Employment
F-1 Employment
International students who are maintaining lawful student immigration status in the U.S., and who are maintaining normal progress toward their degree completion are eligible for certain employment benefits in the U.S. Employment is any work performed or services provided (including self-employment) in exchange for money or other benefits or compensation (i.e. free room and board in exchange for babysitting).
For F-1 students, the main types of employment authorization include On-Campus Employment, Curricular Practical Training, and Optional Practical Training, detailed below.
On-Campus employment for F-1 students
For F-1 students, the main types of employment authorization include On-Campus Employment, Curricular Practical Training, and Optional Practical Training, detailed below.
On-campus employment does not require prior permission. It is limited to 20 hours per week or less while enrolled for full-time courses.
Curricular Practical Training
Curricular Practical Training (CPT) employment is an integral part of an established curriculum.
CPT Application Process
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Online Workshop Completion
CPT Online WorkshopIf you wish to apply for CPT, you must complete the online workshop available at: Online CPT Workshop . Please review the workshop all the way to the end and fill out the form certifying your completion. This workshop is required before you can meet with an advisor to discuss CPT, even during walk-in hours.
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Academic Advisor CPT Discussion
You must discuss the academic options with your Academic Department before applying for CPT. Review and use the resources below to support this conversation. If you have questions, please contact your assigned Immigration Advisor.
- CPT Policies & Procedures
- CPT Special Eligibility Considerations
- CPT Examples
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CPT Application Completion
Compass PortalYou must also complete the CPT application in the Compass Portal. After you submit your form, your academic advisor will also be asked to submit a form through Compass.
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Immigration Services Advisor Review
A Student Advisor will review the complete application and notify the student when a decision is made. If the application is approved, a new I-20 with the CPT recommendation will be processed. The I-20 will be available for download in the Compass portal.
Optional Practical Training
There are three types of Optional Practical Training (OPT) authorization:
- Pre-Completion OPT
- Post-Completion OPT
- STEM OPT Extension
OPT Application Process
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Online Workshop Completion
OPT WorkshopStudents applying for Pre- Completion OPT, Post-Completion OPT, or a STEM OPT Extension must complete a mandatory online workshop before applying.
- STEM OPT Extension Workshop
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Compass Portal Request
Students applying for Pre-Completion OPT, Post-Completion OPT, or a STEM OPT Extension must complete request forms in Compass.
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Optional Advisor Meeting
After completing steps 1 and 2, students are encouraged to meet with an advisor to review the application and discuss any last-minute questions. Consulting an advisor is not mandatory but encouraged.
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Additional Links
- STEM Designated Degree Program List
- STEM OPT Help Hub
- E-Verify Employers List
- Cap Gap Information
- UGA ISCF Fee
Additional Resources for F-1 Student Employment
Depending on your situation, you may be eligible for one of the options below.
J-1 STEM research visa
Immigration Services at UGA is pleased to offer a new category of J-1 STEM research visa sponsorship to international students who have graduated in a STEM field, and who are offered employment doing research at a STEM company in the U.S.. This could be useful for graduated STEM students needing visa sponsorship to work at a STEM company in the U.S. Please contact Ashley Johnson with questions. Click here for more information.
Economic Hardship Employment
F-1 students who experience severe, unforeseen economic necessity may apply to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for off-campus work authorization. Students should make an appointment with an Immigration Services advisor to discuss this type of work authorization.
Special Student Relief (SSR)
Regulations allow the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to suspend or alter rules regarding duration of status, full course of study, and employment eligibility, for specific groups of F-1 students from parts of the world that are experiencing emergent circumstances. This collection of benefits is known as “special student relief” (SSR).
SSR is available to certain F-1 students experiencing severe economic hardship due to emergent conditions – such as civil unrest, economic crisis, natural disasters, or other circumstances – in their country of citizenship (or in certain cases, residence). If granted, SSR removes certain types of restrictions on F-1 employment, and may allow authorized students to reduce their course load below full-time.
J-1 Employment
International Students in J-1 status, and their dependents in J-2 status, are eligible for certain Employment Benefits in the U.S. The processes for applying for work permission are different for the J-1 and J-2 visa holders, however. The J-1 applies for work permission to the International Student, Scholar, and Immigration Services Office at UGA, while the J-2 dependent must apply to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office of the U.S. government.
On-campus employment
Students maintaining J-1 status are eligible to work on campus. Work performed on the school premises is “on-campus” employment as long as the employment provides direct services to students.
Academic Training
Academic Training (AT) is designed to allow J-1 Students the opportunity to apply knowledge gained in the classroom to a practical work experience off-campus.
Interstride
Interstride is an interactive tool designed for international students to enhance their employment potential. The platform consists of job listings, hiring trends, H-1B information, self-assessments, and immigration advice. Log in to Interstride today using your UGA MyID and password at web.interstride.com.
On Interstride, click on the “Visa Insights” tool to see a list of companies in your field who have recently filed H-1B petitions. This information can help you determine which companies to target.