Employment for F-1 Students
NOTE: Spouses and Children of F-1 Students accompanying spouses and children of F-1 students are classified as F-2. No paid employment of any kind is permitted.
I. On-Campus Work Authorization- procedure
- Defined as non work-study position for Boston College, or off-campus employment which has a contract based educational affiliation with the University, or work for commercial firms on campus which provide services to students even if not owned by B.C.
- Limited to a total of 20 hours per week while school is in session (including any assistantships, stipends for leadership positions and any authorized off-campus employment). Full-time work is permitted during vacation periods such as Christmas break, spring break and summer vacation (if you are not taking classes).
- On campus work permission is authorized by the Office of International Students and Scholars.
II. Off-Campus Work Permission: Optional Practical Training- procedure
- Optional Practical Training (OPT) is a period of paid employment that is directly related to your field of study. If you have been a full-time student for at least one academic year, you are eligible for a total of 12 months of OPT per degree level.
- You DO NOT have to have a job offer to apply for OPT. You can use this 12- month allotment either before and/or after your completion of studies.
- OPT can be done prior to the completion of your studies (called "pre-completion OPT") and/or after you have completed your studies (called "post-completion OPT"). Pre-completion OPT can be done ether full-time (more than 20 hours per week) or part-time (less than 20 hours per week) and deducted at a half-time rate Note that in most cases full-time work is NOT permitted while you are taking courses. Post-completion OPT must be done full-time. Example: A student who does a part-time internship during his or her studies for 3 months will have 10 1/2 months of OPT left after they complete their studies. Pre and post completion OPT must be applied for seperately with the immigration service.
- Authorized by the Immigration Service- up to 3 months to approve your application. You are not allowed to being work until your application has been approved and you have recieved your Employment Authorization Document (although some employers may accept the approval notice which arrives approximately 1 to 2 weeks prior to the card). You can apply 3-4 months prior to your employment date. Please apply early to ensure you will recieve your employment authorization in time to begin employment.
III. Off-Campus Work Permission: Curricular Practical Training
- Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is off campus employment, directly reltated to your field of study and is an integral part of the established curriculum.
- In order to qualify for CPT, you must be have been a full time student for one academic year and the CPT must either be required for your degree (even if not for credit) OR for a class which you are recieving academic credit towards your degree (cannot be above and beyond your credit requirements for your degree, i.e. no additional electives). The period for which you receive the employment authorization will directly correspond to the time that you are enrolled in the course. In other words, you are only allowed to work for the period in which you are enrolled for the class. CPT can be done either part time (less than 20 hours per week) or full time depending on the requirements of your program.
- There is no limit on how long a student can participate in CPT, however exceeding more than one year of full-time CPT will result in the loss of your OPT benefit.
- CPT will be authorized by the OISS and a new I-20 will be issued for the CPT. This will take approximately 1-2 weeks.
- Examples of CPT inlcude 1. An MBA or MSF student who is taking an approved 3-credit Directed Research course. 2. A PhD student who must do research for his or her thesis which is only available at another university or location 3. A student in the School of Social Work or School of Education who has a required practicum off-campus as part of his or her program.
IV. Off-Campus Work Permission: Unforeseen Economic Need
Students who are full-time, in good academic standing, and have been in F-1 status for one academic year can apply for off-campus work authorization based on severe economic hardship assuming that other employment opportunities are not available. The economic need must be due to unforeseen circumstances beyond the student’s control, and the student must submit supporting materials documenting these conditions to the Immigration Service. This type of employment can be full-time during vacation periods. If you feel that you can meet the requirements of this work permission, please contact the Office of International Students and Scholars to make an appointment with an advisor.
Employment for J-1 Exchange Visitors
The Office of International Students and Scholars can only authorize employment for students on Boston College’s J-1 Exchange Visitor program. If you are sponsored by another organization, you must address any questions regarding your employment to your sponsor. Regulations for paid employment for Exchange Visitor Students are as follows:
I. On-Campus Employment- procedure
Permission for on-campus work must be obtained from the Office of International Students and Scholars unless arrangements for such employment were stated on the DS-2019 Form at the time of admission (for example, a graduate assistantship). On-campus work is limited to a maximum of 20 hours per week while school is in session but can be full-time during vacation periods. Usually students do not work during their first semester of study.
II. Off-Campus Employment for J-1 Students: Academic Training procedure
Academic training is employment directly related to a student’s major field of study and is an integral or critical part of his or her academic program. If you are a full-time student in good academic standing, you are eligible for a total of 18 months of academic training which can be used during your course of study (part-time or full-time), upon completion of studies, or a combination of both. Training that is a mandatory part of an academic program will not count against the 18 months available. Postdoctoral students are permitted to participate in academic training for up to 36 months.
You must have a specific job offer to be eligible for academic training. Post-completion academic training must be applied for within 30 days of completion of studies. For more details, please come to the Office of International Students and Scholars.Off-campus employment during the school year (up to 20 hours per week or full-time during vacation periods) can be approved by the sponsor (the organization or university that issued the DS-2019) only if it is required by an urgent financial need that arose after obtaining J-1 visa status and the employment will not interfere with or reduce the full program of study.
III. Spouses and Children of the J-1 Exchange Visitor
Accompanying spouses and children of J-1 Exchange Visitors are classified as J-2. J-2 dependents may apply to the Immigration Service for permission to accept employment if such employment is needed for the support of the dependents and not for the support of the J-1 Exchange Visitor. The application is usually made in the form of a letter stating the need for employment, indicating the source and amount of support for the J-1 Exchange Visitor, the total income and expenses for the family, and specifically stating that the income derived from employment will be used only for support of the dependent and not for that of the J-1 Exchange Visitor. The J-2 must apply to the Immigration Service in order to obtain an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). If permission for employment is granted, the EAD will be valid for any kind of employment without full-time or part-time limitation. It will expire the same time as the authorized stay on the DS-2019 Form provided that the J-1 Exchange Visitor maintains status and the economic need continues to exist, unless otherwise noted.
IV. Two-Year Home Residency Requirement
In some cases, the J-1 visa carries legal restrictions to ensure that the visitor will return to his or her country for a period of two years after completion of a program in the U.S. The requirement applies to those financially supported by the U.S. government or by their own government for all or part of their stay in this country. It also applies to the nationals of certain countries (listed on the “Exchange-Visitor Skills List” below) whose governments have registered a desire with the U.S. to have their nationals qualified in certain fields where an acknowledged shortage exists and then return to their home country. When applying for the J Exchange Visitor visa, the individual should ascertain from the United States Consul whether the two-year residence abroad requirement will apply in his or her case. If one is subject to the requirement, he or she will not be permitted to change from a J-1 or J-2 visa to many other non-immigrant visa types or to a permanent resident unless he or she fulfills the requirement or obtains a waiver. You can find the “Exchange-Visitor Skills List” at http://exchanges.state.gov/education/jexchanges/participation/waivers.htm.