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Employment
Student
Employment
International students may be eligible to work on or off
campus - depending on their visa type and subject to certain
eligibility requirements and restrictions. Not all "international"
students have employment eligibility and some are required
to apply for and obtain specific employment authorization
from OIS or the Immigration and Naturalization Service
(USCIS) BEFORE engaging in any employment. Some international
students do not have employment eligibility and must not
work. Employment regulations differ for different visa
types and potential employers or supervisors must ascertain
your employment eligibility before initiating actions,
before promising you employment, and especially before
allowing you to begin work. Please contact OIS whenever
there is a question about employment eligibility.
What is Employment?
Employment is defined by the USCIS as any activity or
service performed by an individual where some type of
benefit or payment is awarded. This can be monetary compensation
or other non-cash benefits (tuition, meals or room and
board, a grade or course credit, or promises of future
employment, etc). If the position is one for which an
individual would normally be paid, it is considered to
be employment whether wages are earned or not.
What about Volunteering?
Volunteering for an activity should be restricted to doing
something for the sheer personal satisfaction of it, should
not displace US workers, can result in no other benefits,
and cannot delay your academic program. You cannot work
"as a volunteer" for a period and then be paid
later (when, for example, you obtain employment eligibility
or authorization or when funding "comes through.")
Liability issues also arise when you "volunteer"
in laboratories or on campus and supervisors should ensure
that insurance and liability issues are addressed.
F-1 Students (On-campus):
F-1 students in lawful status who have been issued a Form
I-20 by OIS and are enrolled fulltime at NC State University
may work up to twenty hours per week on campus (physically
on the NC State campus, including Centennial campus and
the CVM campus) while school is in session. Payment received
must be through NC State University Payroll. You do not
need specific written employment authorization from OIS
or USCIS. Full-time enrollment is required during the
Fall and Spring semesters. F-1 students are considered
to be working 20 hours a week on campus if they hold a
half-time teaching/research assistantship. Additional
appointments, supplemental pay, or additional pay for
hours worked beyond the 20 hour per week maximum, will
violate your nonimmigrant status; the employment will
have to be terminated immediately (with a loss of tuition
remission and health insurance if you are a TA or RA)
and you may have to leave the US. On-campus employment
may be full-time during holidays and annual summer vacations
if you are not registered for courses during the summer
but are pre-enrolled or intend to enroll for the Fall.
Employment is limited to NC State hiring units (e.g.,
you get a paycheck through NC State University Payroll).
Please note that most companies on Centennial Campus are
NOT considered on-campus employers since the paycheck
does not come from NC State but the company directly.
USCIS defines some types of off-campus employment as "extended
on-campus employment." In the case of off-campus
locations, the educational affiliation must be associated
with the school’s established curriculum and/or related
to contractually funded projects at the post graduate
level (documentation required). The employment must be
an integral part of your educational program (for example,
working at a facility in Research Triangle Park in order
to collect the data necessary for a thesis). For this
type of employment, the F-1 student must obtain written
employment authorization from an OIS adviser before
engaging in employment. A special form regarding extended
on-campus employment is available from the OIS for academic
advisers to complete.
F-1 On-campus Employment
Handout
J-1 Students (On-campus):
J-1 students must obtain written employment authorization
from their J-1 Program Sponsor before beginning any type
of employment. On-campus employment is limited to twenty
hours per week while school is in session and may be full-time
during holidays and annual summer vacations if you are
not registered for courses during the summer. You may
engage in part-time on-campus employment when it is pursuant
to the terms of an assistantship, fellowship, scholarship,
or other on-campus employment. Full-time enrollment in
the Fall and Spring semesters is required. You are considered
to be working 20 hours a week on campus if you hold a
half-time teaching or research assistantship. Employment
is limited to employers (hiring units) who are located
on campus and pay employees through NC State University
Payroll. J-1 students whose Program Sponsor is North Carolina
State University must obtain written approval in advance
and in writing, from OIS, before beginning any employment.
Off-Campus Employment
(CO-OP):
Students in either F-1 or J-1 student status must have
explicit written work authorization from either OIS
or USCIS before engaging in any off-campus employment
(or employment exceeding more than 20 hours a week).
Off Campus employment
authorization based on severe economic hardship:
If you experience unforeseen and urgent economic difficulties
you may be eligible for off campus employment authorization
but it must be authorized by OIS or USCIS in advance.
An F-1 or J-1 student may apply for off-campus employment
work authorization based upon severe economic hardship
due to unforeseen circumstances beyond the student's control.
Some examples of unforeseen economic hardship are: loss
of research/ teaching assistantship due to lack of funding,
substantial fluctuations in the value of home currency
or exchange rate, unexpected changes in the financial
condition of the student's source of support, etc. Please
consult with an OIS adviser to obtain more information
regarding application process and eligibility requirements.
Curricular Practical
Training (CPT) (F-1 students only):
Curricular practical training is employment in the student’s
field of study prior to completion of academic program.
The employment must be an integral/required part of the
student’s curriculum or academic program. This employment
may be a cooperative education position, internship or
required practicum. OIS provides regularly scheduled
information sessions regarding students eligibility requirements
and application procedures for CO-OP, Internships, and
practicum. For a schedule of required information sessions
please refer to the CPT/COOP
Training Session Schedule .
For information about
the Cooperative Education program or the University Career
Center please refer to their web pages.
J-1 Academic Training
(AT) (Prior to Completion of Studies):
Academic training is employment in the student’s
field of study. The employment must be directly related
to student’s academic program and recommended by
his/her academic adviser. A student is eligible for a
maximum of 18 months of academic training either prior
to or after completion of studies or a combination of
both. The J-1 Program Sponsor authorizes J-1 academic
training. J-1 students whose Program Sponsor is NC State
must obtain written approval in advance and in writing
from OIS before engaging in any employment. For more
information regarding eligibility requirements and application
procedures please consult with an OIS adviser.
Post-Completion Employment:
International students may be eligible for Post Completion
training. Employment post-completion is intended to give
students on going training in their discipline.
F-1 Students Optional
Practical Training (OPT)
F-1 OPT is a benefit given t o F-1 student that allows
for a maximum of 12 months of off-campus employment post
completion of studies (i.e., graduating or submitting
their thesis or dissertation to the Graduate School, whichever
is earlier), prior to completion, or a combination of
both. F-1 OPT is not employer-specific, but is limited
only to a temporary position in your major field of study
(as reflected on your current Form I-20). You must apply
directly to USCIS with the recommendations of your academic
advisor and the Designated School Official (OIS in the
case of NC State University students). Once approved,
USCIS will issue a Form I-688B Employment Authorization
Document. If you are authorized for OPT and wish to further
the employment beyond your 12 month maximum (check the
end date on the EAD), you should contact OIS to discuss
the possibility of a change of status, eligibility requirements,
forms and procedures, as well as current processing times.
OIS offers weekly OPT Training Sessions to provide students
with the application procedures and materials.
Please check the Optional
Practical Training Schedule for dates, times and location.
J1- Students Academic
Training (AT)
Eligible J-1 Students may apply for Academic Training
which will allow a maximum of 18 months employment authorization
with a possible 18 month extension for "Post-Docs"
after completing their studies (i.e., graduating or submitting
their thesis or dissertation to the Graduate School, whichever
is earlier).
A J-1 student with A.T. is not currently required to apply
for and obtain an Employment Authorization Document (EAD),
but may be authorized by his/her J-1 Program Sponsor to
engage in post-completion employment directly related
to the field of study. If you wish to be employed after
graduating, you will need to produce an offer letter to
your J-1 Program Sponsor that describes the position (title,
duties, salary, beginning and ending dates, etc.). You
will need to present this (along with a valid DS-2019
form and passport) and an A.T. letter from your Program
Sponsor before employment can begin.
Other Visa Types:
Most international students at NC State University are
in F-1 or J-1 status, but other international students
include those in "dependent" status, such as
F-2, J-2, TD, H-4, L-2, etc. Only when a dependent is
eligible for, has applied for, and has received written
employment authorization from USCIS, may someone in dependent
visa status (e.g., a J-2 spouse with a Form I-688B, or
an H-4 who has been approved for permanent residency and
has employment authorization, etc) work. Still other international
students may have another independent visa status, such
as H-1B, TN, etc. Such individuals may wish to maintain
their independent visa status (which normally requires
fulltime employment elsewhere) and study part-time or
fulltime at NC State University, but these individuals
MAY NOT work at NC State University without OIS approval
and possibly a change of status. Please consult an OIS
adviser.
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