Student work rights in United States
Rules for working while studying in United States, including work limits, internships, tax steps and post-study routes where covered by the guide.
Read the complete United States study abroad guide.
Part-time Jobs
F-1 work rules are narrow, and violating them is a status violation rather than an employment matter. There is no general right to work.
On campus, you may work up to 20 hours per week while school is in session, and full time during official breaks. No separate authorisation is needed, though you will need the job before you can get a Social Security number.
Off campus, you may not work at all without authorisation. The two routes are Curricular Practical Training, which must be integral to your programme and is authorised by your DSO, and Optional Practical Training, which is authorised by USCIS and requires an Employment Authorization Document before you start.
Unpaid internships are not a loophole. If the work would ordinarily be paid, it is employment and it needs authorisation.
Working without authorisation ends your status, and there is no forgiveness process worth relying on. Ask your DSO before you accept anything, including freelance work for a company at home.
Source: https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/
Internships
Internships in the US are central to the student experience and career path, but for international students on an F-1 visa they are tightly governed by federal work-authorisation rules, and getting this wrong can cost you your visa, so route everything through your university's international student office. The mechanism for a degree-related internship during study is Curricular Practical Training (CPT): it must be integral to your program, it is authorised by your school's Designated School Official (DSO) and noted on your I-20 (not by the government), and you generally must have completed a full academic year first (with exceptions for some graduate programs). Watch one trap: doing 12 months or more of full-time CPT makes you ineligible for OPT afterward, so use full-time CPT carefully. During term you are limited to part-time work (20 hours a week); full-time is allowed in official breaks. Paid internships are the norm in many fields, and US summer internships, especially in tech, finance, and consulting, are a major structured recruiting pipeline that hire many months ahead, so apply early. Unpaid internships exist but are legally constrained. Always get CPT authorised before you start, since working without authorisation is a status violation. IMPORTANT: This is general information, not immigration advice, and F-1 rules change and carry serious penalties. Getting work authorisation or status steps wrong can end your legal status and force you to leave the US, sometimes with a re-entry ban. Before you act on anything in this section, confirm it with your university's Designated School Official (DSO) in the international student office and the official US government sources (uscis.gov and studyinthestates.dhs.gov). When their guidance differs from anything here, follow theirs.
Source: https://www.ice.gov/sevis/practical-training
Post-study Work
Post-completion Optional Practical Training normally provides up to 12 months of employment authorization in work directly related to your field of study. Qualifying STEM graduates may apply for a further 24-month STEM OPT extension, for up to 36 months total.
For Form I-765, USCIS currently charges USD 470 for an eligible online filing or USD 520 for paper filing. Premium processing is optional, not the normal OPT filing fee. From 1 March 2026, premium processing for eligible Form I-765 OPT/STEM OPT requests costs an additional USD 1,780 through Form I-907. That makes an online OPT filing plus optional premium processing USD 2,250, before any other incidental costs.
For post-completion OPT, USCIS allows filing no earlier than 90 days before the programme end date and no later than 60 days after it, subject to the DSO recommendation and filing-timing rules. You may not begin OPT employment until the authorization is effective.
The DHS final rule ending Duration of Status takes effect on 15 September 2026. New F-1 admissions are generally fixed to the programme period shown on Form I-20, capped at four years, with a 30-day post-completion departure/status-change period. Students already maintaining D/S on the effective date are covered by transition provisions. If OPT, STEM OPT, travel or an extension of stay crosses that date, ask your DSO to map the dates against your specific I-94 and SEVIS record.
After OPT, H-1B is a common but uncertain route because it normally requires an employer sponsor and many cases are subject to the annual cap-selection process. Build a plan that still works if H-1B selection does not happen.
Source: https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/students-and-exchange-visitors/optional-practical-training-opt-for-f-1-students
Common questions
What should international students know about work in United States?
Twenty hours a week on campus only. Any off campus work needs CPT or OPT authorisation, in advance.
What should international students know about internships in United States?
Degree-related internships during study run through Curricular Practical Training (CPT), authorised by your school's DSO on your I-20, usually after one full year. Doing 12+ months of full-time CPT kills your OPT eligibility, so use it carefully. Always get CPT authorised before starting, and route everything through your international office.
What should international students know about post study in United States?
OPT: 12 months, plus 24-month STEM extension where eligible. I-765 is USD 470 online / USD 520 paper; premium processing is an optional USD 1,780 extra.