Employment

If you are maintaining your full-time student status, you may take a part-time job on campus for 20 hours or less per week while school is in session (fall and spring semesters) as long as it does not interfere with maintaining full-time enrollment. International students may work full-time on campus while school is not in session (summer vacation).

Definitions

Part-time: No more than 20 hours per week. If you are working more than one job, the total may not equal more than 20 hours per week.

Full-time: More than 20 hours per week, no total hour restriction. In the summer, you can work as many hours as you want on campus. Most employers consider 40 hours to be full-time, but you can work more than 40 hours during the summer.

Semester: Fall and spring semesters. For exact dates, please refer to the Academic Calendar.

Process

To work on campus, you need to follow the following steps:

1. Find a job on campus. You can start by going to Career Services in Kettler Hall and checking their most current job listings.
2. You may also go office to office and ask if there are any job opportunities available. If something is open, go ahead and apply.
3. Once you get offered a position, you will need to fill out the top portion of the On-Campus Authorization Form. Your employer should fill out the middle portion.
   
4. Bring back the form to the Office of International Education for a signature on the bottom.
5. If you do not have a social security number, you will need to apply for one as soon as possible. Refer to our Social Security page for more information. Please note that you can start working on campus without a social security number, but you cannot be paid without one.

Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

CPT: CPT is permission to accept employment in your academic field that is an integral part of an established curriculum. CPT is also defined as an alternative work/study, internship, cooperative education, or any other type of required internship or practicum which is offered by sponsoring employers through cooperative agreements with the school.

You qualify for CPT as long as it is an integral part of an established curriculum. CPT can be either part-time employment (20 hours or less per week) while school is in session (spring and fall) or full-time employment (more than 20 hours per week) while school is not in session (winter or summer breaks).

Eligibility

• You must hold F-1 non-immigrant status.
• You must have been a full-time student in the U.S. for one academic year (i.e., 2 semesters) or you must be a graduate student who is required to begin practical training immediately.
• You must currently be enrolled full-time in a degree program and be maintaining legal status.

Procedure

1. Register for a full course load (12 credits for undergraduate students and 9 credits for graduate students).
2. Download the CPT Procedure forms.
   
3. Obtain a job offer letter from your prospective employer that states the start and end dates of your employment, tasks on the job, number of hours to be worked, and the address of the employer on company letterhead.
4. Meet with your academic advisor to review your internship and have him/her approve it by signing the advisor recommendation form.
5. Bring a copy of the job offer letter from your prospective employer, your current SEVIS I-20, and your academic approval to OIE.

OIE will evaluate the documents, authorize CPT in the SEVIS system and issue a new I-20 to reflect the CPT approval.

OIE will authorize the CPT in SEVIS indicating:

• Whether the CPT is full-time or part-time
• The name of the employer
• The dates for the period of CPT
• Give you an updated I-20 with the CPT authorization printed on it

Important Tips

• Make sure you know if the position is full-time or part-time and whether that will change during the time of your employment. If it does change, you will need to reapply for CPT approval from ISS.
• Make sure you obtain authorization from an International Student Advisor to engage in CPT each time you change employers and each time you extend the dates of your employment. You must receive authorization before beginning the new job or working longer at the same job.
• Make sure you know how long your CPT will last.
• If you use 365 days or more of full-time CPT, you will be ineligible for Optional Practical Training (OPT). You can use an unlimited amount of part-time CPT.
• Show your SEVIS I-20 with the CPT authorization to your employer as proof that you have permission to work in the United States. Do not begin working until you have authorization from the Office of International Education.

Optional Practical Training (OPT)

OPT is one year of eligibility to work in the United Stated in a job that is directly related to your major area of study. OPT can be used while you are still pursuing your course of study and/or after you have finished your degree. The total amount of time you may spend engaging in OPT is 12 months. A student may use OPT for 6 months before graduation and 6 months after graduation but the big majority of international students apply for OPT to be used all 12 months after graduation.

New regulations allow for an additional 12 months of OPT if you move to a higher level of education (i.e., you get 12 months of OPT after a Bachelor's degree, and another 12 months for the Master's degree).

Spring 2013 OPT workshops

For those students graduating this Spring or Summer and are interested in OPT (Optional Practical Training).

Please contact

Ramzi (iss@ipfw.edu or 260-481-6034)

to sign up for a workshop.

Each workshop should last between one and one and a half hours and will take place in WU 145.

Monday February 4th: 10 am- 11:30 am
Tuesday February 5th: 9 am- 10:30 am
Thursday February 7th: 2 pm- 3:30 pm

Tuesday February 12th: 10 am- 11:30 am
Wednesday February 13th: 1 pm- 2:30 pm
Friday February 15th: 2 pm- 3:30 pm

Monday February 18th: 9:30 am- 11 am
Wednesday February 20th: 1:30 pm- 3 pm
Friday February 22nd: 3 pm- 4:30 pm

Monday February 25th: 3 pm- 4:30 pm
Tuesday February 26th: 3 pm- 4:30 pm

Tuesday March 5th: 9 am- 10:30 pm

Post-graduation Optional Practical Training

You may be authorized for post-graduation Optional Practical Training under the following circumstances:

1. You have enrolled as a full-time student for a minimum of one academic year (fall and spring semesters).
2. You have applied for for OPT three (3) months before graduation (required). USCIS recommends you to receive your application before your graduation date.

Eligibility

• You must have been enrolled full time in an academic program for at least one (1) academic year.
• To request permission to engage in OPT after graduation, you must apply during your last semester before completing your degree.
• You must submit your application while you are still in the United States. You are not eligible to apply for OPT if you have already graduated and have left the United States.

First Step

• Download and complete the IPFW OPT Application [PDF] and form I-765 [PDF]
• Download and complete the Form G-1145 [PDF].
• Have two (2) photographs taken for immigration purposes and lightly print your name on the back of each photograph with a pencil. You can get these done at Wal-Mart, Walgreens, or any local photo shop. Consult the photo specifications [PDF] before you get your photos taken.
• Make sure your passport is valid
• Write a check or money order made payable to U.S. Department of Homeland Security for $380.

Second Step

Schedule an appointment with an international student advisor. Bring the following documents with you:

1. Completed IPFW Application for OPT.
2. Completed Form I-765.
3. All SEVIS I-20 forms previously issued to you.
4. Passport, visa, I-94.
5. Previously issued Employment Authorization Cards (EAD's), if any.
6. Check or money order for $380.
7. Two passport photographs.

The international student advisor will:

• Recommend you for OPT in SEVIS and issue you a new I-20 to reflect the recommendation.
• Review your application, make the necessary copies, and send the completed packet to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

Can I extend my OPT?

As of April 2008, F-1 students who are currently authorized for a 12-month of OPT, who have earned a bachelor's, master's, or Ph.D. degree in a field that is listed on the DHS-STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math) from a U.S. college or university, and have a job-offer or employed by an employer registered with the E-Verify federal employment verification system, may apply for a 17-month extension to their OPT [PDF]. To find out if can qualify for the 17-month extension, consult the STEM code list webpage.

OPT Reporting Requirements

As of spring 2008, students on post-completion OPT may not accrue an aggregate of more than 90 days of unemployment under the initial 12-month period of OPT. Students granted a 17-month OPT extension may not accrue an aggregate of more than 120 days of unemployment during the total 29-month OPT period. IPFW international students must report employment by providing ISS with the name and address of the employer upon start of employment. Therefore, all IPFW international students on OPT must report the following information to ISS:

• Any change in your name or address
• Any change of employment and/or the name and address of the employer
• Any interruption of such employment (unemployed, termination)
• Students with an approved 17 month extension must also make a validation report every six months starting on the date the extension begins and ending when the OPT ends. The validation is a confirmation that the student's name and address, employer name and address, and/or loss of employment is current and accurate.

Travel for students currently on OPT

Dates of travel outside of the US while employed do not count as days of unemployment.  If a student on OPT is traveling outside of the US for a vacation or for business while continuing to be employed in the major field of study, those dates outside of the US do not need to be tracked or reported as days of unemployment.

While traveling on OPT, students are advised to carry the following:

• I-20, signed for travel (each travel signature is valid for only six months)
• Valid F-1 visa stamp
• Passport valid for at least six months into the future from the date of re-entry to the US
• Valid OPT card
• Job offer or confirmation letter. If traveling for business or on a vacation from the job, ensure that the letter clarifies this.

If you are traveling outside of the US while waiting for your OPT to be approved and before you complete your degree, take the following items with you:

• Passport (valid for six months from the date of your re-entry)
• Signed I-20 (Each travel signature is valid for only six months)
• Valid F-1 visa stamp.

Traveling outside of the US while waiting for your OPT to be approved and after your degree completion, be advised that this option is somewhat riskier.  You will need to take the following items with you:

• Passport (valid for six months from the date of your re-entry)
• Signed I-20 (Each travel signature is valid for only six months)
• Valid F-1 visa stamp
• We recommended that you bring your I-797C (receipt notice from USCIS).

ISS recommends particular caution in this situation.  Your US immigration status is determined by the I-94 card that is placed in your passport and because the I-94 is taken each time you depart from the US, establishing your F-1 status while outside the US will be difficult if USCIS has questions about your application.  If USCIS sends a request for additional information about an aspect of your application and if it is not resolved in a timely fashion, your application will be denied.
According to DHS, traveling back to the US while your OPT is pending is permitted in order to search for employment.

Traveling outside of the US after your OPT has been approved and after the completion date on your I-20 (check item 5 on your I-20), you must have the following documents to re-enter the United States:

• Passport (valid for six months from the date of your re-entry)
• Valid F-1 visa stamp
• OPT I-20 with a valid travel signature (given within the last six months)
• Valid OPT card
• Job offer or employment confirmation letter. Immigration regulations state that you can re-enter the US to resume employment while on OPT. If traveling for business or on a vacation from the job, ensure that the letter clarifies this.

It can be very difficult to apply for an F-1 visa stamp while you are on OPT.  If your visa stamp is expired, or will soon expire, keep this in mind.  Please remember that anytime you leave the US there is never a guarantee that the immigration official at the port of entry will allow you to reenter.  Please speak with an advisor at OIS if you have questions.

Employment Due to Severe Economic Hardship

If other employment opportunities are not available or are insufficient, a student in F-1 status may request off-campus work authorization based upon severe economic hardship caused by unforeseen circumstances beyond the student's control.

Eligibility:

1. You have been enrolled as a full-time student for one full academic year (fall and spring semesters).
2. You must be in good standing in your classes and be taking a full course load (12 credit hours for undergraduate students; 9 credit hours for graduate students).
3. You must demonstrate that acceptance of employment will not interfere with carrying a full course load.
4. You must demonstrate that on-campus employment is insufficient.

First Step

• Produce documentation demonstrating unexpected changes in your financial condition. This may be a loss of financial support through no fault of your own, substantial fluctuations in the value of currency or exchange rate, inordinate increases in tuition and/or living costs, unexpected changes in the financial condition of your source of support, medical bills, or other substantial and unexpected expenses
• Complete Form I-765 [PDF]. [for question #16, enter: (c)(3)(iii)]
• Have two (2) photographs taken (Check the photo requirements [PDF])
• Copy of passport (Check the validity of your passport)
• Make a list of your assets, income, and expenses
• Write a one page letter to explain the unforeseen circumstances that caused your sponsor to be unable to fully sponsor your education expenses
• Collect official documents to support the reason(s) of the unforeseen circumstances

Second Step

Bring all the documents that prove the unexpected financial changes, I-20, completed Form I-765 [PDF], passport, and I-94 to an international student advisor. The international student advisor will:

• Review your application
• Issue new SEVIS I-20 recommending you for full-time or part-time work authorization

Third Step

Submit the application assembled in the following order to:

U.S. Department of Homeland Security
USCIS Service Center
P.O. Box 87765
Lincoln, NE 68501-7765

• A check or money order made payable to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for $340
• Form I-765 [PDF]
• A photocopy of your new SEVIS I-20
• A list of your assets, income, and expenses
• A copy of form I-94 Departure Record (front and back)
• A photocopy of the biographic and visa important pages in your passport
• Two (2) photographs (Check the photo requirements [PDF])

Important Information:

1. The employment authorization may be granted in one (1) year intervals up to the expected date of completion of your current course of study. The authorization may be renewed by the USCIS only if you are maintaining status and good academic standing and continue to document severe economic hardship.
2. Permission to work will be granted for a maximum of 20 hours per week while school is in session. You may be employed full-time during holidays and vacation periods provided that you intend to register for the next term. You must have an EAD in your possession before beginning to work.

Notice: Employment authorization based on Severe Economic Hardship is not a sufficient reason to drop below full-time enrollment status. In other words, you must maintain full-time status while approved for the employment.

          On Campus

• On Campus Employment Authorization Form 

          Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

• CPT Procedures
  
  
  

  Optional Practical Training (OPT)

• OPT Application Form (I-765)
• Guide for passport photos
• OPT Application (IPFW form)
• E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance (Form G-1145)
• OPT - 17 month STEM extension