What counts as employment?
Work authorization is required if:
- You will be providing services or selling a product for a profit on U.S. soil
- You will receive any compensation (salary, stipend, etc.) or anything of value (for instance, housing) in exchange for the services you provide
- You are performing a job that is usually a paid position or if your services would displace a U.S. worker if you volunteered
- 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.
- 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
- For some off-campus authorizations you must be in lawful full-time study for at least one full academic year before you qualify
- 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
- 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.