Student Off-Campus Work & Training

Maybe you’ve seen an advertisement looking for a tuba player or Spanish-language translator, you’ve been offered a management internship with a start-up company, or perhaps you want to build your resume by working at a firm or conducting research at another university’s lab. Before accepting an off-campus internship, job, or any payment for services, you will need to be certain your F-1 or J-1 immigration status allows you to begin.

Keep in mind that off-campus work permission for international students in the U.S. is quite limited, applications for certain employment authorizations can often take months to be approved, and that you must always have valid employment authorization to begin employment.

Training in Your Major Field

The most common types off campus employment that qualify for authorization involve training related to your major field of study:

  • F-1 student Curricular Practical Training (CPT): for an internship or placement that is a necessary and integral part of your academic program
  • F-1 student Optional Practical Training (OPT): to gain practical experience in your major field of study when the employment is NOT required by your academic program
  • F-1 student STEM Extension of OPT: an extension of Optional Practical Training, available only if your major field is on a designated list of specialized majors in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and if you are training at a qualified employer
  • J-1 student Academic Training (AT): to gain practical experience in your major field of study

Other Permissions

Economic Hardship

  • F-1 and J-1 Student Severe Economic Hardship: If you have experienced unexpected economic difficulties due to circumstances beyond your control, you may qualify for off-campus work permission to help you continue to meet the expenses of your academic program.

Work with International Organizations

  • F-1 student Work with International Organizations recognized under the International Organization Immunities Act. If you secure an internship placement or employment with a designated international organization, you may also qualify to apply for work permission for that organization.

Off-Campus employment that does NOT qualify for authorization

While we appreciate that you might want to earn a little extra money during your program, the student regulations strictly prohibit any work outside of your academic program. Unauthorized employment is cause for termination of your SEVIS record, is difficult to remedy and will have a negative impact on future immigration applications. Common types off campus employment that do not qualify for authorization include, but are not limited to:

  • Employment for cash payments, gift cards or housing remuneration like babysitting, snow removal, dog walking, helping with household chores, under the table work at bars or restaurants, tutoring etc.
  • “Gig economy” opportunities like selling items you have made or have purchased for resale, selling artwork, getting paid for app creation, podcasts, influencer activities, artistic performances (not related to your program of study) ride share, food delivery etc.

Some employers might suggest you could work as an “independent contractor” rather than an employee from a payroll perspective, but USCIS regulations consider ALL forms of employment and ALL forms of remuneration to be employment which requires authorization. Many employers are not aware of the employment restrictions in student status so it is critical that you make sure you understand the rules so you do not inadvertently violate your student status.

Earning money can be complicated in relation to employment so experts often define “passive” versus “active” income to differentiate when employment authorization might be required. Some examples of passive income which generally does not require employment authorization include activities where you don’t “materially participate” or provide a direct service for pay like stock dividends, bank interest, savings accounts, limited rental income, royalties from intellectual property (if minimal effort) and personal investing (buying/selling stocks from your own account, not as a business).  Some examples of active income for which employment authorization is generally required involve material participation or activities that feel like a job, involve rendering a service for pay, or require significant time/effort like running an online store, buying rental property to earn income or daily trading or investing to help others earn income.

As always, please check with your ISSO advisor and/or an experienced immigration attorney before accepting or beginning any type of employment.