Employment Options
On-Campus Employment
Students in F1 visa status, who are in good academic and USCIS standing, are permitted to work on-campus for no more than 20 hours per week. Good academic standing is defined as having a minimum 2.0 GPA for undergraduates and 3.0 for graduate students. You may work during semester breaks, vacations and holidays. Contact the ASU Financial Office for a list of student employment positions available on campus.
Off-Campus Employment
Off-campus employment requires approval from USCIS and is limited to 3 basic types of employment.
Employment Permission based on Financial Hardship – Student’s whose sponsor’s ability to financially support their studies have undergone a change for the worse may apply to USCIS for permission to work off-campus due to economic hardship. There is $180 fee to apply for this permission. Please contact our office to discuss the application procedure.
Curricular Practical Training (CPT) – For an experience to be considered eligible for CPT it must be an integral part of the degree program. It is further defined as an 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 university. To apply, contact the ASU Career Center to determine if you are eligible to Co-Op employment. This type of employment is authorized by the Career Center and International Student Coordinator.
Optional Practical Training (OPT) – Upon the completion of their degree program, non-immigrant F-1 students who have maintained their full-time student status and who have been in F-1 status for at least one academic year are eligible for optional practical training. You apply for optional practical training to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly Immigration and Naturalization Service [INS]) through the International Student Services Office. Upon approval of OPT, the USCIS will send you an employment authorization document (EAD) valid for one year. The work that you perform under work authorization for OPT must be related to your major field of study.
You should apply for OPT 90 days before you will complete your studies. The deadline to apply is 2 weeks before the end of your last semester of attendance. You will be denied if your application does not reach the Service Center before you complete your studies. APPLY EARLY. You do NOT have to have a job offer in order to apply for OPT.
