F-1 International Students Employment

On-Campus Employment

Work-Study Positions
Part-Time Enrollment and On-Campus Employment
Off-Campus Employment which may Qualify as On-Campus Employment
On-Campus Job Search Resources
A Note of Caution

On-campus employment for F-1 international students is limited to 20 hours a week (part-time) during the fall and spring semesters and 40 hours a week (full-time) during summer and University breaks.  F-1 undergraduate and graduate students may begin on-campus employment at the beginning of their first semester at USC.

Many international students apply for positions in various campus locations such as the bookstore, Department of Public Safety, libraries, Hospitality services, Transportation services or are employed through a scholarship, fellowship or assistantship in their academic department. 

Work-Study Positions

International students are not eligible for work-study positions on campus, as these positions are funded only for U.S. citizens and permanent residents by the U.S. government. Work-study positions are advertised as "College Work-Study Preferred" or CWSP.

Part-Time Enrollment and On-Campus Employment

Any international student working on campus must be enrolled in at least the minimum number of units below in order to be  on USC payroll under U.S. Labor Laws.  Please note that this is a separate issue from requesting a Reduced Course Load (RCL) and on-campus employment does not authorize students to go below full-time without RCL permission from OIS:

• 6 units for Undergraduates
• 4 units for Masters degree students
• 3 units for Doctoral level students

The only exceptions are:

1. Students in their final semester. Students in their final semester will be permitted to work on campus if they are enrolled for less than the units mentioned above. All students in their final semesters will be required to submit a Reduced Course Load form.
2. Graduate students who register for thesis, dissertation or qualifying exams (GRSC 800) are considered to be enrolled full time although the number of units enrolled will be below the normal full-time course load. An RCL form is not required for students at these final stages in their academic program and they are permitted to work on campus.

Off-Campus Employment which may Qualify as On-Campus Employment

Immigration regulations allow international students to work at an off-campus location provided the following:

1. the employer is educationally affiliated with USC
2. the educational affiliation is associated with USC's established curriculum or is related to a graduate level research project which USC has contracted to perform, AND
3. the employment at this off-campus location is an integral or important part of a student’s academic program

OIS requires a letter from the student’s academic advisor department confirming that the employment meets ALL of the qualifications above.

For clarification on whether an employment at off-campus location qualifies as on-campus employment, please make an appointment to meet with an OIS counselor.

A Note of Caution

While the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) regulations provide a variety of opportunities for F-1 international students to be employed during their time in F-1 student status, working without proper authorization is a serious violation of the F-1 student status.  Please consult with an OIS advisor with any concerns.

On-Campus Work During Final Semester

USC Payroll Authorization for Students in their Final Semester and Registered Less than Half Time

Students in their final semester before graduation taking the number of units required for achieving their degree are considered “full-time students.” This is true even when students are enrolled in less than 6 units for undergraduates, 4 units for Masters students, 3 units for doctoral students.  However, in order for students to work on campus and be paid by USC payroll, the student’s STARS report must be updated to indicate it is the student’s final semester. 

This is a separate process from submitting a Reduced Course Load (RCL) form to OIS. 

Updating the STARS report requires the student’s academic advisor to apply courses toward their degree and enter a “degree check” into the SIS record. This action causes STARS to identify whether the student has satisfied all graduation requirements.  Once this action is completed, it takes approximately 24 to 48 hours for USC Payroll to receive the information.  Once received, the student’s payroll coordinator will be able to process all payroll paperwork.

CPT: Curricular Practical Training

F-1 Student Status Requirement
Hours of Employment
Duration of Authorization
Application Process
OIS Processing Information
CPT and OPT

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is work authorization that allows F-1 international students to participate in paid off-campus academic internships during their degree program. The purpose of CPT is academic, not just for employment purposes, and the internship must be considered an integral part of a student’s degree program. Students must have a specific job/internship offer to apply. If the internship is an unpaid or volunteer position, CPT is not required. Students CANNOT accept any kind of compensation for work performed in an unpaid internship.

Please note that USC Language Academy students are not eligible to apply for CPT.

F-1 Student Status Requirement

Students must have been in F-1 student status for at least one academic year in a degree-seeking program before they can apply for CPT and must have properly maintained F-1 status each semester. The only exception to this rule applies to those students who are in degree programs that require an internship or practicum hours to fulfill degree requirements and this is stated in the USC catalog. 

Hours of Employment:

• Work hours are limited to 20 hours per week (part-time) during Fall and Spring semesters and 40 hours per week (full-time) during the Summer semesters.
• Total hours worked in last semester for the combined TOTAL of on- and off-campus work cannot exceed 40 hours per week (including graduate assistantship positions) for full-time employment.
• During summers, students may be registered for CPT unit(s) only and still be able to maintain student status. The Reduced Course Load (RCL) request form is not required in this case.
• Students can work full-time in their final semester, with department approval, but they must have part-time enrollment, defined as:
  • Undergraduate: 6 or less units
  • Graduate students: 4 or less units total or one final class. If one final class,  the total combined units, including the CPT credit, cannot be more than 5 units (Ex. 4-unit class + 1 unit of GRSC 596).
• Also, CPT may be approved full-time when students are registered only for thesis or dissertation units (such as 594/794).
• Program extensions will not be granted only for the purpose of working with CPT.

Duration of Authorization:

CPT authorization is given on a semester basis and students must apply separately for each semester they wish to do CPT. CPT is only authorized for the dates of the specific semester. Restrictions on end dates may occur based on start of RA/TA positions.

Current start and end dates for CPT are below. Please note dates are not guaranteed:

	Summer 2013	Fall 2013	Spring 2014
If this is your final semester...	May 18 - Aug. 13	Aug. 26 - Dec 18	Jan 13 - May. 16
If this is NOT your final semester...	May 18  - Aug. 25	Aug. 26 - Jan 12	Jan 13 - May. 16

Viterbi Masters and Ph.D. Engineering students: Please visit the Viterbi CPT information page for more information regarding start and end dates.

Application Process:

Registration for Academic Credit:  In order to receive CPT authorization, students must be registered for 1-2 academic units in an internship course or a class that requires an internship at USC during the semester they wish to do CPT.  Students must register for the units and complete the application process for each semester they wish to do CPT.

A student’s academic advisor can assist with what internship class they can register for. Some schools, such as Marshall and Viterbi, have specific courses they require for CPT registration, but many graduate students will need to register for GRSC 596. Undergraduate students have the option to enroll in MDA 250, a general internship class through the USC Career Planning and Placement Center, or an internship class through their department.

Please note: Exceptions to registration and one year F-1 status only occur if the internship hours are required for the awarding of a degree by the student’s academic department. Currently, at USC only the following Masters degree programs have required internship hours: (1) Urban and Regional Planning, (2) Public Administration, (3) Health Administration and (4) CNTV: Peter Stark Program.  Students in these Masters programs DO NOT need to register for an internship course in order to apply for CPT.

OIS Processing Information

Once all documents are submitted to OIS and the application is complete, OIS will process an updated I-20 that lists on page 3 the location of internship and whether the CPT is part- or full-time. CPT I-20 start dates will be listed either as the requested start date or the approval date, whichever is later.  

Processing time for CPT applications at OIS is 4 business days.  Students cannot begin working until they receive their new I-20 with CPT authorization from OIS.

CPT and OPT:

CPT does not interfere with students’ eligibility for Optional Practical Training (OPT) after graduation unless they have done a total of 12 months full-time CPT during their degree program. In this case, they would lose the option to do OPT.  Amounts under the 12 months full-time DO NOT cancel any portion of OPT.

OPT: Optional Practical Training

Optional Practical Training (OPT) is a benefit given to F-1 students who are completing a Bachelor's or graduate degree in the United States. Its purpose is to provide an opportunity for employment experience in a student’s field of study.  OPT is approved by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

OPT Online Workshop

F-1 international students interested in applying for OPT must complete the OPT Online Workshop.  It includes important details about eligibility requirements, application timeline, reporting requirements and other pertinent topics related to OPT.  All necessary forms for the OPT application are available at the end of the online workshop.

90 Day Unemployment Rule

F-1 regulations limit the time of unemployment a student can accrue during OPT to a maximum of 90 days.  

Important Requirements for Students on Optional Practical Training

Immigration regulations for Optional Practical Training (OPT) state that if a student is not employed 90 days after

the start date of the EAD card, the student is considered out of status. Unemployment is described as time spent

without a qualifying job during OPT and each day that the student is not employed is counted toward the limit on

unemployment time. The limit is 90 Days for students on post-completion OPT.

If a student is not able to secure a paid job and is coming to the 90 days of unemployment he/she may work as a

volunteer or unpaid intern, where this does not violate any labor laws. The work must be at least 20 hours per

week for students on post-completion OPT and students must be able to provide evidence from the employer that

they worked at least 20 hours per week during the period of unpaid employment.

If a student exceeds the 90 day period of unemployment then he/she has technically violated his/her status.

Therefore the student is required to either:

1. Apply to continue his/her education by a change of level or transfer to another SEVP certified school.

2. Take action to otherwise maintain legal status by applying for another immigration status or

3. Depart the United States

Although schools are not required to alert the Department of homeland Security (DHS) if a student has exceeded

the 90 days of unemployment, the student should be aware that he/she may be denied future immigration benefits that rely on valid F-1 status if DHS determines that the student exceeded the limitations on unemployment.

Additionally, SEVP may examine SEVIS data for an individual, a selected group, or all students on post-completion

OPT and terminate a student’s record if it fails to show the student maintained the proper period of employment.

OPT Employer Information Update

The OPT Employer Information Update is strictly for students who have been approved for OPT.  

F-1 students currently on OPT can report employer information, changes to employment or any periods of unemployment here. OIS recommends that all employer updates be made immediately after any changes to employment.