International Student Employment

Curricular Practical Training

• CPT is designed to fulfill the internship requirement of a course of study. It is intended to provide hands-on practical work experience for which the student receives class credit.
• Students can work up to 20 hours per week during school and up to 40 hours per week during vacation.
• Students must be in F-1 status for nine months before applying.
• SEVIS authorization is required. Follow these steps in order to apply for CPT:
  • Complete a Request for Work Authorization form by stating internship course number and receiving a signature from your academic advisor.
  • Obtain a letter from the employer stating job title, dates of employment, number of hours per week, place of employment and a brief description of the work.
  • After submitting your documentation to IPS, your international student advisor will update the report for your employment and issue you a new I-20.
  • Important: CPT must be reported by your international student advisor BEFORE you begin your internship.

Optional Practical Training

• OPT is temporary employment authorization that gives F-1 students an opportunity to apply knowledge gained in the classroom to a practical work experience off campus. The maximum amount of time granted to work on F-1 OPT status is 12 months per degree level. You may use some or all of the available 12 months of practical training during your course of study or save the full 12 months to use after you complete your studies.
• Authorization for OPT is granted by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service and can take at least 90 days to obtain. You may apply up to 90 days before your program end date listed on your I-20 or within your 60-day grace period. Please note, the later you apply the more likely it is you will lose OPT work time. OPT has to be completed within 14 months of your program end date.
• Eligibility Requirements, to be eligible to apply for OPT, you must:
  • Have been in full-time student status for at least one full academic year.
  • Maintain a valid F-1 status at the time of the application.
  • Intend to work in a position directly related to your major field of study.
  • Students enrolled in English language training programs are not eligible for OPT. Please review OPT “Frequently Asked Questions” for more information.
• Students can start the process by gathering the necessary documents for their initial OPT appointment by downloading the OPT Checklist.  Make an appointment with your International Student Adviser by e-mailing [email protected].As of December 23, 2016, the OPT USCIS Fee has been raised to $410.

STEM OPT Extension

• F-1 student who received a degree included in the STEM Designated Degree Program List is eligible to apply for the 24-month OPT extension.
• The application process is similar to OPT application. However, you must have a job offer (with an E-Verify employer) and apply before your 12-month OPT ends. Pay the OPT fee again.
• Benedictine STEM OPT majors/programs:
  Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science
  Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry/Molecular Biology
  Bachelor of Arts in Computer Information Systems
  Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
  Bachelor of Science in Mathematics
  Bachelor of Arts in Engineering Science
  Bachelor of Arts in Biology
  Bachelor of Science in Chemistry
  Bachelor of Science in Biology
  Bachelor of Science in Physics
  Bachelor of Science in Clinical Laboratory Science
  Masters of Science in Business Analytics
• Students can start the process by gathering the necessary documents for their initial OPT appointment by downloading the STEM OPT Checklist.  Make an appointment with your International Student Adviser by e-mailing [email protected].

Illegal Employment

DO NOT WORK WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION.
This will result in a DS-2019 termination, which is an action that we cannot fix for you. You will lose your current status in the United States and will probably have difficulty returning anytime in the future.

Volunteering vs. Illegal Employment

• Volunteer work in the United States includes things like delivery food to the needy, helping put information in envelopes, volunteering for service projects to help the elderly or children, etc. Volunteer work is when an organization specifically requests volunteers.
• Volunteer work is not someone doing work that someone else would be paid for, yet not being paid. Not only is it illegal employment, but it is also against U.S
• labor laws and the organization/company would be at risk for letting this happen.
• If a person you are “volunteering” with is being paid and you aren’t, and you are doing the same job, then it is illegal employment
• If you suspect your arrangement may not be legal and want to check, please contact your international student adviser BEFORE you start.