to the SEVP Portal within ten days of the change. 
  • Students on STEM OPT are required to report their STEM participation on STEM OPT every six months. Students will receive an e-mail from SEVP and their ISS Advisor with instructions to report their STEM OPT Participation. 
  •  Additional Study in the States resource about STEM OPT Reporting Requirements. 
Work permission based on unforeseen severe economic hardship may be available to students who: 
  • Have maintained lawful F-1 or J-1 status for one academic year (At DePaul University this is equivalent to at least three consecutive quarters or two semesters). 
  • Are currently in good academic standing and can demonstrate that they have suffered unforeseen change in their financial circumstances. 
  • Have found that on-campus work opportunities are not available or adequate. 
  • For more information schedule an appointment with your ISS Advisor. 
 

On-campus Employment for J-1 Students

J-1 students must obtain prior written authorization from their program sponsor (the institution that issued their SEVIS DS-2019) before they start working on-campus for DePaul University. On-campus employment includes all jobs, assistantships and fellowships. In order for a student to be considered eligible for on-campus employment they must be enrolled as a full-time student and must be in lawful J-1 status. 

J-1 students are allowed to work on-campus for the period authorized by their program sponsor assuming they maintain status. Students who finish their exchange program earlier than the end date on their DS-2019 form must stop working on-campus by the last day of classes.  

On campus employment for J-1 students is limited to no more than 20 hours per week during the academic year i.e. when school is in session. This 20-hour limit per week includes all types of on-campus employment combined i.e students who have more than one on-campus job. J-1 students who are maintaining their status are eligible to work full-time during holidays and annual vacation periods, provided they intend to register for the next academic session. 

You can apply for on-campus jobs by visiting the Office of Student Employment. J-1 students must recieve written permission from ISS prior to beginning any on-campus work. You will need to apply for a Social Security Number (SSN) which is used to report your wages. 

If you were to finish your program early or violate your lawful J-1 status and continue working on-campus you would be engaging in unlawful employment and would risk long term immigration consequences. You would also jeapardize your eligiblity for any future benefits from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services  (USCIS), such as academic training and/or adjustment to another non-immigrant status. 

Note: 

A student who has completed all requirements for their degree is no longer eligible for on-campus employment. Students in F-1 and J-1 non-immigrant status are NOT ELIGIBLE for any positions specifically held aside for students awarded aid under the federal work-study program.
As a J-1 student, you are allowed to work on-campus ONLY IF you have already obtained written authorization from ISS. 
As a J-1 student you are limited to 20 hours per week during the academic year i.e. when school is in session. This 20-hour limit per week includes all types of on-campus employment combined i.e. when students have more than one on-campus job. Additionally, hours worked are limited and reviewed each week, not averaged for the 2 week pay period. Just because you worked 15 hours one week, does not mean you can work 25 hours the next week. 

J-1 students who are maintaining their status may be eligible to work more than 20 hours per week during school breaks. For questions regarding full-time employment eligibility, please contact your ISS advisor.

School is considered to be "in session" during offical term/end dates (includes exam time). You are limited to 20 hours of work per week when school is "in session" i.e. during offical term/end dates.  See the "Part-Time vs. Full-Time Schedule Eligibility" chart on the Student Employment website here.  

If you work more than 20 hours per week when school is in session, you will lose your lawful J-1 student status which will result in the termination of your SEVIS DS-2019 record. This means that you will need to depart from the U.S. and attempt to make a new lawful entry. 
 
Working over the 20 hour per week limit may also jeopardize your eligibility for any future benefits from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), such as "practical training," "academic training" and/or adjustment to another non-immigrant status.
Remind your manager that J-1 students may only work up to 20 hours per week. Additional hours or exeptions cannot be authorized by your manager; you many direct your manager to your ISS Advisor for more information. Remember - if you have multiple jobs, including stipend-paid positions, your total hours worked may not exceed 20 per week. 
Hours must be entered on your timesheet for the week you worked. If the time sheet is not available for the week you worked, talk to your manager for help contacting Payroll to have the hours entered on the correct time sheet. 
Pay attention to the hours for which you are scheduled. Do not clock-in early or clock-out late. Do not take on extra shifts or substitute for another employee if those hours would put you over the total 20 hour per week limit. 

Off-campus Employment for J-1 Students

As a J-1 student, you may work off-campus ONLY if you have obtained prior written work authorization called Academic Training from your program sponsor (the institution that issued your DS-2019 form) BEFORE you start working. The proposed employment must be directly related to your major field of study showing on your DS-2019. You must be in good academic standing and maintaining lawful J-1 status to be eligible for Academic Training. You need to apply for a Social Security Number (SSN) which is used to report your wages. 

 

Academic Training is available before and after completion of your program of study. Post-completion Academic Training has to start within 30 days following completion of your J-1 program. However ISS has to receive your Academic Training request before your DS-2019 form expires (before the last day of classes). If you stay within the specified time limits, you may work either part-time or full-time while classes are in session as well as during vacation periods as long as your off-campus employment does not interfere with your academic performance/program objective. You must apply for and receive written authorization for Academic Training from ISS before beginning employment. 

 

For more information, please see the following: Academic Training Handout

To apply please submit an Academic Training Application in the ISS Portal. Log in and select Academic Training under Student Requests

 


Off-Campus Work Authorization

It's important to remember that all off-campus work authorization requires prior approval from International Student and Scholar Services (ISS).

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