Generally, in any of these categories, a student may qualify for off-campus employment for a limited amount of time only if he/she has been in lawful F-1/J-1 status for at least one academic year (usually 9 months*).

*Graduate students should speak to the Foreign Student Advisor regarding the 9 month in status requirement.

1. Employment due to severe economic hardship:

F-1/J-1 STUDENTS

Economic Hardship: Work permission based on unforeseen severe economic hardship is available to students who have maintained lawful F-1/J-1 status for a minimum of one academic year and can demonstrate that they have suffered an unforeseen change in their financial circumstances.

Student must demonstrate an unforeseen change in financial circumstances which arose after admission to the U.S. and which makes it necessary to work for essential financial support.  The student must apply to the USCIS for authorization through the foreign student advisor and must convince both that these requirements are met.  If the application is successful, the USCIS will issue an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) to the student.  The student is authorized to accept off-campus employment only after USCIS has issued the EAD.  Students may work for up to 20 hours per week while school is in session and full-time during school holidays.  Employment authorization may be granted up to a year and is renewable.  The following is needed to apply:

1. I-765 form (www.uscis.gov)
2. 2.    a money order for $380.00 payable to “Dept. of Homeland Security”
3. Columbia College SEVIS I-20
4. 2 passport-sized color photos ( 2” X 2”, full-face, front view against plain white or off-white background).  Please consult www.trave.state.gov for passport photo requirements.
5. a valid passport
6. letter from the student & any additional documentation proving severe economic need

Please note:  Processing time is approximately 90 days!!

J-1 STUDENTS
Economic Hardship: Work permission based on unforeseen severe economic hardship is available to students who have maintained lawful J-1 status for one academic year, are currently in good academic standing, can demonstrate that they have suffered an unforeseen change in their financial circumstances, and have found that on-campus work opportunities are not available or adequate. For more information, schedule an appointment with an International Student Advisor.

2. Curricular Practical Training (CPT):

Curricular Practical Training (CPT): CPT is off-campus work authorization that may be obtained from the Office of International Student Affairs to accept employment in your academic field. You are eligible to apply for CPT once you have maintained your F-1 status for a minimum of one academic year. CPT requires that you receive academic credit for the work experience for which you are requesting authorization or that the proposed employment is based on a degree requirement.  For more information, read our handout on Curricular Practical Training.

A student in F-1 status may apply for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) work authorization in his/her field of study if the employment is an integral part of an established curriculum, such as an internship.  If the internship is a paid internship, students must be registered for internship hours and are not limited in the amount of curricular practical training they can use.  Depending on the circumstances, curricular practical training can either be full-time or part-time: usually 20 hours per week during the academic year; unlimited hour per week during vacation periods.  However, students who use more than a year of full-time curricular practical training are not eligible for the 12-month Optional Practical Training (OPT) period after they graduate. 

Application requirements:

• You must be in legal F-1 student visa status for at least one academic year (Fall and Spring) or be a graduate student who is required by your department to begin an internship immediately.

• You must be registered for a course corresponding to the internship 

The following forms are needed:

1. 1.    “Curricular Practical Training Request Form” (pg. 11)
2. Columbia College SEVIS I-20
3. a valid passport

IMPORTANT:

You are not authorized to begin work until your SEVIS Form I-20 has been endorsed by the Foreign Student Advisor.  Curricular practical training (CPT) is granted only for the beginning and ending dates that correspond to the semester during which you are registered for the related academic credit.  You may work ONLY during the period specified by the CPT authorization; these dates will appear on pg. 3 of your SEVIS I-20.  You are required by law to obtain permission BEFORE you begin your employment.

POLICY ON CURRICULAR PRACTICAL TRAINING

1. 1.    Credit option:  the student is granted academic credit by his/her dept. in conjunction with the work experience.  Examples include internship, practicum, co-op credit.
2. 2.    Non-credit option:  any work experience which is required of all students in the academic program, regardless of whether or not the student is given academic credit.  An example would be a required practicum for which credit is not given.

C.  Optional Practical Training (OPT):

F-1 STUDENTS
Optional Practical Training (OPT): Optional practical training is off-campus work authorization that may be obtained from the USCIS to accept employment in your academic field. You are eligible to apply for OPT once you have maintained your F-1 status for a minimum of one academic year.  F-1 students are eligible for 12 months of optional practical training in their program of study. New regulations allow F-1students to apply for a second period of OPT based on a second degree at a higher educational level (example: a student who has already completed a U.S. bachelor's degree who goes on to seek a Masters degree). However, there are very specific restrictions and timetables stipulated in the new regulations related to this benefit.

Reporting Requirements while on OPT

All students on OPT, whether Pre-completion of Studies or Post-completion of Studies are REQUIRED to report to the Office of International Student Affairs via e-mail the following:

• Any change of name
• Any change of address
• Any change of employment AND
• Any interruption of such employment

There are four instances in which a student may want to apply for OPT:

1)    OPT - course work for a degree completed (usually refers to a graduate student who is finishing his/her Master's thesis);

2)    OPT - vacation period;

3)    OPT - academic year;

4)    OPT - post-completion of studies. 

In any case, employment must be directly related to the student's academic studies/field of study. 

OPT permission can be granted either at the ½ time rate (limited to no more than 20 hrs./wk.) or full-time (unlimited # of hrs./wk.).  If the permission is authorized as ½ time, then only half the number of months granted will be deducted from the 12 month total allowed.  For example: if 4 months of ½ time permission is granted, then only 2 months will be deducted.

Please note:  Processing time is approximately 90 days!!

For OPT types 1-3, the following is needed to apply:

1. I-765 form (www.uscis.gov)
2. a money order for $380.00 made payable to “Dept. of Homeland Security”
3. Columbia College SEVIS I-20
4. 2 passport-size color photos- (2” X 2”, full-face, front view against plain white or off-white background). Please consult www.travel.state.gov for passport photo requirements.
5. a valid passport with I-94 card

4) OPT:  Post-completion of studies [after graduation]

An international student who has successfully completed all the requirements for graduation is eligible to apply for 12 months of practical training, if this time has not been used up prior to graduating.  This would allow the student to remain in the U.S. for up to 1 year after graduation and work full-time in his/her major field of study.

The student can apply 90 days prior to graduating and 60 days after graduating.  The latest OPT can begin is 60 days after the student’s program end date.  Students should apply before graduating, since it takes approx. 90 days to receive employment authorization from the government.  The following items are needed to apply:

1. I-765 form  (download from www.uscis.gov)
2. 2.    a money order for $380.00 payable to “Dept. of Homeland Security”
3. a valid passport
4. Columbia College SEVIS I-20
5. passport-sized color ph otos- (2” X 2”, full-face, front view against plain white or off-white background).  Pleasw consult www.travel.state.gov for passport photo requirements.
6. letter from academic/department advisor confirming graduation (see page 9)

Please note:

Optional Practical Training employment authorization is not a change in visa status.  Students are still considered to be on an F-1 Student Visa.  All rules and regulations governing the F-1 Student visa are still in effect.  Optional practical training is not the same thing as a “work visa”.  A “work visa” refers to such visas as H-1B. 

Things to Remember when applying for OPT:  Post-Completion of Studies!

1)    *Verify completion of all degree requirements:

Make sure that you have completed all degree requirements ( or will have completed all degree requirements) prior to applying for OPT.  If you apply for OPT and find that you have not finished the degree requirements, you will not be able to begin working full time and will also lose the period already granted.

2)    *Be Aware of Travel Risks:

a.  OPT application is pending:

If you are traveling while your OPT application is still pending but after the ending date on your I-20, you are eligibile to enter the U.S. without proof of employment.  You should take the I-797C Notice of Action letter with you along with your I-20 and passport. 

We must caution you about the risks of traveling while on post-completion OPT unless you have already received your EAD card AND have documentation proving you have a job or job offer. 

b.  OPT application has been approved:

If you wish to travel once your application has been approved and you have been issued an EAD card, you will be required to show proof of a job offer or current employment in order to be able to enter the U.S. to resume that employment.  This proof would need to be in the form of a letter on letterhead signed by your employer. 

In both cases, you will need to have a valid F-1 visa stamp, valid passport and a recent signature (within the last 6 months) on your I-20 form.  Take your EAD card with you also.  If you do not have a valid F-1 visa, you will need to go to the U.S. Embassy in your country to apply for one.

3)    *Verify your Mailing Address:

Make sure that your home address indicated on form I-765 is valid for the next 3-4 months.  If you move after you file the OPT application, the EAD card will not be forwarded to your new address and may be returned to USCIS and be ultimately lost.  You can always use the address for the International Student Affairs Office:

C/O Gigi Posejpal, Director

International Student Affairs

Columbia College Chicago

618 S. Michigan Ave.

Chicago, IL  60605

J-1 STUDENTS

Optional practical training for J-1 students is known as “Academic Training”

Academic Training: Academic Training allows students in J-1 status to gain practical experience in their major field of study. Academic Training authorization permits you to take a job that is directly related to your field of study and appropriate to your educational level. You may apply for academic training either prior to or after completion of studies.

Academic Training Eligibility under J-1 Status

1)     Student must be in the US primarily to study rather than engage in academic training. The period of academic training cannot exceed the period of study. 

2)     Academic training/internship must be done with a specific employer or training site and be directly related to the major field of study listed on Form DS-2019.  A specific description of the training opportunity is required.

3)     Student must be in good academic standing.

4)     The student must receive written approval in advance from the international student advisor (RO/RO) for the duration and type of academic training.

Paid vs. Unpaid Training

Both paid and unpaid academic training is permitted.  However, in the case of unpaid training, the foreign student advisor (RO/ARO) must first be satisfied that the student has adequate funding to cover expenses.

At all times, the student must be able to demonstrate financial support sufficient to meet the J-1 funding requirements.

Procedures for getting Academic Training:

1)     The student’s academic department prepares a letter of recommendation to be presented to the international student advisor in the Office of International Student Affairs and to the Director of International Programs.  This letter should contain the following:

1. The goals and objectives of the specific training program/internship
2. A description of training program/internship, including its location, the name and address of the training/internship supervisor, number of hrs. per week & dates of the training/internship
3. How the training relates to the student’s major field of study
4. Why it is an integral part or critical part of the academic program of the exchange visitor.

2)     The international student advisor determines whether academic training can be granted.

3)     The international student advisor issues a written letter authorizing the specific academic training, updates the student’s SEVIS record and DS-2019. 

International Student Advisor determination:

1)     After receiving the advisor’s letter, the international student advisor must:

1. Review the letter
2. Make a written determination of whether the academic training currently being requested is warranted

2)     The academic training must be added to the student’s SEVIS record.