An F1 student visa is issued by a US Embassy or Consulate in the student's home country. The primary purpose of the student's visit to the United States is to study. As a result, there are many rules and regulations that students must follow while in the U.S.
F1 visa holders may work on-campus up to 20 hours per week during the Fall and Spring semesters. During official university breaks, students may work on-campus up to 40 hours per week.
Off-campus work is strictly prohibited at any time during a student's program of study
F1 visa holders may participate in internships during the course of study. Internships are also known as CPT (Curricular Practical Training). To qualify for CPT, you must be in valid F1 visa status for at least 2 long semesters (a Fall and a Spring).
Please visit our CPT website for more information on internships. Please be sure to visit this website BEFORE applying for or accepting an internship.
Post-Completion Work Authorization
A benefit of the F1 student visa is post-completion work authorization, also called OPT (Optional Practical Training).
Please visit our OPT website for more information on post-completion work authorization. Please be sure to visit this website BEFORE applying for or accepting any offer of employment after graduation.
Federal regulations require F1 student visa holders to report the following changes to a DSO. Per federal regulations, updates must be reported within 10 days of the change:
Change of Level (going from a Bachelor's to a Master's, Bachelor's to Second Bachelor's, etc.)
If you will NOT finish your program before the end date listed on your I-20 (also called a Program Extension) - this update requires a minimum notice of 15 business days (3 weeks) BEFORE the end date of your I-20 to allow a DSO to process the extension
A dependent for immigration purposes is defined as a spouse or children under the age of 21. Please visit our Dependents page for more information on bringing dependents and regulations for F2 visa holders.
If you wish to transfer to another U.S. institution, there is an immigration process that must be followed. Please visit our Transferring Out page for more information on transferring to a different institution.