Jobs
Introduction
Much like domestic students, international students are seeking jobs during thier studies in order to gain hands-on experience and to subsidize their education. They are also exploring opportunities for work in the U.S. after graduation. This section provides information on student employment options for international students in the U.S.
F-1 Students Employment Options
F-1 college students are allowed to work under 3 certain circumstances:
What is On-Campus Employment?
On-Campus Employment means you are working for the Cornish College of the Arts and the employment location is on the Cornish campus.
However, unfortunately, Cornish has very few on-campus employment opportunities for international students. Keep in mind that the cafeteria at Cornish may want to hire international students as they are an independent contractor with the college. Remember to always inquire within the department you are interested in as to whether they have openings and can hire international students.
Working Time Regulation:
For on-campus employment, you can work no more than 20 hours during full time semesters for non-work study due to F-1 restrictions. However, you can work more than 20 hours during the school break.
Employment Eligibility:
You must maintain your F-1 status to be eligible for on-campus employment, which means that you are a full-time enrolled student in good academic standing with a valid I-20. If you graduate or transfer to another college, you will no longer be eligible for on-campus jobs at Cornish.
From http://icenter.ucsd.edu/ispo/ucsd-resources/finances/employment.html
What is CPT
What is CPT? (from the University of Washington's International Student Services)
Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is temporary authorization for practical training directly related to your major field of study."Practical training" can include employment, internship experience (paid or unpaid), cooperative (co-op) education experience, practicum participation, etc. CPT is authorized by the ISS office in accordance with the F-1 regulations. You can apply for CPT during the regular academic year (you must remain registered full-time) and during your annual vacation quarter.
CPT may be part-time (20 hours per week or less) or full-time (more than 20 hours per week). If you accumulate 12 months of full-time CPT authorization, you lose your eligibility for Optional Practical Training (OPT), another type of employment authorization for F-1 students. Part-time CPT and fewer than 12 months of full-time CPT authorization does not affect your OPT eligibility.
Eligibility
You may be eligible for CPT if you:
- Are currently in valid F-1 status.
- Have been enrolled at a college or university in the U.S. on a full-time basis for at least one full academic year.
- Are in a major (Premajor students, who are not yet admitted into a major, are not eligible for CPT. CPT cannot be authorized based on a minor or certificate program).
- Will earn your degree from Cornish College of the Arts (visiting exchange students are not eligible for CPT).
Credit Requirement
You may request authorization for CPT to participate in training that is integral to your established curriculum. Training may be required or optional for your degree. Required training must be clearly identified and described in the course catalog or similar publication.
If the training is not required by your major degree program, ISS requires you to receive academic credit from an internship, cooperative education program, practicum, or similar course through your academic department. Your academic department might not require you to earn credit for an optional training/work experience, but ISS requires academic credit be earned in order to authorize CPT. The credit must be earned in the same quarter for which CPT is authorized, though exceptions may be granted for students pursuing CPT during their vacation quarter. You must earn at least one CPT-related credit for each quarter of authorization granted. Graduate students may not use thesis or dissertation credit to fulfill the credit requirement.
From https://iss.washington.edu/employment/f1-employment/cpt
How to Apply
Contact the Assistant Registrar in the Office of Registration and Records at 206.726.5089 with any questions regarding your international student status.
What is OPT
Optional Practical Training Overview
Optional Practical Training (OPT) provides F-1 students with an opportunity for hands-on work experience (work authorization) related to the academic field of study.
You are eligible to apply if you meet the following criteria:
- You are currently in F-1 status.
- You have been enrolled in a full course of study for one academic year (three quarters, including final exams weeks) or will complete one academic year by the date the OPT approval begins.
- You have not exceeded 12 months of full-time Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorization. (Part-time CPT does not affect OPT eligibility.)
- You do not need a job offer first; you can apply for OPT without a job offer.
When to apply?
Apply early! Do not wait for a job offer. You do not need a job offer to apply for OPT. Allow three months for processing by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), plus additional time for obtaining your academic adviser's signature on the OPT Request Form, ISS processing (one week), and mailing to USCIS. You cannot work until you receive OPT approval.
You may submit your application to USCIS as early as 90 days before your program end date and up to 60 days after your program end date. (Your program end date is the last day of your final quarter, including final exams week, according to the academic calendar.) Please note that your OPT application must arrive at the USCIS Service Center within 30 days of the OPT I-20 issue date, or the request will be denied.
It is better to apply for OPT three months prior to your program end date. Though USCIS will accept your application up to 60 days after your program end date, you cannot begin work until the application is approved. A delayed application may result in delayed work authorization and/or loss of full OPT eligibility (12 months) due to the three-month processing time by USCIS. Here is a visual timeline to help illustrate the process.
From https://iss.washington.edu/employment/f1-employment/opt
How to Apply
Contact the Assistant Registrar in the Office of Registration and Records at 206.726.5089 with any questions regarding your international student status.
How can I continue to work in the U.S. after OPT
If you want to stay in U.S. after your OPT, you need to think about applying H-1B work visa.
For more information, go here: