F 1 What are the three job opportunities for studying in the United States with a visa?

International students with visa F 1 have three kinds of job opportunities: part-time job on campus, CPT and choosing off-campus job.

Part-time job on campus

This means that students who are employed by their own universities can take part-time jobs in the school during the semester, and they can work full-time for 40 hours a week during the holidays. Job opportunities can be found in the international student center, bulletin boards of various units, campus network systems, or student unions of various societies. Possible workplaces on campus include office units, restaurants, libraries, bookstores, dormitories, etc. Opportunities are usually reserved for those students who actively strive for and have strong language skills, usually through interviews or even formal application for resumes.

Off-campus work

American law has strict rules for international students to work outside the school during their study. "The jobs they apply for must be related to their majors or courses, and they need to be approved by the relevant departments of their own schools." This shows that working in a restaurant is actually inoperable, or it is impossible to "legally" operate. If you secretly go to work outside the school, you can continue to live in the United States only if all insiders (including employers and people who know about it) are not allowed to report, and neither the school nor the immigration office knows about it; Once "illegal workers" are known by the school or immigration bureau, the consequences are unimaginable. Not only is it in danger of being repatriated, but it may also be banned from re-entering the United States for life. Therefore, it is not worthwhile to risk losing your future.

Full-time F- 1 students are not allowed to work outside the school in the first year, and they can work outside the school in the form of CPT or OPT after one year.

The basic knowledge and rules of CPT are as follows:

The purpose of CPT is to provide off-campus internship opportunities for students with visa F 1, so that they can better apply their professional knowledge to practical work situations during their study.

CPT must be closely related to the major or course studied, and it is a necessary part of completing studies.

If it is a paid CPT, that is, if you pay, you must submit an application to the relevant department of the school (usually the international student office); If it is free, it is generally not necessary to apply, but it is absolutely not allowed to accept any form of remuneration.

Only full-time students who have been in school for one year are eligible to apply for CPT.

Working hours should not exceed 40 hours per week during summer vacation and 20 hours per week at other times.

The cumulative time of CPT is at most 12 months. If it reaches 12 months, you can not apply for OPT after graduation. CPT less than 12 months is not included in OPT. Therefore, if you want to make full use of internship opportunities, you must control CPT within 12 months.

For international students, they can apply for CPT during school and OPT (optional practical training) when they graduate:

OPT, like CPT, is an internship. The difference is that the start date of OPT can only be after graduation. OPT is still a student (visa F 1) and can work full-time.

CPT must be closely related to the courses studied, and it is generally necessary to receive the employment notice from the employer before applying; You don't need an employment notice to apply for OPT. You can apply for OPT before looking for a job after graduation.

Please consult the International Student Office for the OPT application time, and the start time is decided by the applicant. At present, it is stipulated that you can apply 90 days before graduation at the earliest. The OPT time should not exceed 12 months, and the start date can be any time within 60 days from the graduation date, with an average of at least 20 hours per week. According to the current law, if the applicant meets (1) that the employer will join the E-Verify system in the future, (2) the applicant's major belongs to natural science, technology, engineering or mathematics (stem), and the OPT time can be extended.

At present, OPT stipulates that students must find jobs within 90 days. Some students will look for a job or interview first in order to seize the time. If you get the appreciation and consent of your employer at work, you can apply for an H 1 work visa from the company you employ and have the opportunity to work in the United States for a long time.