F-1 Student Employment Types (on-campus, CPT, OPT, SEH)

Topics We Will Discuss:

What is Employment?

Employment means that you are working for some type of payment.

Payment can be defined as:

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• Money
• Free meals
• Bus tickets
• Cans of soda
• Housing/Accommodations
• Discounts on your rental payment
• Receipt of any goods or services as payment for working

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How Do I Qualify For Employment?

You must be in valid F-1 status.

Each type of employment has different eligibility requirements.

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If approved for employment, you must continue to maintain your F-1 status.

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If you fall out of valid F-1 status, your employment authorization ends. Any work that is done while you are out of valid F-1 status will be considered unauthorized employment.

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F-1 Student Employment

Types of Employment

On-Campus

OPT

CPT

Severe

Economic

Hardship

On – Campus Employment

Work done on-campus at the school you are currently attending. This is the school that has issued your I-20.

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Eligibility Requirements:

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• F-1 students must be in valid F-1 status, and continue to maintain their status.
• The job has to be part-time, with a maximum of 20 hours per week, while school is in session.
• You may work more than 20 hours during breaks and vacations.

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On – Campus Employment

ACC does not maintain a list of available on-campus positions. You must search for these positions yourself.

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Try visiting austincc.edu/employment-at-acc to find hourly or part-time positions on campus. You may also try asking for available positions at several offices at your campus, or a campus that is close to you.

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Some offices that you can try:

• Library
• Learning Lab/Tutoring
• Student Life
• Bookstore
• Departmental Assistant
• On campus cafes
• Student Accessibility Services & Assistive Technology (SAS)

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On – Campus Employment

Once you are offered a job on campus, you must apply for a Social Security Number.

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To apply for your Social Security Number you must complete the following steps:

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• Once you have been offered a position, contact the ISO to get the Employment Verification Form.
• Take this form to your employer, so that they may fill it out.
• Return to the ISO with the completed form so that we may sign it.
• Take the completed Employment Verification Form, your valid passport, valid I-20, and I-94 to the Social Security Office to apply for a Social Security Number.

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On – Campus Employment

REMEMBER THAT A SOCIAL SECURITY CARD IS NOT A WORK PERMIT!!!

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Off – Campus Employment

CPT

OPT

* Severe

Economic Hardship

Curricular

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Practical

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Training

Optional

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Practical

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Training

* Severe

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Economic

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Hardship

Eligibility Requirements:

• F-1 Students must be in valid F-1 status, and must have maintained their status for at least one academic year. An academic year consists of one fall and one spring semester, approximately 9 months.

Off – Campus Employment

Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

Employment through an internship, cooperative educational agreement, or training.

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Internship MUST be a required component for your degree.

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While your academic department may require and arrange the internship or training, the ISO must approve and process your work authorization for CPT.

Off – Campus Employment

Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

Eligibility Requirements:

• F-1 Students must be in valid F-1 status, and must have maintained their status for at least one academic year. An academic year consists of one fall and one spring semester, approximately 9 months.

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• The employment must be an integral part of your degree program or required for a course.

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• The employment will result in the awarding of academic credit.

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• Your employment must be related to your major field of study.

Off – Campus Employment

Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

Applying for CPT:

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• You must be enrolled in a class that requires an internship. Contact the academic department chair for your major to receive instructions on obtaining an internship.

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• After you locate the internship position, you must visit the ISO to get a CPT application packet.

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• Once the CPT application packet is completed, submit it to the ISO. (Your instructor is required to sign form.)

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• If approved, the ISO will issue a new I-20 that includes the employment authorization and dates of authorized employment on page 3.

Off – Campus Employment

Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

• Once you have been approved for CPT by the ISO, the second page of your I-20 will indicate your employment authorization. It will specify if the employment is part-time or full-time, and the exact dates of the CPT Employment Authorization. Any work after the expiration date of your CPT will be considered unauthorized employment and will result in termination of your SEVIS record.

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• CPT employment can be part-time (20 hours or less per week) or full-time (more than 20 hours per week).

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• There is no limitation to the length of time you may participate in CPT, as long as it meets immigration requirements.

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• HOWEVER, if you participate in twelve months or more of full-time CPT, you are no longer eligible for OPT (Optional Practical Training).

Off – Campus Employment

Optional Practical Training (OPT)

Temporary employment authorization that provides F-1 students an opportunity to apply knowledge gained in the classroom to a practical work experience off-campus.

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Authorization for OPT is granted by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

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If authorized, OPT employment authorization is granted for 12 months, for you to use after you complete your studies.

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OPT is not a visa, but rather an extension of your F-1 status.

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Off – Campus Employment

Optional Practical Training (OPT)

Eligibility Requirements:

• F-1 students must be in valid F-1 status, and must have maintained their status for at least one academic year. An academic year consists of one fall and one spring semester, approximately 9 months.

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• You must be currently enrolled in your last semester to complete a program at ACC.

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• You must be graduating in the current semester.

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• The work position must be directly related to your major field of study.

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• You must not have completed more than 12 months of full-time CPT.

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• You must not have already completed OPT at the Associate Degree level, or any higher educational level, at ACC or any other institution.

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Off – Campus Employment

Optional Practical Training (OPT)

Applying for OPT:

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• Meet with an Area of Study academic advisor/counselor to ensure that you are close to graduating. We suggest this be done prior to registering for the last semester of your degree program.

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• Visit the ISO to get a Graduation Letter.

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• Have your academic advisor/counselor, or your program’s Department Chair, complete & sign the Graduation Letter.

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• Submit the completed letter to the ISO, and request the OPT Employment Authorization Application packet from the ISO.

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Off – Campus Employment

Optional Practical Training (OPT)

Applying for OPT Continued:

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• Complete the application and bring or email all required documents to the ISO for review. If you email the documents, please make an appointment for us to follow up with your application.

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• The ISO will review the application. An OPT Requested I-20 will be created and emailed. The student will be required to print the I-20, sign it and scan the signed document. The OPT I-20 will not be created the same day the application documents are submitted.

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• Regardless of the Program End date on your I-20 from ACC, it will be shortened/updated and changed to your last date of the semester (attendance) in which you are graduating.

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• You will mail the application the USCIS or file online yourself. Please provide a copy of the I-797 receipt notice to ISO once you receive it. It is your responsibility to be sure you have included everything.

Off – Campus Employment

Optional Practical Training (OPT)

You must try to submit your application BEFORE you graduate. It is important that you apply for the authorization at the earliest possible date.

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The earliest you can submit the application is 90 days prior to the start date you request for your OPT.

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ACC can only recommend students for OPT. Ultimately, USCIS decides whether to approve OPT.

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Authorization from USCIS can take 60 to 120 days to obtain. The average processing time is 90 days.

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Off – Campus Employment

Optional Practical Training (OPT)

If approved for OPT, per USCIS you have an aggregate total of 90 days of unemployment allowed throughout the OPT start and end dates. You will get an email and you MUST register for your portal.

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After you have accrued a total of 90 consecutive days of unemployment, SEVIS will automatically terminate your SEVIS Record (I-20) for failure to maintain status.

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A completed OPT Employment Verification form must be submitted to the International Student Office immediately, or within 10 days, of finding employment.

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Off – Campus Employment

Optional Practical Training (OPT)

Traveling while on OPT

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Students may want to travel while they are on their OPT. This may be possible as long as you have the required documentation.

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Please make sure you contact the ISO to discuss travel before you make your arrangements.

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Required documents to re-enter the U.S. while on OPT:

• Valid passport
• Valid F-1 visa
• OPT I-20 with valid travel signature on page 2
• OPT EAD (Employment Authorization Document) Card
• Letter from your employer indicating you have a job to resume

upon returning to the U.S.

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OPT/ Transfer Procedures

Upon completion of your program, or after the completion of your OPT, you have a grace period of 60 days to:

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• Leave the U.S.
• Transfer to a new institute in the U.S.
• Begin a new program at ACC.
• Apply to change your immigration status.

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Optional Practical Training (OPT)

Off – Campus Employment

Severe Economic Hardship

Special Off – Campus Employment Authorization for a part-time job, with a maximum of 20 per week, while school is in session. You may work more than 20 hours during breaks or vacations.

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Off – Campus Employment

Severe Economic Hardship

Eligibility Requirements:

• F-1 students must be in valid F-1 status, and must have maintained their status for at least one academic year. An academic year consists of one fall and one spring semester, approximately 9 months.

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• Unexpected severe financial problems that you can document.

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• Requires approval from the ISO and USCIS.

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Off – Campus Employment

Severe Economic Hardship

Applying for Severe Economic Hardship:

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• Meet with someone in the ISO to discuss your eligibility and pick up the Employment Authorization Application packet.

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• Complete the application and bring or email all required documents, including proof of economic hardship, to the ISO.

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• If approved, the ISO will issue a special I-20 that indicates the employment authorization requested and dates of authorized employment on page 2.

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• You will mail to or e-file the application with USCIS. Please provide a copy of the I-797 receipt notice to ISO once you receive it.

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Off – Campus Employment

Severe Economic Hardship

ACC can only recommend students for Severe Economic Hardship. Ultimately, USCIS decides whether to approve the Employment Authorization.

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Authorization from USCIS can take 60 to 120 days to obtain. The average processing time is 90 days.

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If granted, the EAD card will specify the exact dates of Authorized Employment. Any work undertaken before or after the expiration date of your EAD will be considered unauthorized employment and will result in termination of your SEVIS record.

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If you transfer to another school your Employment Authorization is automatically cancelled, regardless of the dates specified on your EAD card.

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Questions?

ISO Location

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Highland Business Center (HBC)

5930 Middle Fiskville Rd.

Austin, Texas 78752

Third floor, Room 301.3

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Virtual and In-Person Appointments Available

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