Employment

Employment in F-1 Status

The rules and regulations about employment for international students on F-1 visa are strict. International students can work on campus, but cannot work off-campus without specific authorization. Review the information below to find on-campus and off-campus employment options for F-1 international students.

On-Campus Employment

F-1 international students are allowed to work on the OUHSC campus for up to 20 hours per week during the Fall and Spring semesters. Students may work more than 20 hours per week during school breaks. You may begin working as much as 30 days before the start of a program of study. Find answers to frequently asked questions on the F-1 Student On-Campus page of ICE.gov/SEVP.

Students may apply for on-campus jobs at jobs.ou.edu. If you have questions about the job application process, contact Human Resources by calling 405-325-1826 or completing the OU HR contact form.

Off-Campus Employment

F-1 international students must have authorization to work off-campus. Click the links below to learn more about the application process for each type of employment.

F-1 Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

CPT is a benefit of F-1 status that permits an off-campus internship or practicum that is required as an integral part of an established curriculum or will count toward degree requirements. CPT is recommended by the Academic Advisor and authorized by your OIS advisor. You must submit a new application for each semester that you wish to use CPT.

Eligibility	You must be in valid F-1 status and have completed at least one academic year, or a waiver of this requirement is allowed for graduate students with internship component in a required course during their first or second semester An internship or a practicum is an integral part of your academic program. You must have obtained an internship or practicum offer.
Full-time/Part-time	Up to 20 hours per week during the Fall and Spring semesters. You may work part-time or full-time during school breaks including the Summer break.
Work Authorization Period	The dates of authorized employment will appear on the second page of your I-20. Engaging in an internship or a practicum before the CPT start date or after the end date on your I-20 (paid or unpaid) is a serious visa violation and can result in a loss of your F-1 visa status.
Fee	You do not have to pay a fee to apply for CPT.
Application Process	You apply to OIS for CPT authorizatioin. Contact your OIS advisor to obtain the required application form. You can apply for CPT as soon as your enrollment window opens for the semester you wish to do CPT.

Find CPT Form

F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT)

OPT is a temporary employment authorization (12 months) granted by the USCIS for a practical training that is directly related to the student's major area of study. OPT may be granted before a student completes their degree program, which is called Pre-Completion OPT, or after they complete their degree program, which is called Post-Completion OPT (the most common form of OPT). F-1 students are eligible for a total of 12 months of OPT per educational degree level.

Eligibility	You must be in valid F-1 status and have enrolled full-time for at least one academic year. You do not need to have a job or a job offer to apply for OPT. Work must be directly related to your degree major indicated on the I-20. It is your responsibility to verify the employment is directly related.
Full-time/Part-time	Post-Completion OPT employment must be full-time (more than 20 hours per week). Up to 20 hours per week for Pre-Completion OPT during the Fall/Spring semesters. May be full-time during the summer.
Work Authorization Period	The equivalent of 12 months of full-time employment initially, with the option to apply for a 24-month extension for STEM graduates. Post-completion OPT must be completed within 14 months from the end of your program. Time used for Pre-Completion OPT deducts from the total 12 months of practical training. Example: 4 months of part-time Pre-Completion deducts 2 months, which leaves 10 months for Post-Completion OPT. Your OPT start date and end date will appear on your Employment Authorization Document (EAD) card once your OPT is approved by USCIS.
Fee	Online I-765 filing to USCIS: $470 Paper I-765 filing to USCIS: $520
Application Process	You first apply to OIS for your OPT I-20. After receiving your OPT I-20 from OIS, submit Form I-765 with all required documents to the USCIS within 30 days from your OPT I-20 issue date.
Reporting Requirements	You must report the following changes to OIS within 10 days: Change in physical address and/or mailing address Change in legal name in your passport Any update of employment status or employer information
Unemployment Days Allowed	90 days

Find OPT Form

F-1 OPT STEM Extension

The OPT STEM Extension allows students with "STEM" (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) degrees to apply for a 24 month extension of the Post-Completion OPT.

Eligibility	You have been granted OPT and currently be in a valid period of Post-Completion OPT. You have successfully completed a degree or all formal coursework in a field on the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program list, from a SEVIS-certified US college or university. You must have a job offer or be employed by an employer registered with the “E-Verify” federal employment verification system. The job must be directly related to your field of study. You must not have been unemployed for more than 90 days while on your Post-Completion OPT employment authorization period.
Full-time/Part-time	STEM OPT employment must be full-time (more than 20 hours per week).
Work Authorization Period	STEM OPT authorization allows an additional 24 months of employment following the end date of your Post-Completion OPT. Your STEM OPT start and end dates will appear on your new Employment Authorization Document (EAD) card issued by USCIS.
Fee	Online I-765 filing to USCIS: $470 Paper I-765 filing to USCIS: $520
Application Process	Complete the Form I-983 with your employer. Request your STEM OPT I-20 from OIS. After receiving your STEM OPT I-20 from OIS, submit Form I-765 with all required documents to the USCIS within 60 days from your STEM OPT I-20 issue date.
Reporting Requirements	You must report the following changes to OIS within 10 days: Change in physical address and/or mailing address Change in legal name in your passport You must report the following changes to OIS within 10 days AND submit new/updated Form I-983: New employer Termination of employment Change of the employer’s EIN Employer address and your work site location change Any significant decrease in hours per week Changes to the employer’s commitments or your learning objectives as documented on the Form I-983. You must complete a validation report every 6 months and annual evaluations as specified below: 6 months: STEM Validation 12 months: Annual Evaluation, STEM Validation 18 months: STEM Validation 24 months: Annual Evaluation, STEM Validation
Unemployment Days Allowed	150 days, which includes any days accrued while on post-completion OPT.

Additional Considerations

F-1 students who had already obtained one OPT STEM extension become eligible for a second OPT STEM extension (i.e., a total of two lifetime OPT STEM extensions) after:

Earning another qualifying STEM degree at a "higher degree level"

and

Obtaining a new initial grant of standard 12-month Post-Completion OPT based on that higher degree

The second period of OPT STEM cannot be tacked on to the first period of OPT STEM. Any subsequent application for an additional 24-month OPT STEM extension must be based on a degree at a higher degree level than the degree that was the basis for the student's first OPT extension, and follow another 12 months of standard post-completion OPT.

If you are applying for an OPT STEM extension based on a previously-earned degree, you must:

have not already utilized an OPT STEM extension period for the program of study for which you are applying for the extension
have completed the degree within the last 10 years at an SEVP certified US accredited institution of higher education
ensure the employment will be directly related to the previously obtained degree for which the extension is requested

What is E-Verify?

E-Verify is an Internet-based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security in partnership with the Social Security Administration.E-Verify allows participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees.

E-Verify is free and voluntary. If an employer joins, the employer will have to verify ALL new employees, including US citizens, in E-Verify. All Oklahoma employers were required to enroll in E-Verify under the provisions of HB1804, which took effect on November 1, 2007. Participating employers must permit visits by Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration to review their employment records and interview employees.

An F-1 student seeking to extend their OPT by 24 months can only do so if at the time of filing, the student is employed by, or has a job offer with, an E-Verify participating employer.

F-1 Economic Hardship

A possible option for off-campus employment authorization for certain qualifying international students who are experiencing severe and unforeseen economic hardship. An eligible F-1 student may apply to USCIS for permission to work for any off-campus employer. USCIS grants economic hardship employment authorization on a very limited basis. Contact your OIS advisor for information on how to apply.

Special Student Relief

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has designated some countries for Special Student Relief (SSR). SSR suspends some rules regarding F-1 student enrollment and employment. SSR allows an eligible F-1 student to seek on-campus employment of more than 20 hours/week, and/or apply for off-campus work authorization based on severe economic hardship. Refer to the F-1 Special Student Relief Fact Sheet for more information.

These are the countries currently designated for SSR, with a link to the notice in the Federal Register, which includes specific eligibility information:

Country	Federal Register citation	Start date	End date
Afghanistan	87 FR 30971 (original) 88 FR 65721 (extension)	May 20, 2022 Sept 25, 2023	Nov 20, 2023 May 20, 2025
Cameroom	87 FR 34701 (previous) 88 FR 69939 (current)	June 7, 2022 Dec 8, 2023	Dec 7, 2023 June 7, 2025
Ethiopia	87 FR 76068 89 FR 26161	Dec 12, 2022 June 13, 2024	June 12, 2024 Dec 12, 2025
Haiti	88 FR 5016	Feb 4, 2023	Aug 3, 2024
Myanmar/Burma	87 FR 58509 89 FR 20675	Nov 26, 2022 May 26, 2024	May 25, 2024 Nov 25, 2025
Hong Kong resident	86 FR 67485 (original) 88 FR 28584 (current)	Nov 26, 2021 Jan 26, 2023	Feb 5, 2023 Feb 5, 2025
Lebanon	89 FR 83897	July 26, 2024	Jan. 25, 2026
Palestinian Territories	89 FR 26156	Feb 14, 2024	Aug 13, 2025
Somaila	86 FR 38739 (original) 88 FR 15427 89 FR 59129 (current)	Sept 18, 2021 Mar 18, 2023 Sept 18, 2024	Mar 17, 2023 Sept 17, 2024 Mar 17, 2026
South Sudan	87 FR 12182 (original) 88 FR 60965 (current)	Mar 2, 2022 Nov 4, 2023	Nov 3, 2023 May 3, 2025
Sudan	88 FR 56857	Oct 20, 2023	Apr 19, 2025
Syria	87 FR 46975 (original) 89 FR 5557 (current)	Oct 1, 2022 Apr 1, 2024	Apr 1, 2024 Sept 30, 2025
Ukraine	88 FR 56851	Oct 20, 2023	Apr 19, 2025
Venezuela	87 FR 55017 (previous) 89 FR 17500 (current)	Sept 10, 2022 Mar 11, 2024	Mar 10, 2024 Sept 10, 2025
Yemen	86 FR 36288 (original) 88 FR 88 89 FR 56759 (current)	Sept 4, 2021 Mar 4, 2023 Sept 4, 2024	Mar 3, 2023 Sept 3, 2024 Mar 3, 2026

Download relevant forms from the Forms section.