International Student Employment
Welcome to the International Student Employment page. There are several types of employment options available to current international students. Please read the guidelines outlined below to see which employment option you qualify for.
If you already have a social security number and if you are in current F-1 status, you can potentially work on-campus as early as your first quarter at OC. If your status is B-2, E-2, F-2, H-4, J-2, L-2, M-1, or M-2, as well as potentially other statuses, you can’t work on-campus or off-campus.
On-campus Work
Where to look for student employment
The Career Services Center at OC is a great place to start your job search. The friendly and knowledgeable staff can help you with job searching methods, creating resumes and cover letters, interviewing techniques, and developing a portfolio.
Once you have registered with the Career Services Center you will be able to search for a job using the student employment website and search for a job. Career Services will work with you to find a job that is suitable to your academic interest, schedule, and language ability. You can also look for an on-campus job by going to different departments to ask if they have a Regular Student Employee (RSE) position available.
If you are hired, the person hiring you must send an email to the International Student Program Office, Attn: Gerry Stamm with the following information: position, potential start date, and department you will be working for. The International Student Program office will write a letter on your behalf to the Social Security Administration, so that you can apply for a social security number. Please see the section marked “Applying for a social security number.”
You may work up to 19.5 hours per week (part-time) while school is in session. During the summer and when school is not in session, students can work up to 40 hours per week (full-time) with your supervisor’s permission if you are registered for the following quarter.
NOTE: You must be “in status” to work on-campus. If you are in the process of a reinstatement, you must wait until it has been approved before you can start working.
Unfortunately, working off-campus is very limited for students in F-1 status. However, here are some guidelines for practical training and severe economic work authorization that you can read to see if you qualify. Please come to our office to make an appointment to ask any questions and to apply for practical training or severe economic hardship.
There are two types of practical training for students in F-1 status. Practical training allows students to work in their field of study for a specified period of time, depending on which type is authorized. Each requires that you have attended at least a full academic year of studies and have maintained your F1 status. A student in an intensive English-language program is not eligible for practical training.
Practical training is usually most applicable if you are pursuing a professional program. Occasionally, a student pursuing a transfer degree maybe eligible, but it is not advisable for these students to use their practical training until they have completed a Baccalaureate or graduate degree. Please see the section marked Optional Practical Training for more information.
To apply for both types of practical training, you must make an appointment with Gerry Stamm at the International Student Program office approximately three months in advance of your internship class or your graduation. Please know that we review your request for practical training completely based on whether or not you meet requirement of the Immigration regulations and OC policies.
Curricular Practical Training
Several professional programs have an internship requirement to complete the degree.
Curricular practical training is reviewed and authorized by our International Student Program office. The amount of time that we can authorize depends upon the work required to complete the course, so it varies by your program. Curricular practical training is usually part-time and is not subtracted from your one-year of full-time work upon your graduation, which is called "Optional Practical Training". However, if you engage in an aggregate of 12 months or more of full-time curricular practical training, you become ineligible for optional practical training, (8 CFR 214.2(f)(10)(i). There are very few instances when we can grant full-time curricular practical training, but again, it depends upon your class and degree requirements.
How to Apply for Curricular Practical Training
1. Make an appointment to meet with your program advisor and follow the necessary guidelines to take the internship class. Your program advisor needs to approve your registration for the internship class.
2. Register for the internship class;
3. Make an appointment with Gerry Stamm at our International Student Program office approximately one month before your internship class or graduation commences;
4. Work with your program advisor to find an appropriate place of employment;
5. Have your program advisor e-mail Gerry Stamm at gstamm@oc.ctc.edu to let her know that he or she approves your enrollment in the class and place of employment, and that it will satisfy the class requirement.
6. Bring a letter from your employer on the company’s letterhead, briefly describing your job duties. Be sure to bring the company’s address and telephone number. If you will be working at a company’s branch office, be sure to bring this address and telephone number;
7. Write a letter to an "International Student Advisor", requesting part-time curricular practical training - this is your formal file request;
8. Bring all of your I-20s and passport(s);
9. After we complete the work authorization and write a letter on your behalf to the Social Security Administration, we will make an appointment to apply for a social security number if you do not already have one. Please see the section marked Applying for a Social Security Number for more information.
Practical training is most applicable if you are pursuing a professional program. Occasionally, a student pursuing a transfer degree maybe eligible, but it is not advisable for these students to use their practical training until they have completed a baccalaureate or graduate degree.
Generally, the reason for this is that you only receive one-year full-time practical training per each educational level. More often than not, transfer degree students do not have enough credits in a specified area of study for us to recommend to the Immigration office that they be granted a practical training in their field of study. In addition, students have a better chance of a higher position and pay after they complete a baccalaureate or graduate degree than in comparison to if they have only completed an associate degree. However, your situation maybe an exception, please make an appointment with Gerry Stamm in our International Student Program office to discuss your particular situation.
You are potentially eligible if you meet the following criteria:
- You have maintained your F-1 status, (at least a full academic year);
- You will complete an Associate of Science (AS) degree;
or an Associate in Arts and Sciences transfer degree (AAS)
or an Associate in Technical Arts degree (ATA)
- Call 360-475-7128 or email gstamm@oc.ctc.edu to make an appointment to meet with Gerry Stamm one quarter prior to your graduation. Be sure to apply for graduation on time! There are important filing dates that you need to follow when you apply for your practical training. Usually, you can apply as early as 90 days before your graduation date. If the Immigration office doesn’t receive your request before your graduation date, you will be unable to file for practical training;
- We will give you forms that you need to complete and tell you by what date we need to file your request for practical training;
- Complete an optional practical training form---this is your formal file request;
- Complete the forms and bring back to our office with all of your I-20s, passports, a check of $180 for application fee, and Washington driver’s license or I.D. card; (application fee may vary)
- Once completed, we will mail the documents to USCIS on your behalf;
- Within one month after we mail your request, you should receive a letter from USCIS by mail called a Notice of Action. This notice confirms that USCIS received your request and tells you approximately the length of time it will take for USCIS to review. We will contact you as soon as we receive this notice. Please be sure to update your email, phone number and mailing address with our ISP office within 10 days of your change. If you do not receive this letter within one month, please let our office know. In this case, it could mean that your request was lost in the mail or that USCIS didn’t process the request;
- Mark the approximate USCIS review date on your calendar and wait;
- If the approximate USCIS review date has passed and you still have not received any further correspondence from USCIS, please let our office know and we will help you find out the status of your request;
Very Important:
After we file your request with USCIS, we strongly recommend that you do not leave the U.S. to travel to Canada or another country. If you leave the country before receiving your Employment Authorization Document (EAD) card, USCIS may consider that you have abandoned your request for practical training. You may lose the right to practical training and you can’t file again. In the worst scenario, you may not be able to reenter the U.S.
The good news is that you can travel anywhere in the U.S. after we file your request and before you receive your EAD card. Please see the section marked Travel During Optional Practical Training for more information.
If you don’t already have a resume prepared, you should create a resume. Please contact OC Career Center to get more assistance. You should begin to look for employment in your field of study, but you can’t begin to work until you receive your EAD card from USCIS, and the beginning date noted on the card. You can tell a potential employer that you have filed for your practical training request and that you are waiting for a response from USCIS. Employment must be related to your field of study!
Normally, it takes approximately 80-90 days to receive your EAD card from USCIS. However, it can take longer, especially during spring and summer quarters. This is due to the fact that thousands of international students throughout the U.S. graduate during spring quarter/semester, and therefore, USCIS has more applications to review and process. Hopefully, this process will go smoothly and you will receive your EAD. Once we receive your EAD card, we will contact you.
Once you have received your EAD card from USCIS, it is possible for you to travel outside of the U.S. The procedures are basically the same as when you were studying full-time. A common misconception by students is that practical training changes your visa. Practical training isn’t a type of work visa. Instead, practical training is a type of work authorization and status. You are still in F-1 status, but you are no longer a student pursuing full-time studies. Now, you are pursuing full-time work-your status is F-1 on optional practical training. This means that you are still required to notify our office within 10 days when you change your address, when you travel abroad, and the name and location of the company where you are working.
To travel outside of the U.S. and reenter, you still need to have a valid passport, a valid F-1 visa, and a signature on page 3 of your I-20 from our office. The difference is that you need to carry your EAD card with you, also. You also need to have your employer write a letter on your behalf verifying that you are an employee. You need to have found a job before you can leave the U.S. If you are in the process of looking for a job, let us know so we can advise you. If your F-1 visa is expired, you will need to renew it at the U.S. consulate or embassy in your country before you can reenter the U.S.
Your EAD card will say that it is not valid for reentry into the U.S. This just means that you can’t reenter the U.S. only using your EAD card, but that you also need your valid I-20 and passport.
Students in F-1 status who have an unforeseen change in their economic situation such as fluctuations in the value of currency or exchange rate, financial sponsor has unexpectedly suffered financial difficulties, medical bills, or other substantial and unexpected expenses, and have maintained status for a full academic year, may potentially be eligible for severe economic hardship work authorization. In addition, students will also have to show that they made genuine attempts to obtain on-campus employment before seeking the economic hardship work permit, and that the on-campus jobs were either not available or were insufficient.
If approved by USCIS, this authorization allows students to work off-campus for a maximum of 19.5 hours per week (part-time work) while school is in session, and a maximum of 40 hours per week (full-time work) while school is on vacation or break.
F-1 students may be eligible to apply for off-campus employment based on severe economic hardship provided that:
· They are in good academic standing and carry a full course of study
· They can demonstrate unforeseen severe economic hardship
· They have been in F-1 status for at least one academic year
· Employment opportunities on campus are unavailable or insufficient
· Employment will not interfere with the student’s carrying a full course of study
Severe economic hardship work authorization can be potentially issued for a maximum of one-year or until the end of your studies, whichever comes first. It does not affect your ability to apply for optional practical training or subtract from the employment time.
Students experiencing severe economic hardship should contact the International Student Advisor for help with the employment authorization application process.
- Talk to an International Student Programs Advisor. We will give you forms that you need to complete;
- Write a letter to USCIS, requesting severe economic hardship and explaining your circumstances. Be sure to include supporting documents that will demonstrate to USCIS that you have an unforeseen change in your financial situation;
- Write a letter to Gerry Stamm, Director, International Student Programs, requesting severe economic hardship-- this is your formal file request;
- Complete the forms and bring back to our office with all of your I-20s, passport(s), and Washington driver’s license or I.D. card;
- Once completed, we will mail the documents to USCIS on your behalf;
- Within one month after we mail your request, you should receive a letter from USCIS by mail called a Notice of Action. This notice confirms that USCIS received your request and tells you approximately the length of time it will take for USCIS to review. We will contact you as soon as we receive this notice. Please be sure to update your email, phone number and mailing address with our office within 10 days of your change. If you do not receive this letter within one month, please let our office know. In this case, it could mean that your request was lost in the mail or that USCIS didn’t process the request;
- Mark the approximate USCIS review date on your calendar and wait;
- If the approximate USCIS review date has passed and you still have not received any further correspondence from USCIS, please let our office know and we will help you find out the status of your request;
You should begin to look for employment, but you can't begin to work until you receive your Employment Authorization Document (EAD) card from USCIS, and the beginning date noted on the card. You can tell a potential employer that you have filed for severe economic hardship and that you are waiting for a response from USCIS.
Normally, it takes approximately 90-120 days to receive your EAD card from USCIS.
Hopefully, this process will go smoothly and you will receive your EAD. Once we receive your EAD card, we will contact you.
You must have work authorization from our office for an on-campus employment or have received your EAD card from USCIS to apply for a social security number. Please see the above sections for information on how to apply for work authorization. The Social Security Administration will not issue a number for any other purposes.
If you have received an on-campus work authorization from our office, take your I-20, passport, OC student ID card, and the letter that we write on your behalf to the Social Security Administration to apply for a social security number. You will need a social security number to be able to work.
If you have received your EAD card from USCIS, take your card, I-20, and passport to the Social Security Administration to apply for a social security number. In this case, you do not need a letter from our office to apply.
The Social Security Administration is located at:
9594 Mickelberry Road, Silverdale
(Across from Albertsons on Bucklin Hill)
It usually takes approximately 2-3 weeks to receive your number.
Please check your social security card to make sure your number is valid for employment with USCIS authorization. You do not need to apply for a new social security card in this case. If your social security number is not valid for employment, you do need to follow the above guidelines to apply for a new card that will be valid for employment.