Hire a Royal – Employment

Students on an F-1 Visa may work in the United States under certain circumstances. It is strongly recommended that you speak with your Designated School Official (DSO = Assistant Director for International Student Services) before beginning any new job, internship, or volunteer position for authorization. Working without proper authorization results in the immediate termination of your student visa.

Who can approve your work authorization?

Unauthorized Employment

These types of employment are NOT PERMITTED (on or off-campus) while in the U.S. on a student visa:

• Babysitting
• Dog-sitting
• Housesitting
• Private tutoring (if not hired through Queens Tutoring & Writing Center)
• Private sports coaching or athletic training
• Working at a restaurant
• Working remotely for a company abroad while physically in the U.S.
• Making money on social media (this includes product or company endorsements)
• Unpaid work to avoid OPT and CPT
• NIL monetary or in-kind profits are strictly prohibited while physically in the U.S.

*For more information on allowable employment while on a student visa, visit the Study in the States webpage on the Homeland Security website.

On-Campus Employment

Active F-1 students may apply for On-Campus Employment up to 30 days before the start of classes. To apply, talk to your DSO. If approved, your DSO will provide you with an Enrollment Verification Letter. Take the letter, job offer letter, I-94, visa, I-20, and passport to the local Social Security Office to apply for a Social Security Number (SSN). All students who wish to work must apply for a Social Security Number. Students on an F-1 visa may work on-campus without any special work authorization for up to:

• 20 hours per week when classes are in session
• 40 hours per week during breaks (e.g. winter break, spring break, summer break)

On-Campus Job Locations

• The Library
• The Queens Bookstore in the Levine Center
• Dining Services (Chartwells, The Coffee House, Einstein’s, and Catering)
• Residence Life (after your first year)
• Queens IT Help Desk
• Fitness Center in the Levine Center
• Conference & Events (in the summer)
• The Tutoring & Writing Center (after your first year)
• Campus Departments

*International students are not eligible for “federal work study” jobs

*ISEP students on J-1 visas must have permission from ISEP before they can accept a position on campus.

If you have additional questions, please visit the F-1 Student On-Campus webpage on ICE.gov or contact your DSO. You may also access the PCIE share drive on MyQueens.edu for further employment information.

Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

Curricular practical training (CPT) is an employment option available to F-1 degree-seeking students when employment is considered an important or required part of the curriculum or academic program. CPT is usually used for off-campus internships that fulfill graduation requirements or are taken for academic credit. If the employment opportunity is solely sought because it is beneficial, relevant, or an excellent professional/personal experience, it does NOT qualify for CPT. CPT work experiences must always relate to the student’s major. They must also coincide with the semester dates that the student is enrolled in the course related to the work experience (e.g. INT 401/402/403/404/405 or practicum courses). Work may not begin until this authorization is given and a new I-20 is issued. CPT will only be authorized one semester at a time so that Queens can ensure all eligibility criteria continue to be met.

For more information, you can review the International Student Employment Policy on the PCIE my.Queens.edu website.

CPT Eligibility

• Be a full-time enrolled student in the U.S. for one year
• CPT must be approved by the DSO and endorsed on page 2 of the student’s I-20 before beginning employment.
• Only engage in the CPT for the specific employer, location, and period of time approved by PCIE and noted on page 2 of your I-20.
• Be enrolled full-time during the semester. Over summer break, the student must have been enrolled full-time during the spring term and be enrolled for the upcoming fall term or be enrolled in the summer as the last term for their degree program.

Optional Practical Training (OPT)

Optional Practical Training (OPT) is an employment benefit awarded to F-1 students by USCIS. OPT extends your legal F-1 status to enable authorization of work that is directly related to your major field of study. USCIS determines if a student is granted OPT or not. It is not the decision of Queens or the PCIE. An OPT application does require the DSO to recommend the student for OPT which they may not be able to do if a student has violated and failed to maintain their legal status while studying in the United States.

Students are eligible for a period of OPT after each level of study. There is a 12-month benefit allowed at the bachelor’s degree level and another 12-month benefit allowed at the master’s degree level. OPT must be completed within 14 months of completion of your studies or it is forfeited. You cannot save OPT and try to use it later.

Pre-Completion OPT

You may apply to participate in Pre-Completion OPT after you have been lawfully enrolled on a full-time basis for one full academic year at a college or university that has been certified by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) to enroll F-1 students.

You do not need to have had F-1 status for the one full academic year; you can satisfy the “one full academic year” requirement even if you had another nonimmigrant status during that time. It is important to note that:

• You can work full-time or part-time during your annual vacation (summer) if you intend to register for the next term.
• You can work while school is in session (fall/spring) provided that the OPT does not exceed 20 hours per week.
• You can apply any time provided that you have been a student for one full academic year (a fall and spring semester). Periods of pre-completion OPT are deducted from the available period of post-completion OPT.
• The process takes 2-3 months or more for approval.

Post-Completion OPT

You may apply to participate in post-completion OPT after completing your studies. If you are authorized for post-completion OPT, you must work at least 20 hours per week in a job/position that directly relates to your major area of study, not your minor. It is important to note that:

• You can apply during the semester of your graduation, not more than 90 days before your program end date.
• It is your responsibility to ensure that the program end date on your I-20 reflects your actual graduation date and request any updates as necessary.
• You can apply for OPT up to 60 days after the completion of your course of study.
• You must file your OPT application before you leave the United States. Once you leave the United States, the 60-day grace period comes to an end, and you cannot apply for OPT.
• You are eligible for 12 months of OPT after your undergraduate degree and another 12 months after your graduate degree. You cannot receive two periods of consecutive OPT, meaning you cannot save undergraduate OPT and try to use it 24 months after completion of a graduate degree.
• Students authorized for OPT must work 20 hours per week or more in a job related to their major field of study.
• Students approved for OPT must work in their major field of study and cannot be unemployed for more than 90 days.

STEM OPT Extension

If you have earned a degree in certain science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, you may apply for a 24-month extension of your post-completion OPT employment authorization if you:

• Are an F-1 student who received a STEM degree included on the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List (2022). Your degree code is listed on page 1 of your I-20.
• Are employed by an employer who is enrolled in and is using E-Verify; and
• Received an initial grant of post-completion OPT employment authorization based on your STEM degree.

If you are interested in applying for a STEM OPT extension, please see the Optional Practical Training Extension for STEM Students (STEM OPT) webpage for more information.

Internships

Internships are primarily offered by the private sector and are typically related to your major field of study. Unpaid internships do not normally qualify as “volunteer” work. Review the Internship Programs Under the Fair Labor Standards Act for more guidelines on unpaid internships.

Severe Economic Hardship

The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) defines “severe economic hardship” as a financial condition caused by unforeseen circumstances beyond the student’s control that make it difficult for a student to continue education in the United States. Source: [8 C.F.R. 214.2(f)(9)(ii)(C)-(D) and (F)]

These financial conditions may include:

• Loss of financial aid or on-campus employment through no fault of the student.
• Substantial changes in the exchange rate or value of the currency upon which the student depends.
• Inordinate increases in tuition or living costs.
• Unexpected changes in the financial state of the student’s source of support.
• Medical bills.
• Other substantial and unexpected expenses.

To qualify for off-campus employment, the student must be able to demonstrate why on-campus employment is unavailable or insufficient to meet the student’s financial needs, which arose from unexpected circumstances. You will complete a Form I-765 for Employment Authorization. To get the $410 fee waived, you will need to fill out and submit the Request for Fee Waiver with USCIS by mail.

Volunteering

Volunteering refers to donating time to an organization whose primary purpose is charitable or humanitarian in nature, without remuneration or any other type of compensation. F-1 and J-1 students are free to engage in volunteer work as long as it meets the criteria (e.g., supporting the American Red Cross).