Employment | Office for International Students and Scholars

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Employment

F-1 students may work in the U.S. only when authorized under U.S. immigration regulations.

To maintain your F-1 status:

Follow on-campus employment hour limits during required academic semesters
Do not begin off-campus employment, paid or unpaid, until you receive the required authorization.
Do not work after the program end date on your Form I-20 unless you have valid employment authorization.
Do not delay your program completion for employment purposes.

Questions? Contact OISS before accepting a job or beginning any employment.

On-Campus Employment

You may:

Begin working up to 30 days before your program start date.
Hold more than one on-campus job.

Hour Limits:

During required semesters (typically fall and spring, and your first and final semester):
- Maximum 20 hours per week across all on-campus jobs combined.
During annual vacation periods and university breaks:
- More than 20 hours per week may be permitted if you will enroll full-time in the next required semester.
MSU is considered not in session during:
- Spring break
- Summer semester, if it is your annual vacation term.
- The period after final exam week until the start of the next semester.
The MSU work week runs Sunday through Saturday.

Important Reminders

You are responsible for tracking your total work hours across all on-campus jobs combined.
You are responsible for following your employment limits, even if your employer is unfamiliar with F-1 regulations.
Working more than your permitted number of hours is a violation of your F-1 status.

Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is temporary off-campus employment authorization for F-1 students before completing their degree.

CPT must be:

Directly related to your major.
Required by your academic program for graduation.
Authorized by OISS before you begin working.

Do not begin working until you receive an updated Form I-20 with CPT authorization listed.

Working without authorization is a violation of your F-1 status.

To apply:

Refer to the CPT Guide for eligibility, timelines, and application steps.
Submit the Curricular Practical Training (CPT) eForm in MyOISS.

You must apply for CPT 8– 10 business days before your start date.

Pre-Completion Optional Practical Training

Pre-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) is a benefit that allows students in F-1 status to receive work authorization to participate in off-campus practical training directly related to their major field of study during their academic program. Pre-completion OPT can only be used while a student is actively enrolled in the degree. Pre-completion OPT must end before a student completes their degree requirements. Pre-completion OPT can be used to engage in paid or unpaid practical training experiences.

The Pre-Completion OPT guide covers everything you need to know about applying for pre-completion OPT, including eligibility, application timeline, how to apply, and more.

Optional Practical Training (OPT)

Optional Practical Training (OPT) is temporary off-campus employment authorization for F-1 students after completing their degree.

OPT:

Must be directly related to your major as listed on your Form I-20.
Is authorized by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Typically provides up to 12 months of employment authorization.

Review the OPT Guide: Eligibility and Application for eligibility requirements, employment options, application instructions and more.

View the OPT Guide: Eligibility and Application.

After your OPT is approved, review the OPT Guide: Approval and Reporting to learn about reporting requirements and maintaining your status while on OPT.

View the OPT Guide: Approval and Reporting.

STEM OPT Extension

F-1 students participating in a period of post-completion Optional Practical Training with an eligible Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) degree may qualify for a 24-month extension of their employment authorization.

Review the STEM OPT Guide: Eligibility and Application for eligibility requirements, application instructions, employment requirements and more.

View the STEM OPT Guide: Eligibility and Application.

After your STEM OPT extension is approved, review the STEM OPT Guide: Approval and Reporting to learn about reporting requirements and maintaining your F-1 status on STEM OPT.

View the STEM OPT Guide: Approval and Reporting.

Cap-Gap (H-1B Pending)

The Cap-Gap extension allows certain F-1 students to remain in the U.S., and in some cases, continue working while transitioning from F-1 status to H-1B status.

You may be eligible if:

Your employer files an H-1B change-of-status petition on or after April 1, and
You are in a valid period of Optional Practical Training (OPT) or your 60-day grace period when the petition is filed.

If your H-1B petition is filed while:

Your OPT is still valid: Your F-1 status and employment authorization may be automatically extended.
You are in your 60-day grace period: Your F-1 status may be extended, but your employment authorization will not.

Request a Cap-Gap Form I-20:

Submit the Cap-Gap I-20 Request eForm in MyOISS.
You will need to upload:
- Your Employment Authorization Document (EAD), and
- Your Form I-797 Receipt Notice or Approval Notice.

J-1 Students

J-1 students must receive written employment authorization before beginning any job, whether on or off campus. This includes hourly pay jobs, Graduate Assistantships, Resident Assistants, etc.
Your employment rules depend on who sponsors your J-1 program. Your sponsor is listed in Box 2 of your Form DS-2019.

If Michigan State University is your J-1 sponsor:

On-Campus Employment:

J-1 students sponsored by MSU may work:
- Up to 20 hours per week while school is in session
- Full time during official vacation periods
Before you begin working:
- Submit the J-1 Student On-Campus Work Authorization Letter request in MyOISS
- Wait until you receive your work authorization letter to begin your work
- Keep your authorization letter with your other immigration documents

Off-Campus Employment (Academic Training):

J-1 students sponsored by MSU must receive Academic Training (AT) authorization before beginning any off-campus internship employment

Academic Training must be:
- Directly related to your field of study
- Approved before employment begins
Before you begin working, you must receive:
- An Academic Training Work Authorization Letter, and
- An updated Form DS-2019
To apply:
- Review the Academic Training Guide.
- Submit the J-1 Academic Training Application eForm in MyOISS.
Internship completion:
- You are required to submit an Academic Training Internship Evaluation to OISS.

Financial Hardship:

If you are experiencing serious, urgent, and unforeseen financial hardship, you may be eligible for off-campus work authorization based on financial hardship. Apply for Economic Hardship Work Authorization.

If another organization (not MSU) is your J-1 sponsor:

Your sponsor determines your employment eligibility and must authorize any employment
OISS cannot approve or issue employment authorization on their behalf.
You must contact your J-1 sponsor directly with questions about employment authorization

Volunteering and Unpaid Employment

Not all unpaid work is considered volunteering.

Under U.S. immigration regulations, unpaid work may still be considered employment and could require work authorization.

You may not volunteer in a position that:

Is normally paid
Provides training, professional experience, or future employment opportunities
Replaces a paid employee or position

Examples of true volunteer activities include:

Soup kitchens
Homeless shelters
Charitable or nonprofit organizations

If an unpaid opportunity is related to your field of study or provides professional work experience, it likely requires work authorization.

Contact OISS before accepting any volunteer or unpaid position.