Employment for International Students

Employment for International Students

Without prior authorization from Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), students with an F-1 visa are limited in their employment opportunities. Below you will find more information about this topic.

On-Campus Employment

To be eligible for on-campus employment, you must have a current I-20, be a full-time student, and otherwise be maintaining your F-1 status. Students can only work at a school with access to your SEVIS records.

On-campus employment is NOT permitted for students who have completed their programs.

Off-campus Employment in Case of Severe Economic Hardship

A student who has been enrolled for an academic year and is maintaining F-1 status may apply to USCIS for "off-campus employment based on severe economic hardship."

You are required to show that your severe financial hardship has been caused by unforeseen circumstances beyond your control. Keep in mind that you must show specifically how the financial data submitted to the school for creation of the I-20 has changed. Convincing documentation is necessary. Additionally, you must have completed one academic year before applying.

The wide range of valid reasons for seeking hardship employment might include:

• Unexpected loss of a scholarship
• Decrease in funding from home country due to serious currency devaluation
• Tuition and fee increases
• Medical bills, loss through robbery/burglary (documented with police report) or natural disaster
• Disruption of a sponsor's income or death of a sponsor

If you think you might qualify for Severe Economic Hardship, please make an appointment with your DSO for assistance.

To apply, you will have to submit the following documents to USCIS office:

Completed I-765 (available from the website: www.uscis.gov). In #16, choose the appropriate code and note: ["(c)(3)(iii)] F-1 Off-Campus employment due to severe economic hardship").

• Copy of I-94
• Copy of visa
• Copy of passport
• Copy of most recent USCIS employment authorization document, if applicable.
• Two photos meeting USCIS specifications.
• Copy of I-20

Last Update: 4/7/2010