For the international students part time job is allowed in the USA but it really depend on your visa. If you’re restricted by your visa you won’t be eligible for part time job.
USA provide 2 types of visa. F-1 and M-1. For the students the visa category is usually F-1 under which a student is allowed for part time job. But you’ll have to abide by some certain conditions issued by USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Service). Under the term of your visa category (F-1) there’re some different categories of employments in USA. If you think of on-campus job that’s very easy. We’ll now mention some employment categories:
• On-Campus Employment
• Optional Practical Training (OPT)
• Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
• Economic Hardship
• International Institutions
On-Campus Employment
On-Campus employment isn’t subject to approval from the USCIS as it’s permitted by the USCIS regulations. But this opportunity is limited to many schools. On-campus employment isn’t subject to be related to your study course. But many schools may ask student to get permission from the international student office. Sometimes it’s not permitted for the student of first year or first semester.
Rules for F-1 on-campus job:
2. You can work up to 20 hours per week while school is in session
3. You can work full-time on campus during holidays and vacation periods
4. The employment may not displace (take a job away from) a U.S. resident
How can the On-Campus work be?
Working directly to the school’s premises that’s directly related to school such as like a school assistance.
Working as an assistant in the on location commercial firms that’s providing service in the campus for students such as a book stall assistant.
An off-campus work also can be considered as an on-campus job. Working with an educational affiliation that’s directly related to school’s established curriculum or contractually funded research project.
OPT (Optional Practical Training)
In the USA an international student with the valid F-1 are also permitted for off-campus part time job. It’s available during both course time and after completion the course. But the rules issued by the USCIS is must be abide by. In case of being employed to OPT you may need to be authorized by USCIS and permitted by the School’s International Student Office. But to be eligible for OPT employment you’ll have to be enrolled for one year course or at least 9 months. No need any employment offer and you may be employed anywhere in the USA.
Requirements of OPT employment:
• Have to obtain valid F-1 status
• Must have to apply for employment before completing the degree
• Candidate who is engaged in CPT(curriculum practical training) of 12 month or full time isn’t allowed for OPT
• A students can be employed to OPT as a full time worker up to 12 months total. But if you take a part time job for a period it’ll relevantly reduce your total of 12 months period. If you do part time for 6 months you’ll have rest of 9 months more for full time.
Also there’re many schools in the USA that arrange Work and Study programs through CPT for the international students that creates opportunity immediate employment. This can help students both in earning and achieving experience of working that can help them obtain master’s degree.
OPT before completing the course:
• Working not more than 20hrs/week during the school session
• Working for full time during the holidays
• Full time working after completion the course is allowed
OPT after completing the course:
• OPT working must have to be finished within 14 months after completing your course
• Application for post-completion OPT must have to be submitted to USCIS before finishing the course.
Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
Another off-campus job opportunity is CPT for the F-1 international students for whom the practical training is an integral part of the course. CPT is as like as an internship program offered by the sponsoring employers through an agreement with the institution.
Eligibility for CPT:
• CPT must have to be a mandatory part of your course that’s considered as in internship program
• A job offer must be received
• To be directly related to your study program
You must have to be authorized by your School International Student Office. CPT employment is eligible for a specific employer for a specific duration defined by the employer. It’s not same as the OPT. This can be part time or full time based on both school session and employer. If employer don’t ask for full time you can’t do full time even if you’ve holidays. On the other hand if your employer ask for full time and your school is in session then you can’t do full time.
CPT usually has no limit of how long you’ll be work for like OPT. But if you engage yourself in CPT for more than 12 months full time job then you won’t be longer eligible for OPT. But if you do CPT for less than 12 months whatever full-time or part-time you’ll have chance of all other program you’re permitted previously for.
Severe Economic Hardship
Severe economic hardship is an offering for the F-1 students who really face a hardship financially. Students can take off-campus job up to 20hrs/week while school in session and full-time during the holidays under this offering.
Eligibility:
• Have a good academic standing
• Have to provide evidence of economic hardship that’s out of student’s control
• Have to prove that the on-campus job isn’t available
• Have to earn a faith for on campus employment
Hardships that can be eligible for the offering:
• Unexpected fluctuations of the currency value
• Unexpected increase of tuition fee or living cost
• Unexpected disaster on the students financial source
• Medical expense
You must have to get EAD (employment authorization document). By the help of your International Student Office you can this easily. But in this purpose you may need submit several documents like your photo, tuition fee evidence etc. You won’t be eligible to start work until you get the EAD. After getting the EAD you can start your job anywhere in the USA.
Working with international organization
This is the final and lucky employment for the F-1 students. In the USA the F-1 students can work for the international organization if they luckily get an offer from the organization. But in case of this job the employer company must enlisted to the institute’s official State Department List. Some examples are Red Cross, African and Asian Development Banks, the World Health Organization, the World Trade Organization, and many other similar but less well-known organizations. As a condition the employment and the student’s study course must match together as well as have to receive the EAD from USCIS.