Work Rules for F-1 Students: On-Campus Hours, CPT Internships and Where OPT Fits
Many international students hope to work part-time or intern while studying, but F-1 rules are strict, and unauthorized employment can cost a student their status. According to the Department of Homeland Security's Study in the States guidance, F-1 students have three main lawful routes to earn money: on-campus employment, Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and Optional Practical Training (OPT), each with very different rules.
On-campus employment has the lowest barrier: no application to USCIS is needed, only confirmation by the school's designated school official (DSO), and new students may start as early as 30 days before classes begin. During the school term the limit is 20 hours per week; full-time work is allowed during breaks if the student will register for the following term. Libraries, dining halls, bookstores and businesses providing services to students on campus are the most common employers.
CPT covers off-campus internships or jobs that are an integral part of the curriculum and directly related to the student's major; it must be authorized by the DSO in SEVIS and printed on the I-20 before work begins, for one specific employer and period, and generally requires one full academic year of enrollment first, with an exception for graduate programs that require immediate practical training. One caution matters most: accumulating 12 months of full-time CPT at the same education level makes a student ineligible for post-completion OPT, while part-time CPT does not.
OPT allows work directly related to the major for 12 months per higher education level: the DSO recommends it in SEVIS, USCIS adjudicates it and issues an Employment Authorization Document (EAD), and work cannot begin without the EAD in hand. Graduates in qualifying STEM fields may extend OPT by 24 months. Students facing severe economic hardship have a separate off-campus route, which also requires USCIS approval. Advisors repeat one rule: when in doubt about a job, ask the school's international student office first, never start work and hope to fix the paperwork later. (Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security)
Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图片来源：大学生在图书馆学习工作（Kallie Hagel 摄，Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 4.0） / Image: A university student studying in a library, by Kallie Hagel, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
