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Working in the US

F-1 Visa Holders - J-1 Visa Holders

Working/Volunteering on a Student Visa

Note of Caution: Check with your international student services office before undertaking any form of employment while abroad, whether you are studying for a full or short-term degree, what visa you hold or whether the employment is paid or unpaid, on-campus or off-campus.

Most institutions have similar ground rules for working during your studies, which we aim to summarise below. However, this is meant to be merely a starting point and not official information on your rights to work in the US.

In this section, you will find information for F-1 visa holders and their spouses as well as J-1 visa holders and their spouses.  You will also want to read our sections on taxes and obtaining a social security number for paid employment.

F-1 Visa Holders

Working On-Campus - Volunteer Off-Campus - Working Off-Campus - CPT - Dependents - OPT

Working On-Campus During Your Studies

Students on an F-1 visa may work on campus for up to 20 hours per week during term time and 40 hours during the holidays, in a paid or unpaid capacity. Work may be related to your major (tutoring students, working in a research lab, etc.) or casual work (refereeing intramural football matches, working as a Resident Assistant in a dorm). You may begin on-campus work from 30 days before your first semester of study.

On-campus work does not require a change of visa status. However, we recommend that you seek approval for any paid work from your visa sponsor, likely the international students office that issued your I-20.

To find on-campus jobs, check first with your careers office and the jobs section of your university website. You may also want to enquire with offices such as your academic department, hall of residence, campus dining, the library and campus recreation centre.

Volunteer Work Off-Campus During Your Studies

F-1 visa holders may take up volunteer work off-campus, provided that their primary purpose for being in the US remains studying. To qualify as volunteer work, the student must:

Please note unpaid work experience for which you do not receive academic credit may be classified as volunteer work rather than CPT or pre-completion OPT if it meets the above criteria.

It is recommended that you clear all off-campus activities with your international students office in advance.

Working Off-Campus During Your Studies

F-1 and J-1 students may not engage in paid, casual work off-campus while completing their degree. In very exceptional cases (called severe economic hardship), you may apply to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for permission to work in a paid capacity off-campus. In their application, students must provide objective proof that their financial support has been significantly affected due to unforeseen circumstances that were beyond the student’s control and for which on-campus work and CPT do not provide sufficient funds. For example, this could be the sudden withdrawal of a scholarship, large fluctuations in the exchange rate, etc. Though this type of authorisation is granted rarely, check with your international office if you feel you may qualify. Please note there is also a fee of $380 to apply.

CPT - Paid and Unpaid Internships for Academic Credit: CPT or Curricular Practical Training is temporary authorisation to work off-campus for the purpose of academic training. Think of this type of internship as academic training that takes place at a work site rather than in a classroom. (This is as opposed to casual work, which is not vital to your academic development.)

In order to qualify for CPT:

The internship may be paid or unpaid. You will be considered part-time if you work less than 20 hours per week and full-time if you work more than 20 hours.  Though it is rare to complete CPT full-time during your studies, you can apply for permission to complete CPT full-time during the holidays.  However, this may impact the length of your OPT time. Ask your international students office for more information.

Dependents

F-2 visa holders are not permitted to complete paid work under any circumstances, but may complete voluntary work on- or off-campus. Alternatively, F-2 visa holders may apply for their own visas to study or work in the US. See the US Embassy’s website for more information.

OPT - Working After Your Studies

Optional Practical Training (OPT) is an outstanding professional and academic benefit of completing a full academic programme on an F-1 visa.  OPT provides work authorisation for up to 12 months of practical training. Authorised employment may be paid or unpaid and on- or off- campus. However, it must relate to your field of study.

Students of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) may apply for an additional 17 months of OPT for a total of 29 months. That is more than two years! Students who complete a second full degree in the US at the higher level (ie, a BA and then an MA) would be eligible for OPT twice.

Most students will do OPT at the end of their studies. However, pre-completion OPT is available for those students who would like to complete a paid internship off-campus during their studies, but do not qualify for CPT. Pre-completion OPT will deduct from your 12 months. Part-time pre-completion OPT will count as 50% of the time (so two months part-time, pre-completion OPT will deduct one month from your post-completion OPT).

Most students apply for OPT during their last semester of study. You can apply as early as 90 days before the end of your degree and 60 days after graduation. You do not have to have a job offer lined up. However, a Designated School Official (DSO) at your US university must approve OPT before you can apply to USCIS for your Employment Authorization Document. You will also complete the I-765 form and pay a fee of $380. Note this process can take up to three months, so you are encouraged to apply early.

J-1 Visa Holders

Working On-Campus - Volunteer Off-Campus - Working Off-Campus - Dependents

Working On-Campus During Your Studies

With approval from their visa sponsor, students on a J-1 visa may work on campus for up to 20 hours per week during term time and 40 hours during the holidays, in a paid or unpaid capacity. Please note you should not begin on-campus work until you have been issued written approval from your sponsor.

To find on-campus jobs, check first with your careers office and the jobs section of your university website. You may also want to enquire with offices such as your academic department, hall of residence, campus dining, the library and campus recreation centre.

Volunteer Work Off-Campus During Your Studies

J-1 visa holders may be able to take up volunteer work off-campus, provided that their primary purpose for being in the US remains studying and that they have approval from their visa sponsor. To qualify as volunteer work, the student must:

Please note unpaid work experience for which you do not receive academic credit may be classified as volunteer work rather than Academic Training if it meets the above criteria. However, check with your visa sponsor before taking up any off-campus work.

Work Off-Campus During & After Your Studies

F-1 and J-1 students may not engage in paid, casual work off-campus while completing their degree. In very exceptional cases (called severe economic hardship), you may apply to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for permission to work in a paid capacity off-campus. In their application, students must provide objective proof that their financial support has been significantly affected due to unforeseen circumstances that were beyond the student’s control and for which on-campus work and CPT do not provide sufficient funds. For example, this could be the sudden withdrawal of a scholarship, large fluctuations in the exchange rate, etc. Though this type of authorisation is granted rarely, check with your international office if you feel you may qualify. Please note there is also an fee of $380 to apply.

Academic Training: As a J-1 student, instead of OPT and CPT, you may be eligible for Academic Training. Academic Training is an outstanding professional and academic benefit of the J-1 visa. This work authorisation can be used during your academic programme and/or after you complete your studies. Academic Training is employment that is considered integral or important to your degree programme. It must be approved by your academic department. Training can be paid or unpaid, full-time or part-time (only part-time for pre-completion). However, you must have an offer in hand before you will be granted Academic Training, and you cannot change employers during your training.

The length of time you train is based on the length of time you have been enrolled as a student. If you are enrolled for three months, the length of your Academic Training will be three months; if you have studied for a year, your Academic Training can last up to one year. The maximum period of Academic Training is 18 months regardless of whether you have studied longer than that. Your allotment of time may be used solely during or after your studies or split between the two.

Dependents

Unlike F-2 visa holders, J-2 visa holders may work in the US.  Spouses should apply to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for employment authorisation.  However, they may not begin work until they have received an Employment Authorization Document from USCIS. This can take up to two to three months, and you need to be in the US to apply. Check with your international students office or visa sponsor for more guidance.