One privilege granted to F-1 students is the ability to work part time on campus. To find a job on campus, please contact the Career Development office at [email protected] or visit the office in the Lawson-Fulton Student Center.
Once you find a job, you must apply for a social security card. You may work for 20 hours a week during the semester and 40 hours a week during the official Christmas and summer holidays. But remember, the money you earn in the United States is subject to all United States tax laws!
F-1 students are not allowed to work off campus. Your purpose for being here is to study, not to work, and your visa status reflects this. Students with unforeseen economic hardship should apply to work on campus. If a student with unforeseen economic hardship cannot find an on-campus job, he or she can apply to work off-campus through the ISP Office.
OPT authorization allows a student to gain practical work experience in their chosen field of study for 12 months before and/or after their program ends. Students may use OPT before program completion (pre-completion OPT) or after program completion (post-completion OPT). Students must submit an application to USCIS to receive an Employment Authorization Document before they can engage in OPT. Begin by reading the OPT Tutorial for details on eligibility, when to apply, and how to apply. Then submit the Application for Optional Practical Training for F-1 Student to [email protected] to begin the process.
Some students at Hope qualify to get an off-campus job for Curricular Practical Training (CPT). If your academic program or major requires you to get an internship to graduate, you may qualify for CPT. To find out if this is true for you, please contact the ISP Office.
