What counts as employment?

Work authorization is required if:

  1. You will be providing services or selling a product for a profit on U.S. soil
  2. You will receive any compensation (salary, stipend, etc.) or anything of value (for instance, housing) in exchange for the services you provide
  3. You are performing a job that is usually a paid position or if your services would displace a U.S. worker if you volunteered
  4. You are engaged in any internship or curricular placement, either paid or unpaid, to meet a curricular requirement for your degree or for a course for credit

Are there types of work I cannot do?

There will be times in your stay as an international student that you may not qualify for authorization to begin a job, internship, research activity, etc.

  1. If you are working a 20 hour/week job on campus, you cannot accept another on-campus job, even a one-time job or a small stipend payment
  2. For some off-campus authorizations you must be in lawful full-time study for at least one full academic year before you qualify
  3. If your academic program does not require an internship, you might not have the option of F-1 Curricular Practical Training or J-1 Academic Training
  4. If your major or employer are not both qualified, you might not qualify for F-1 STEM Optional Practical Training

If you find out that work permission is not possible, you will have to turn down an offer for which you can’t be authorized.