EMPLOYMENT & WORK AUTHORIZATION
Employment & work authorization
What F-1 and J-1 students may do, which permissions come first, and who authorizes each one. Work without the right authorization puts your status at risk, so start here before you accept any job.
Before you work
International students may work in the United States only when their immigration status permits the activity and all required authorization has been received before work begins. Depending on the type of employment, authorization may be issued by International Support Services (ISS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), or your J-1 program sponsor.
Employment authorization cannot be granted retroactively. Unauthorized employment can result in a loss of immigration status and may affect eligibility for future immigration benefits.
Contact ISS before you do any of these, paid or unpaid:
- Apply for or accept off-campus employment.
- Begin an internship, practicum, clinical experience, cooperative education experience, or other training.
- Start paid or unpaid work for a company, organization, or individual outside Drury.
- Work remotely for a U.S. or non-U.S. employer while you are physically in the United States.
- Begin freelance work, self-employment, independent contracting, or gig work.
- Change employers, work locations, job duties, or work hours while on CPT, OPT, STEM OPT, or J-1 Academic Training.
ISS will review the opportunity and explain whether it is permitted, who must authorize it, and what documents or course enrollment may be required.
Who authorizes employment
Who authorizes employment
| TYPE OF EMPLOYMENT | WHO AUTHORIZES IT |
|---|---|
| F-1 on-campus employment | Generally permitted by F-1 regulations while you maintain status. ISS may need to confirm eligibility and provide employment verification documents. |
| F-1 CPT | Career Planning & Development or an authorized DSO, through a CPT-authorized Form I-20 issued before the start date. |
| F-1 OPT or STEM OPT | USCIS, after you apply and receive an Employment Authorization Document. ISS first recommends OPT in SEVIS and issues an OPT-recommended I-20. |
| J-1 on-campus employment | Your J-1 program sponsor's Responsible Officer or Alternate Responsible Officer, as applicable. |
| J-1 Academic Training | Your RO or ARO, through written authorization and an updated Form DS-2019 before the start date. |
| F-2 dependents | Not permitted. |
| J-2 dependents | USCIS, after approval of Form I-765 and issuance of an EAD. |
J-2 dependents may not begin employment until USCIS approves the application and issues the EAD, and J-2 income may not be used to support the J-1 principal. See the USCIS Policy Manual (opens in a new tab) for the governing guidance.
On-campus employment
On-campus jobs do not require USCIS approval, which makes them the simplest way to earn while you study.
To be eligible you must maintain valid F-1 status and normal academic progress, be enrolled full time during required terms unless ISS has approved a reduced course load, and obtain any required approval before beginning work. Full-time hours over a break require that you intend to enroll for the next academic term.
On-campus employment may be work performed for Drury on campus, or at an educationally affiliated off-campus location where the work is an integral part of the university's educational program. It must not displace U.S. workers.
Drury student-employment eligibility is separate from federal immigration rules. At this time, on-campus student employment is available only to eligible full-time undergraduate day-school students. Contact Human Resources for current job openings (opens in a new tab), application instructions, required hiring paperwork, and institutional eligibility requirements.
Off-campus employment & training
Off-campus work is permitted only under a specific F-1 employment category. Unpaid internships, volunteer roles, and training can also count as employment when the work is of a kind normally paid.
SEND THESE DETAILS TO ISS FIRST
Send ISS the position description, employer information, work location, expected hours, and proposed start date so eligibility and course-registration requirements can be reviewed.
Possible options include Curricular Practical Training (CPT), Optional Practical Training (OPT), the STEM OPT extension, severe economic hardship employment authorization, and employment with an international organization if eligible. Each category has separate eligibility requirements and authorization procedures.
Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
CPT is work authorization for practical training directly related to your major and an integral part of an established curriculum, an internship, cooperative education experience, practicum, clinical placement, or other structured training opportunity connected to your academic program. It may be paid or unpaid, and it is authorized at Drury by Career Planning & Development or an authorized DSO rather than USCIS.
ASK YOURSELF FIRST
A job being related to your major is not enough on its own. Answer both questions before you apply:
1. Does this job fulfill a requirement of my degree program: a required internship, practicum, clinical placement, or a course I am enrolled in for credit?
If the answer is no, the job does not qualify for CPT, even if the work is in your field. A job you found on your own, unconnected to a course or degree requirement, is not CPT-eligible.
2. Can my academic advisor or program director confirm that requirement in writing?
CPT is approved on the basis of your curriculum, not your job offer. If no one in your department can point to where this experience fits in your program, you are not yet eligible. Talk to your advisor and ISS before accepting the offer.
Before beginning CPT you must:
- Maintain valid F-1 status at the time of application.
- Have been enrolled full time for at least one full academic year in the U.S. Exceptions exist for graduate programs that require immediate curricular training of all students in the program.
- Continue to be enrolled for a full course of study throughout the CPT.
AUTHORIZATION IS EMPLOYER-SPECIFIC
You may engage in CPT only for the specific employer, location, and period approved and recorded in SEVIS. Do not begin working until your CPT I-20 has been issued, and do not work outside the dates listed on it.
HOUR LIMITS
Part-time CPT is 20 hours or fewer per week; full-time CPT is more than 20. CPT is not subject to the 20-hour on-campus limit, though you must continue to meet enrollment requirements.
WHEN IT RUNS
CPT is offered in summer, fall, and spring, coinciding with the academic calendar and the curricular requirement it fulfills.
EFFECT ON OPT
Twelve months or more of full-time CPT at the same educational level eliminates eligibility for OPT at that degree level. Part-time CPT does not reduce OPT eligibility.
Plan your internship
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Step 1: Meet with Career Planning & Development for internship-search, résumé, interview, and career-planning support.
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Step 2: Meet with your academic advisor or program director to confirm whether academic credit, internship-course enrollment, or faculty approval applies.
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Step 3: Most internships go through Career Planning & Development's Internship Registration Process (opens in a new tab), which verifies your employment details on an Internship Commitment Form (ICF) (opens in a new tab).
Complete the ICF with your employer's details.
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Step 4: Obtain a written offer letter and a signed CPT Advisor Recommendation Form.
Programs with built-in placements, Music Therapy, Education, and Architecture, for example, do not use the registration process and submit these instead of the ICF. The packet below includes a template for the letter and the form itself.
Not sure which applies? Email CP&D at career@drury.edu.
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Step 5: Submit your documents to ISS before accepting or starting the position.
Your DSO recommends CPT in SEVIS and issues the CPT-authorized I-20. Authorization cannot be issued retroactively, so do not begin work until you have it.
CPT INFO AND APPLICATION PACKET 2026
Eligibility details, required documents, and the forms to complete. Read it before you meet with CP&D or ISS.
Optional Practical Training (OPT)
OPT is temporary employment authorization directly related to your major area of study. Eligible students may receive up to 12 months per higher education level, used before completing the program, after, or a combination of both. USCIS must approve the application and issue an Employment Authorization Document before you may begin.
PRE-COMPLETION OPT
Used before your program end date. Limited to 20 hours per week while school is in session; full-time authorization may be requested during annual vacation periods. Part-time pre-completion OPT is deducted from the 12-month total at half the rate, full-time at the full rate.
POST-COMPLETION OPT
Begins after your program end date. Employment must relate directly to your degree and be at least 20 hours per week. You may not begin before the start date on your EAD, and you may not accrue more than 90 days of unemployment.
Your DSO must recommend OPT in SEVIS before you file, and USCIS processing takes time. Students who file late lose weeks of work eligibility.
Apply for post-completion OPT
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Step 1: Read the packet below.
It covers eligibility, timing, and the full procedure.
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Step 2: Complete the OPT Request and Academic Certification with your academic advisor and submit it to ISS.
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Step 3: Your DSO recommends OPT in SEVIS and issues an OPT-endorsed I-20.
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Step 4: File Form I-765 with USCIS following the online-filing guidance in the packet.
File within 30 days of your DSO's SEVIS recommendation.
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Step 5: Wait for your Employment Authorization Document.
Do not begin work before the start date printed on the EAD.
POST-COMPLETION OPT PACKET 2026
Information and procedures, guidance for filing the I-765 online, and the OPT Request and Academic Certification form.
REPORT WITHIN 10 DAYS
While on OPT, report changes to your legal name, U.S. residential or mailing address, email address or phone number, a new employer or change or end of employment, changes to your employer's name or address, and periods of unemployment. Use the SEVP Portal when available, and contact ISS directly if you cannot access it or need help reporting a change.
STEM OPT extension
The STEM OPT extension adds 24 months of work authorization for certain international students. To qualify you must be participating in an initial period of post-completion OPT, have earned a qualifying degree in an eligible STEM field (opens in a new tab), and have:
- A qualifying employer enrolled in E-Verify.
- A bona fide employer-employee relationship with the STEM OPT employer.
- At least 20 hours of work per week for each STEM OPT employer.
- A completed Form I-983, Training Plan for STEM OPT Students, for each qualifying employer.
USCIS must approve the extension. Students who timely file may receive an automatic extension of employment authorization while the application is pending, subject to applicable USCIS rules.
Apply for the STEM OPT extension
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Step 1: Read the packet below.
It covers eligibility, timing, and the full procedure.
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Step 2: Complete Form I-983 with your employer and the STEM OPT Request and Student Acknowledgment.
Submit both to ISS.
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Step 3: Your DSO recommends the extension in SEVIS and issues an updated I-20.
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Step 4: File Form I-765 with USCIS following the online-filing guidance in the packet.
File before your current EAD expires and within 60 days of your DSO's SEVIS recommendation.
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Step 5: Wait for your new Employment Authorization Document, then follow the reporting requirements below.
STEM OPT EXTENSION PACKET 2026
Information and procedures, guidance for filing the I-765 online, and the STEM OPT Request and Student Acknowledgment form.
WHILE ON STEM OPT
- Report changes to your name, residential or mailing address, email address, employer name, or employer address within 10 days. Email Allen Long, Director of International Admission, and update your profile in the SEVP Portal. Keeping your SEVIS record accurate is your responsibility.
- Confirm your information with ISS every six months, even if nothing has changed.
- Submit a new or updated Form I-983 when there is a material change to the training plan or employment.
- Submit the 12-month self-evaluation and final self-evaluation to ISS, signed by your employer.
- Report the end of employment promptly. Your employer must also report termination or departure to ISS within five business days.
UNEMPLOYMENT LIMIT
STEM OPT adds 60 days to the 90-day post-completion limit, for a maximum of 150 days across the entire OPT period.
J-1 Academic Training
J-1 students in the College and University Student category may be eligible for Academic Training: work, training, or practical experience directly related to your major field of study, intended to complement your academic program. It may be paid or unpaid, full time or part time, and may take place before or after you complete your program. Academic Training is authorized by your Responsible Officer here, not USCIS, so no EAD is issued.
WAIT FOR YOUR UPDATED DS-2019
Do not begin Academic Training until ISS has approved it in writing and issued an updated Form DS-2019 reflecting the authorization. Authorization ends on the date listed there; working past it is unauthorized employment.
To qualify you must be maintaining valid J-1 status and satisfactory academic progress, be in the United States primarily to study rather than to train, hold a training offer directly related to your major field, and carry health insurance meeting J-1 requirements for yourself and any J-2 dependents throughout the training period.
UNDERGRADUATE OR PRE-DOCTORAL
Up to 18 months total, or the length of your full course of study in the United States, whichever is shorter.
DOCTORAL
Up to 36 months total. Additional time may be available where Academic Training is required to meet mandatory degree requirements.
All prior Academic Training in the United States counts toward these maximums.
For training after you finish, authorization must be granted before the program end date on your DS-2019, and the training must begin no later than 30 days after you complete your program. Submit a complete request at least 30 days before your requested start date.
Send ISS:
- A written job or training offer from the employer.
- A description of the position, duties, work location, supervisor, dates, and hours per week.
- Confirmation that the position is directly related to your major field of study.
- A statement from your academic advisor or department explaining how the training relates to your academic program and supports your academic objectives.
- Evidence that you will maintain required J-1 health insurance coverage.
Authorization is specific to the approved employer, position, location, dates, and training plan. Contact ISS before changing your employer, job title or duties, work location, hours, start or end date, training supervision, or your expected completion date. A change may require new review and updated authorization before you continue working.
ALSO WORTH KNOWING
- J-1 students are generally allowed a 30-day grace period after completing their program or Academic Training to prepare for departure. Employment is not permitted during the grace period.
- Academic Training does not remove any applicable two-year home-country physical presence requirement under INA § 212(e).
Social Security number
You need a Social Security number to be paid, but you do not need one to accept a job offer. Contact ISS before applying: you will generally need employment verification from both your campus employer and ISS.
Who to contact
CPT, OPT, J-1 ACADEMIC TRAINING
Allen Long
Director of International Admission
DSO · ARO
CAMPUS JOBS & DAY-TO-DAY QUESTIONS
International Support Services
Sara El Tahawi
Graduate Assistant