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Employment Options for International Students

Employment for Students

Center for Career and Professional Advancement

The Center for Career and Professional Advancement helps students prepare for life not only while you are seeking your degree, but also after graduation. The career services opportunities webpage lists possible jobs and internships.

On-Campus Employment

International students can work on-campus without authorization up to 20 hours per week during the Fall and Spring semesters. Full-time (anything more than 20 hours a week) is only permitted during vacation periods. Once a student graduates, they are no longer authorized for on-campus employment. If a student is offered a job on campus after graduation, they may accept that position if they have work authorization from USCIS. Click here to view on-campus jobs.

Off-Campus Employment

Students must have approval before working off-campus. It is important to understand the difference between legal (or "authorized") versus illegal (or "unauthorized") employment. You must always make sure that any employment you plan to engage in is legal employment. Any unauthorized employment - even for one day - even if you did not know it was illegal - poses a threat to your ability to remain in or return to the United States. F-1 students must have been in valid F-1 status for at least one academic year (2 semesters) before obtaining authorization to work off-campus. Work authorization must be recommended by the International Student Advisor and in most cases, approved by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). The types of off-campus work authorization for F-1 and J-1 students include:

F-1 Employment

Optional Practical Training (OPT)
Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
Severe Economic Hardship
 

J-1 Employment

Academic Training