2. On campus
employment
Off campus
employment

3.  Work on campus while enrolled in a full
course of study
 Institutional vs. work study
 Does not have to be related to major
of studies
 Not guaranteed and limited to
availability

4.  Part-time
› up to 20 hrs/ week/
semester &
 full-time
› > 20 hrs/ week/
official school
breaks
 On-campus
employment must
provide direct
student services
 Examples:
Aramark,
Barnes & Noble

5.  Babysitting
 House cleaning
 Translating texts for the local
town library
 Editing papers for other students
online
 Working for outside companies
 Participating as a research
subject

6.  An internship/ co-op that is 
“an integral part of an
established curriculum”
 Must be part of a student’s
program of study (required for
completion/ optional, but for
academic credit)
 Most F-1 students are eligible
 after 1 full year of
academic study
 Is job specific  new I-20 for
changes in employers or
employment terms

7.  Part-time (up to 20 hrs/ week)
or full-time (> 20 hrs / week)
 International students with
>12 months of full-time CPT
are ineligible for OPT

8.  Prove internship course registration
for 0-3 credits
 Internship policies vary
 Job offer letter (job duties, proposed
start and end of employment dates,
salary, part-time or full-time
employment & office location)
 Completed CPT recommendation
form

10. I-20 (Page 3) of a CPT Student
• Must receive SEVIS authorization from their
DSO prior to starting employment
• (no USCIS application required)
• A new I-20 with CPT authorization will be
issued
• Free and quick processing
• CPT authorization must be processed for
both paid/unpaid positions

11.  related to the student’s field
of study and can occur
during or after completion of
a program of study
 Does not have to be job
specific

12. Pre-completion
 Rather
uncommon
 Deducted from
the post-
completion OPT
time (12 months)
 Must file a new
petition each
time and include
processing fee
 More difficult to
establish a
relationship with
an employer in a
short period of
time
 Could be a good
option for STEM
majors
 Prepare well in
advance
Post-completion
 No need to wait
for a job offer
 USCIS must
receive your
application 120
days before or
within 60 days
after your official
graduation date
 The application
process takes 2-3
months after the
application is
mailed
 Prepare well in
advance

13.  Application components
› New I-20 from Trinity ISSS
› Copies of all previous I-20
form(s) + all passport identity
pages + previous Employment
Authorization Documents (EAD
cards)
› Money order for $380.00
payable to the US department
of Homeland Security
› Verification of enrollment
(anticipated graduation date
from the Office of the Registrar
and verifying major(s))

14.  Application components
› 2 recent passport-style photos
on white background
› electronic I-94 print out
› Your name and I-94 number
must be printed in pencil on the
back of the photos
› Completed I-765 form
› Preferred beginning and end
dates
 ISSS mails and monitors your OPT
application. You will receive scans
of OPT petition submitted for your
record keeping purposes, original
Notice of Action documentation
and an EAD card when it is
received by our office.

15.  Difficult to predict, but
try to estimate
strategically
 Earliest start date: on
or after the program
completion date
 Latest start date: 60
calendar days after
the program
completion date
 You cannot begin
working before you
receive the EAD and
you reach the stated
start date
 Dates cannot be
changed after
submitted, so think
carefully

16.  Post-completion OPT students
may be eligible for a 17-
month extension if they
received a degree in a DHS-
designated science,
technology, engineering or
mathematics field
 What majors qualify?
 E-Verify

17.  Report any
changes
(official name,
address, employer
name & address, or
loss of
employment)
within 10 days.
throughout the OPT
period
 ISTEM extension
students must
report at 6- and 12-
months after the
start of the
extension period
 DHS may terminate
the F-1 status of
OPT students who
do not fulfill all
reporting
requirements
• part of the OPT update
e-form

18.  Paid employment of
at least 20 hours per
week
 Unpaid employment
(volunteer/unpaid
internship) of at least
20 hours per week
 Multiple employers
 Work for hire/1099
employment
 Self-employed
business owner
(student should have
evidence of proper
business licenses)
 Employment through
an agency or
consulting firm
 The job must be
directly related to the
major(s) and
educational level
that is on your
current I-20
 You and the
employer make this
determination
 You can change
employers as long as
each job is directly
related to your
current major and
educational level
 If you withdraw your
OPT application, you
lose the paid SEVIS
fee

19.  Limit days of
unemployment during
OPT to maintain F-1
status
 Students during the
initial OPT period –
maximum of 90 days
allowed during the 12-
month OPT period
 Students with an OPT
STEM Extension – an
additional 30 days
applies, for a maximum
of 120 days allowed
during the 27-month
OPT period
 *Report all periods of
employment to avoid
unnecessary accrual of
unemployment days

20. Students on OPT must have the following
to re-enter the U.S.:
 Valid, unexpired passport (expiration
at least six months into the future
 Valid, unexpired visa
 OPT I-20 (valid signature on page 3)
 OPT EAD
 Proof of employment or evidence of
an active employment search
Homeland Security has indicated that a student
may leave the U.S. while OPT is pending, but if
the OPT is approved the student will need the
EAD and proof of employment to re-enter.
The ISSS recommends that students do not leave
the U.S. while an OPT extension application is
pending.

21.  H-1B visa – work visa for skilled workers
 There is often a gap of time between
the OPT end date and the H-1B start
date (corporate H-1B visas begin on
Oct. 1 and most students graduate in
May or Dec.)
 USCIS provides a temporary
extension of F-1 status & work
authorization while the H-1B petition is
being processed

22.  This benefit is offered only from
Apr. 1 to Oct. 1 & only in
conjunction with a corporate H-1B
petition that is pending or
approved with an Oct. 1 start
date. The extension begins the
day after the OPT EAD end date
and ends on Oct. 1
 You can obtain a new I-20 that
indicates this extension and
remain F-1 until the H-1B start date
 If your H-1B petition is denied or
withdrawn and your OPT has
ended, your status ends 60 days
from the date posted on your
denial/withdrawal
 H-1Bs with nonprofit organizations
do not follow these deadlines

23.  F-1 students suffering a severe
economic hardship due to
unforeseen changes in their
financial circumstances
 Eligibility:
› Be in F-1 status for 1 academic year
› Be in good academic standing
› On campus opportunities are
unavailable or insufficient to meet your
needs
› Ex: loss of financial support or
employment, medical bills, etc.
 Application processing – 2-3
months

24.  Application components:
› Form I-765
› $380 fee (can request to waive the
fee due to extreme economic
hardship)
› Copy of I-20 form with your ISSS
adviser’s recommendation for
economic hardship employment
› A letter describing your financial
situation & supporting evidence
› Copies of passport/visa pages
› Copies of previous EAD pages (if
applicable)

25.  You may work for a qualified
international organization, as
defined by the International
Organization Immunities Act of
Dec. 29, 1945
 If you have an offer from an
employer on the List of
International Organizations you
may apply to the United States
Citizenship and Immigration
Services (USCIS)for an EAD
 Application: similar to the
employment based on severe
economic hardship’s application
process

26.  Relieves students coming from
countries suffering from
temporary economic/ civil unrest
 2012 – 2015: special student relief
(SSR) benefits to F-1 students from
Syria who are “experiencing
severe economic hardship as a
direct result of civil unrest”
 Eligibility criteria
 On-campus benefits
 Off-campus benefits

27. Ask ISSS Advisor before pursuing
off-campus employment
- Regulations often change &
info from friends/ family may
not be accurate
- Homeland Security is
increasingly strict about
employment violations. There
can be severe penalties for
working without proper
permission, including
exclusion from the US for up
to 10 years

28.  Email: isss@trinity.edu
 Website:
http://web.trinity.edu/x9118.xml
 Facebook:
http://facebook.com/trinityisss
 Inessa Stepanenko
Assistant Director, International
Student & Scholar Services
istepane@trinity.edu
(210) 999-7313
 Stephanie Herzog
International Student and Scholar
Services Advisor
sherzog@trinity.edu
(210) 999-8853