Employment
On-campus Employment
Requires no authorization from ISO. Limited to 20 hours/week in the Fall and Winter semesters; more than 20 hours/week is allowed during the Summer semester (as long as summer is not your first semester at Ó£ÌÒÊÓƵ).
Practical Training (CPT, OPT, STEM OPT Extension)
Any work that occurs off-campus that requires authorization from a Designated School Official (DSO) or the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). All work must be directly related to your current degree of study at Ó£ÌÒÊÓƵ.
Type of Practical Training
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CPT
All students who plan to engage in CPT are required to have authorization on the second page of their I-20 before they begin employment. ISO will no longer be able to back-date any employment, which means that any work done without previous authorization can be deemed unlawful to USCIS. This could potentially affect any future change of status applications.
- Length of Approval: One Semester
- Allowed number of hours/week: 20 hrs/week or less (Fall and Winter; full-time available in Summer)
- Cost: Number of credits assigned; determined by academic college
- When to apply: Before your anticipated start date
- Processing Time: 1-3 business days
- Who authorizes the employment?: ISO
- Form Authorization/Approval: Notation on second page of I-20
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OPT (post-completion)
- Length of Approval: 12 consecutive months
- Allowed number of hours/week: 20 hrs/week or less (part-time) OR more than 20 hrs/week (full-time)
- Cost: $470*
- When to apply: No more than 90 days before the end of your graduating semester and no later than 60 days after the end date of the semester.
- Processing Time: An average of 90 days after USCIS receives your application
- Who authorizes the employment?: USCIS
- Form Authorization/Approval: Notation on second page of I-20 and EAD (Employment Authorization Document)
*Fees subject to change
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STEM OPT Extension (only for qualifying degrees)**
- Length of Approval: 24 consecutive months
- Allowed number of hours/week: 20 hrs/week or more (full-time)
- Cost: $470*
- When to apply: No more than 120 days before the end of your OPT
- Processing Time: An average of 90 days after USCIS receives your application
- Who authorizes the employment?: USCIS
- Form Authorization/Approval: Notation on second page of I-20 and EAD (Employment Authorization Document)
*Fees subject to change
**For the most updated and approved STEM List: