Employment

F-1 off-campus employment

F-1/J-1 students

As an F-1 international student, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) provides a variety of opportunities to be employed in the United States during and after the completion of a degree. 

Students must obtain the appropriate work authorization type before commencing employment. Failing to receive proper work authorization is a serious violation of your F-1 student status.

F-1 off-campus employment before graduation

Let’s compare Curricular Practical Training and Pre-Completion Optional Practical Training

 

Purpose

 

Note: If your program does not offer an internship as part of your curriculum and you wish to participate in an internship, you will need to apply for Pre-OPT. It is in your best interest to determine early if an internship is an option as Pre-OPT applications take approximately 90 days to process.

CPT

Pre-OPT

Your academic department will have specific internship requirements that need to be met before submitting the CPT I-20 Request eForm to ISSC. 

Confirms a future expected graduation date and approves the internship course as a necessary/integral part of the degree program.

Confirms a future expected graduation date. 

 

CPT

Pre-OPT

If 12 months of full-time Curricular Practical Training (CPT) have been used, you will not be eligible for Pre-OPT or Post-OPT.

Your maximum total of 12 months of OPT per degree program can be used while earning your degree (Pre-OPT), after earning your degree (Post-OPT), or a combination of both (Pre- and Post-OPT). 

 

Any approved Pre-OPT will be deducted from your available 12 months of OPT time: accrued at half the rate when used during the semester, in full when used during the summer break when requested at full time.   

CPT

Pre-OPT

ISSC and Academic Department.

ISSC and USCIS.

CPT

Pre-OPT

Internship class credit. The cost depends on the number of the credit hours.

Current application fee to USCIS.

CPT

Pre-OPT

  • Maintenance of F-1 status for a minimum of one academic year in a degree program.
  • Enrollment in an internship course as required or approved by your academic unit
  • Proposed employment must be an integral part of an established curriculum and meet one of the following requirements:
    • Internship is required of all candidates for a particular degree program; or
    • Internship is required of a particular student's degree program as a planned option in their program of study; or
    • Internship is necessary/integral for the student’s dissertation or thesis competencies.
  • You must maintain the full-time enrollment requirements while on CPT.

  • Maintenance of F-1 status for a minimum of one academic year in a degree program.
  • No internship course required
  • Employment must be directly related to your field of study.
  • You must maintain the full-time enrollment requirements while on Pre-OPT.

CPT

Pre-OPT

Part-time employment (up to 20 hours a week) generally during the fall and spring semesters. 

 

Full-time CPT may be approved depending on the session and course requirements left - please discuss with your Academic Advisor. 

Part-time (20 hours or less) during the semester

 

Full-time (more than 20 hours) during the summer or (graduate students with thesis/dissertation only) during the semester if all coursework is completed

CPT

Pre-OPT

Unemployment time is not a factor during CPT. If you stop working please discuss the possible academic impacts with your Academic Advisor. 

Unemployment time is not a factor during Pre-OPT. If you find a job you must report employment through the MyISSC eForm Portal and submit the Pre-OPT Employment Update eForm.

Application process and timeline

Learn more

F-1 off-campus employment after graduation

Resources

We encourage all students interested in pursuing OPT to review our OPT and Beyond for ASU students guide, to help you understand the benefits of Optional Practical Training and all the resources available to help you through the process.  The guide features information and students sharing their OPT stories.