Authorized Work On-Campus

F-1 students may work on campus up to 20 hours per week while school is in session or up to 40 hours per week during breaks. Students take the following steps:

1. Apply for jobs through Handshake.
2. Obtain a Job Offer Letter from the on-campus employer
3. Receive a Letter of Support from an International Student Advisor (DSO)
4. Apply for a Social Security Card: Social Security Card Application
5. Begin employment

Authorized Work Off-Campus

F-1 students must have appropriate employment authorization before beginning any off-campus employment, internship, research or practical training, whether paid or unpaid.

Off-campus employment may be available to eligible F-1 students through:

1. Severe Economic Hardship: Students experiencing qualifying economic hardship may be eligible to apply for off-campus employment authorization. See Department of Homeland Security guidance
2. Curricular Practical Training (CPT): Recent federal guidance has significantly restricted eligibility for CPT. 

   Students enrolled in a program that requires an internship, teaching placement, practicum, or similar experience may still qualify and should contact SAISS for an individual review.

3. Optional Practical Training (OPT): Eligible students may apply to USCIS for OPT for employment or practical training directly related to their major field of study. Students must receive the required USCIS authorization and Employment Authorization Document (EAD) before beginning employment (including unpaid internships and some shadowing experiences). OPT Handout.

Always consult your International Student Advisor before accepting or beginning off-campus employment, internship, or practical training.

Internship, Shadowing, or Research Experience

F-1 International students must consult with the Office of Study Abroad and International Student Services (SAISS) before beginning an internship, shadowing, research, volunteer or experiential activity, paid or unpaid, that may constitute or appear to be employment or practical training. 

International students may only be eligible for the Funded Internship Program through SU if they have approved Pre-Completion OPT or CPT.

Internships

CPT authorization may be available for Education majors engaging in a required student teaching experience or required internship.

Students interested in an optional off-campus internship or shadowing should contact SAISS well in advance to discuss whether they may be eligible for pre-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT).

Medical and Dental Shadowing

Strictly observational medical or dental shadowing may continue without CPT or OPT. The student must only observe and may not provide services or assistance to the host organization.

Students may not assist with patients or procedures, prepare or clean equipment, perform administrative or research work, or otherwise assist the organization. SAISS will document these limitations with both the student and the host organization. Students also may not receive compensation or another benefit.

Research and Volunteer Experiences

Whether authorization is required depends on the nature of the activity. An experience is not automatically permissible simply because it is unpaid or described as volunteer service.

Please contact SAISS before accepting or beginning an internship, shadowing experience, or other off-campus practical experience so that we can determine whether employment authorization is required.

Unauthorized Work

If an International Student Advisor (DSO) knows that an international student is working without permission, they must report it through SEVIS; the student’s SEVIS record will be terminated. That means that the student will have to leave the United States immediately, and may not be allowed to return.

Tax Information

As an international student, the U.S.-sourced income is subject to taxation. It is a federal obligation to file a tax return for any U.S.-sourced income as a nonresident alien. A tax return is a compilation of various tax forms that compares what an international student paid in taxes against what the U.S. government calculates the student should have paid in taxes during the prior calendar year.

Sprintax - Software to assist you in filing nonresident tax returns

• Request an Access Code from the Office of Study Abroad and International Student Services 
• Sprintax offers a series of virtual information sessions where students can learn more about the U.S. tax process 
• Sprintax videos on YouTube
• Sprintax blog
• Sprintax FAQs
• Email Sprintax: hello@sprintax.com.

Deadline - April 15 to file for the previous calendar year (January 1 to December 31)