Year after year, the United States opens its doors to thousands of foreign students to carry out their academic or language training. If you want to study full-time in the United States, you must meet the requirements for the category of non-immigrant academic student “F1” is granted to the applicant and condition F2 is granted to his companions (children under 21 years of age or spouses).
Studying in the United States can be expensive, so it is important that as an international student with an F1 visa you know the options you have to work legally and thus defray part of your expenses. This document is intended to explain the requirements for available work options.
Optional Professional Practices / Optional Practical Training (OPT)
- It allows students to work legally off-campus (in an area related to their field of study) for 40 hours per week (for 1 year) once they finish their university studies or when they are close to completing them.
- The OPT is a temporary work permit that is designed to provide employment opportunities to international F1 visa students who wish to work in their field of study.
- It is not necessary to have a job to apply. If your OPT starts and you have not found a job, you can choose to do an internship of more than 20 hours a week, which could count as one job while you get another.
- To be able to make an OPT the F1 student must process an EAD (Employment Authorization Document), which is the document that allows him to work in the United States as an F1 student. The student must obtain approval before starting work.
- An F1 student can only start his OPT on the date indicated in the EAD. You must start working between day 0 and maximum 60 days after graduation. You must choose the date and you will not be able to change it.
- They may apply for the EAD to conduct an OPT, F1 students enrolled in full-time programs for at least 9 consecutive months within the following educational institutions: College, university, conservatory, or seminary.
- To be eligible to apply to OPT as an F1 student after the completion of studies:
- You may submit an application to participate in the OPT up to 90 days before being enrolled for a full academic year and no later than 60 days after the end date of the academic program.
- Employment may not begin until after the end of the academic year, as indicated by the DSO.
- The work must be directly related to the main areas of study of the student.
- If the OPT is about to expire, the employer may file the H-1B petition before the OPT expires. If the OPT is expired before the H-1B is approved (requested), the student may remain legally in the US, but will not be able to work legally until their H-1B application is approved.
- The student who has been approved for the OPT is authorized for 12 months of practical training and becomes eligible for another 12 months of practical training by switching to a higher education level.
- During the period of the OPT, a student will maintain F1 visa status, as it is considered part of the curriculum.
- You can work part time during class periods and full time during vacation periods.
- If you are an F-1 student enrolled in a full-time English language teaching program, you are not eligible for OPT.
- You can not be unemployed for more than 90 days. If so, your OPT ends and you must leave the country immediately.
- Your work should be related to your area of study. You can obtain 1 OPT for each degree obtained (1 by undergraduate and 1 by postgraduate). If you decide to do other studies, for example, a postgraduate degree, you will have to process an I20 and your OPT will be terminated automatically.
Practical Curricular Practices / Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
It allows students (at the College or University level) to work legally on campus during the school year, for 20 hours per week and 40 hours per week in the summer period. For this the students must have remained legally studying in the country for at least 9 months.
- The CPT is a program authorized by the DSO (Designated School Official) for F1 students who require work outside the university campus as required by the study program in which the student is enrolled.
- To be able to make a CPT you must process an EAD (Employment Authorization Document), which is the document that allows you to work in the United States as an F1 student.
- The student must complete their CPT in the 14 months following the completion of their study program.
- The CPT is only granted for employment related to the main area of study. Although really, there is no specified limitation in the EAD.
- If the F1 student who makes the CPT decides to change to another school, their CPT will not be valid, since the CPT is automatically terminated when the student moves to another school.
Professional Practices in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics / Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Optional Practical Training (STEM OPT)
- STEM OPT allows F1 students to stay in the US for up to 17 months after the completion of studies.
- Students may participate in a list of academic programs in order to complete the requirements of the full-time course of the F1 visa.
Designated School Official / Designated School Officer (DSO)
Is a US citizen or legal permanent resident of the United States, employed within the school to assist and supervise F1 students. Without the figure of the DSO, no institution can belong to the “Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) -certified”. This person is designated by the president, owner or head of the institution and must sign form I-17A, “Record of Designated School Officials.”
Social Security Number (SSN)
- The Social Security number is important because you need it to get a job, receive Social Security benefits and some government benefits. Many businesses, such as banks and credit companies, also require your number. If you are not a US citizen, but live in the United States, you may also need a Social Security number.
- To request it, the first thing you should do is visit the portal: socialsecurity.gov, open an account in “My Social Security”, there you will be able to inform yourself, apply, review your status, know your benefits and obligations, etc.
- Your school may ask for your Social Security number. Some schools and universities use Social Security numbers as student identification numbers. If you do not have a Social Security number, the school or university must give you another identification number. Generally, only Social Security numbers are assigned to people authorized to work in the United States. Social Security numbers are used to report your earnings to the government and to determine your entitlement to Social Security benefits. Social Security will not assign you a Social Security number only for you to enroll in a school or university.
Employment Authorization Document / Employment Authorization Document (EAD)
- It is the document that allows US employers to ensure that all their employees, regardless of their citizenship or national origin, are authorized to work in the United States for a specific period of time.
- When you have a Nonimmigrant status that allows you to be in the United States (such as an F1 student), but not that allows you to work in the United States, if you qualify, you can apply for a USCIS / Form I employment authorization. 765 (Application for Employment Authorization) and an EAD.
- EAD Renewal: If you still meet the requirements to receive an employment authorization but your EAD is going to expire or has expired, you must apply for the EAD renewal through a new Form I-765 and make the required fee payment ( if required). Usually, you can not request the renewal of your EAD with more than 180 days before your original EAD expires.
- EAD Replacement: A new EAD can be requested if the same a) was lost, damaged or stolen, b) If it contains incorrect information
Category F2: F1 Student Dependents
Children under the age of 21 and spouses of the F1 student visa applicant can request a “derivative” F2 visa to accompany the principal applicant to the United States. Derivative visas are not available to parents, family members or children of legal age of the applicant. Children with an F2 visa can attend public schools in the United States.
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