Employment Options for International Students

F-1 Student Visa

Employment on Campus

• Description: Employment on campus with the school itself or with an independent company serving the school's needs.
• Eligibility: F-1 status
• Limitations: Maximum 20 hours per week during school year, full-time during vacation periods.
• Authorization: Not required.

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Employment as Part of Scholarship

• Description: Employment as part of a scholarship, fellowship or assistantship related to your field of study; can be off-campus, though payment must come from the school.
• Eligibility: F-1 status
• Limitations: Maximum 20 hours per week during school year, full-time during vacation periods .
• Authorization: Not required.

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Employment Based on Economic Need

• Description: Employment after one year of study if there has been an unforeseen change in your financial position (such as a large devaluation of your country's currency, loss of a scholarship, large tuition increases. etc.)
• Eligibility: F-1 status for at least one academic year, good academic standing, continued full-time student status, unforeseen financial hardship, and/or inability to find campus employment.
• Limitations: Maximum 20 hours per week during school year, full-time during vacation periods; permission granted for one year at a time.
• Authorization: By INS.

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Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

• Description: Employment as part of student's educational experience, offered by an employer through agreement with the school.
• Eligibility: F-1 status for at least nine months (which can be waived for graduate students under certain circumstances) and/or continued student status.
• Limitations: Limited to internships, co-op education, alternate work/study programs, required practicums.
• Authorization: By the appropriate faculty department, Graduate Career Services and International Student Services office.

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Optional Practical Training (OPT)

• Description: Employment for up to one year(12 Months) after graduation in a job related to your field of study; OPT may start before graduation under specific circumstances.
• Eligibility: F-1 status for at least nine months; need not have an offer of employment.
• Limitations: Not eligible if you have already worked for at least one year in CPT; OPT can only be for full-time jobs.
• Authorization: By INS and the International Student Services office.

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Employment Through H-1B Visa

• Description: Temporary employment through H-1B visas for specialty workers; sponsoring employers must have documents on file with the U.S. Department of Labor certifying, among other things, that they will offer the employee on H-1B visa at least the prevailing wage paid in the same geographic area for the same type of job.
• Eligibility: Must have the offer of a specialty job from a qualified employer; must have the correct background for the job including at least a bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience.
• Limitations: Eligibility to work only for the H-1B sponsor; visa granted for up to three years at a time, subject to a maximum duration of six years.
• Authorization: By INS.

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J-1 Student Visa

Employment as Part of the Exchange Program

• Description: Permission to work as part of the exchange program in which the student is participating; the job may be located on or off campus.
• Eligibility: J-1 status
• Limitations: Work must be part of the student's exchange program.
• Authorization: Not required.

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Academic Training

• Description: Permission to work for up to 18 months in the student's field of study during or after the completion of the degree program; for Ph.D. students, postdoctoral training may last for up to 36 months; additional training time is allowed if required by the student's degree program.
• Eligibility: J-1 status and good academic standing; must have job offer related to student's field of study.
• Limitations: Student's primary purpose in the U.S. must be study rather than a job or training.
• Authorization: By International Student Services Office.

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Off-Campus Employment Based on Economic Need

• Description: Permission to work off-campus if there has been an unforeseen change in student's financial position; can be unrelated to student's exchange program.
• Eligibility: J-1 status; unforeseen financial hardship.
• Limitations: Employment can not adversely affect the student's full-time participation in the exchange program.
• Authorization: By INS.

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This information is general. Consult with International Student Office and/or an immigration attorney for information on specific employment-related questions.

Graduate Career Management Center
151 East 25th Street, Suite 820 NY, NY 10010 • 646.312.1330 • zicklin.gcmc@baruch.cuny.edu