On Campus Employment
Economic Hardship
Curricular Practical Training
Optional Practical Training
Career Services

F-1 EMPLOYMENT ON-CAMPUS

Eligibility Requirements

• In F-1 status with valid WKU I-20
• Enrolled full-time, or part-time with full-certification form approved by the Coordinator for International Student & Scholar Services
• In good academic standing

Steps for Obtaining Employment Authorization:

[ ] OBTAIN A SOCIAL SECURITY CARD

• Receive offer of employment letter to support your application for a Social Security Card.
• Apply for a social security card at the Social Security Office . (Note: it may take up to three weeks to receive your card).

[ ] FIND EMPLOYMENT ON CAMPUS

• Student Financial Aid has a listing of part-time jobs available on campus; these lists are updated frequently.

[ ] ONCE YOU FIND A POSITION

• Complete work authorization forms at Office of International Programs (OIP)

[ ] RECEIVE AUTHORIZATION FROM ISSS

• Bring the following documents with you to OIP:

• I-20
• Passport with I-94 card

• You will complete an I-9 form at OIP

[ ] UPDATE YOUR EMPLOYMENT VERIFICATION EVERY SEMESTER

An OIP advisor will verify that your are full-time, in good academic standing, have INS authorization to study in your current program, and have Health insurance. ( Go To Top )

ECONOMIC HARDSHIP PROCEDURES

A F-1 student who has maintained F-1 status for an academic year and is in good academic standing may apply for "off-campus employment based on economic hardship." Documentation would have to show that part-time employment opportunities through on-campus employment were otherwise insufficient. Economic hardship refer to financial problems caused by unforeseen circumstances beyond the student's control.

Make an appointment with an advisor at the Office of International Programs and bring the following:

1. Completed I-765. In item #16 on the form indicate the appropriate code and write next to the code the type of eligibility category: a(c)(3)(iii) F-1 Off-campus Employment due to Severe Economic Hardship.

2. $340 cashier's check or money order (no personal checks accepted) made payable to the Department of Homeland Security.

3. Signature Card. Make sure the signature is within the rectangular box (fingerprint is no longer required)

4. Photocopy of the front and back of your I-94 card

5. Photocopy of your last EAD (front and back) - if applicable

6. Two ADIT style photos. On the back of the photos print in pencil your name and admissions number

7. Photocopies of the identification pages from your passport

8. Photocopy of your I-20

9. Complete I-538 - done at OIP

10. Supporting materials documenting the unforeseen nature of the economic hardship including a list of assets, income, and expenses. (see sample) ( Go To Top )

CURRICULAR PRACTICAL TRAINING (CPT) PROCEDURES

New DHS rules and enforcement regulations mandate that we strictly adhere to confirmed regulations. It is our intention to help international students maintain status. The following is our policy concerning CPT as it relates to the regulations:

Definition :
CPT is not just an opportunity to work off campus. The INS regulations state that the CPT must be “an integral part of an established curriculum.” They describe CPT as “alternate work/study, internship, cooperative education, or any other type of required internship or practicum which is offered by sponsoring employers through “cooperative agreements with the school.” CPT may only be done before completing degree requirements.

CLICK HERE FOR EMPLOYER GUIDE TO CPT

Cooperative Education (CO-OP) :
The Western Kentucky CO-OP office is associated with the Career Services, located on the second floor of the Cravens Library.
Employment offered under cooperative agreements between an employer and the university through a university cooperative education office, which is an integral part of the curriculum but not required either for a particular course or of all students, constitutes bona fide CPT. If you find a position with an employer related to your studies, go to the CO-OP Office and make it a cooperative agreement. The staff there is willing to help you.

Note :
1. You must have been in full-time, legal status for the past nine consecutive months or two semesters
2. You must have an employment offer which is related to your major
3. Persons who were attending school full-time prior to changing to F-1 or J-1 status, or as dependents of A,E,F,G,H,J,L,O, and TN nonimmigrant categories, can use the time studying in that status towards meeting the 9-months requirements (B status may not)
4. Students who are taking a less than full course of study on the advice of the OIP advisor are considered in status and are not precluded from participating in CPT if they are otherwise eligible

Application for Authorized Procedures :

To apply for CPT, the student must make an appointment and bring to the International Student Advisor the following items:

_____ Letter from employer indicating the job title, dates of employment, number of hours of work per week, place of employment and brief description of work (see sample letter)
_____ Letter (or email) from the academic advisor (see sample letter)
_____ Completed CO-OP form (not required if the position is a department requirement)
_____ Current Form I-20

With these documents the International Student Advisor will :

• Verify that you are in valid F-1 or J-1 status
• Has met the 9-month (two semesters) requirement
• The employment qualifies for CPT
• Complete DHS Form I-538
• Send Form I-538 to DHS
• Authorize the CPT on the Form I-20 (Go To Top)

OPTIONAL PRACTICAL TRAINING (OPT) PROCEDURES

OPT CHECKLIST AND ADVISORIES

Make an appointment with an International Student Advisor and bring the following:

______ Letter from Academic Advisor or department affirming your completion date (see sample letter)

_______ Form I-765

______ Form I-538 - You will receive and sign at OIP.

______ Your original I-20

______ Your I-94 card

______ Signature Card (Do not go out of lines with signature. The 'place print here' box is no longer in use)

______ Two photos (see example). In pencil print on the back of both photos your name and admission number

______ Check, Cashier’s Check, or Money Order made out to “Department of Homeland Security” for $340

______ Photocopy of any pervious EAD card(s) if applicable

ADVISORIES

· Only one twelve month period of OPT is allowed during your U.S. studies. Exception is if you leave the country for 5 months, begin another degree and have 9 months of status before applying. If you obtain permission for OPT after a bachelor’s degree, for example, and plan to continue study for a master’s and perhaps a doctoral, you will not be eligible for OPT after completion of those graduate programs (unless you leave the country 5 months between degrees).

· Authorization may not be rescinded. Once authorization to engage in OPT after completion of studies is granted, it may not be rescinded or cancelled. This means that after OPT by DHS, unexpected delays in completing degree requirements, inability to find an appropriate job or loss of a job may result in loss of otherwise eligible time to work. Once permission to work for twelve months has been given, it is gone regardless of subsequent occurrences.

· You may not begin work until all the following requirements are satisfied: (1) you have obtained the DHS approval; (2) the date is reached when the authorization is to begin.

· You may change employers after you have begun authorized employment provided the new job is directly related to your major field of study and appropriate for someone having you level of education.

· Reentry provisions of the regulations require students in OPT to present DHS Form I-20 endorsed for travel by the International Student advisor within 6 months, and the EAD card. (Go To Top)

OPT DETAILS

Definition : Optional Practical Training (OPT) is designed to provide you with an opportunity to gain actual employment experience in your chosen profession for a maximum of one year. Its purpose is to “round off” or compliment your academic work.

Eligibility : An F-1 student who has been in lawful, non-immigrant visa status and has been enrolled full-time for at least the past nine consecutive months may apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT) in his or her field of study. OPT may be undertaken before or after completion of studies. OPT undertaken during the academic year must be part-time; 20 hours or less per week. Students who have participated in more than 12 months of full-time Curricular Practical Training are NOT eligible for OPT. Application for OPT must be submitted to the DHS during a 180 day period based upon the date you complete all program requirements (see Procedures section).

Length of Time : A maximum of 12 months, full-time OPT may be authorized for the duration of student status. This is without regard to change of programs, transfer of schools, or completion of one degree and advancing to another. Any authorized practical training time will count against any future periods of practical training regardless of degree or school unless the student has been out of the U.S. for more than five consecutive months and has refulfilled the 9-month status requirement. Caution: once an employment authorization for OPT has been approved by DHS, the period of authorized employment may NOT be changed even if you cannot find a job or if you decide to resume studies.

Procedures : DHS must authorize all OPT. International Student & Scholar Services may recommend optional practical training up to 120 days before the proposed beginning date. The DHS must receive the application during this time frame. Job offers are not required to apply for OPT, but employment may not begin until the DHS has authorized the practical training and the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) has been received.

DHS regulations refer to the date you complete all requirements for a program of study, not to the date you participate in graduate ceremonies and receive a certificate or diploma. DHS ignores your graduate date because it realizes that many students, especially graduate students in thesis or dissertation programs, may complete requirements for a degree an day during the year. This means that the last day of an academic term may not be the date you complete program requirements. Your lawful F-1 status expires 60 (J-1 30) days after you complete degree requirements and you are expected to leave the country by that date unless you file a timely application for practical training or make other arrangements to lawfully remain in the U.S.

To apply for OPT, schedule an appointment with an International Student & Scholar Advisor and bring the following documentation with you: two photographs per the attached instructions, the academic adviser’s recommendation, your I-20, passport, I-94, a check or money order made payable to DHS for $340, and any previously received Employment Authorization Documents (EADs). During your appointment at ISSS, you will be asked to sign an I-765 signature card, I-538 & I-765 form to complete your application.

International Student & Scholar Services will endorse its recommendation for OPT on your I-20 and mail the OPT application to the DHS Service Center in Texas. DHS has informed us that they will adjudicate these applications within 120-150 days. The effective date of employment authorization will be either the date DHS issues the EAD or the date recommended on the back of your I-20, whichever is later.

To travel outside the United States during practical training, an F-1 student will need a valid passport and visa to reenter the U.S. along with his or her EAD and I-20 (which must be endorsed for reentry by ISSS within the past six months). NOTE: An F-1 student leaving the U.S. after completing their studies and prior to receiving an EAD will forfeit all OPT!( Go To Top)