Unauthorized employment is a status violation. As a result, it is very important to discuss any possibilities for experiential learning, internships/externships, routine volunteer work, or other paid or unpaid activities that may be perceived as work in the U.S. with your DSO or RO/ARO. Do not engage in these activities without receiving prior authorization and approval where required.

Additional Resources

• Study in the States-Working in the U.S.

 

On-Campus Work (F-1 and J-1)

For Students Maintaining Valid F-1 Status

You are eligible to work on campus for a maximum of 20 hours per week (part-time), while school is in session. During official school breaks and/or holidays, F-1 students may work full-time. You are permitted to work on any CUNY campus, not only Lehman College’s campus.

When you are offered a position, you will need to request an F-1 verification letter for on-campus employment from us. To provide this letter, we will need a letter from your hiring supervisor that describes:

• • The position being offered and the primary responsibilities
  • Employment start date
  • Number of working hours
  • Supervisor's name and telephone number

For those students who also need to file a Social Security Number (SSN) Application, both the F-1 verification letter and the letter from your hiring supervisor will allow you to proceed with your filing.

For Students Maintaining Valid J-1 Status

You are eligible to work on campus for a maximum of 20 hours per week (part-time), while school is in session. During official school breaks and/or holidays, J-1 students may work full-time. You are only permitted to work on Lehman College’s campus and before any employment begins, your SEVIS record must be updated.

To receive authorization, we will need a letter from your hiring supervisor that describes:

• • The position being offered and the primary responsibilities
  • Employment start date
  • Number of working hours
  • Supervisor's name and telephone number

For those students who also need to file a Social Security Number (SSN) Application, we will also provide a J-1 verification letter.

Additional Resources

• • ICE-F1 Students On Campus

Off-Campus Work (F-1 and J-1)

Qualified F-1 students may apply for an employment authorization document (EAD) card with USCIS, and qualified J-1 students may apply for employment authorization with the RO/ARO for the following reasons:

• You are experiencing severe, unforeseen economic necessity.
  You may qualify if you are in good academic standing and have been in status for one full academic year (F-1). Furthermore, you will need to demonstrate that acceptance of employment will not interfere with your ability to study full-time, that on-campus employment is insufficient to meet your economic needs, and that the circumstances causing your sudden hardship are beyond your control. To understand the strength of your candidacy for this benefit and to learn more about the application process, please make an appointment with your DSO or RO/ARO.
  
  
• You have been offered employment by a recognized international organization.
  Provided the international organization falls within the meaning of the International Organization Immunities Act (59 Stat. 669), you may apply for this benefit. To learn more about the application process for this benefit, please make an appointment with your DSO or RO/ARO after receiving a written offer of employment from a qualifying international organization.
  
  
• You qualify for Special Student Relief.
  If you are from a part of the world that has been designated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as experiencing emergent circumstances (including humanitarian crises, natural disasters, and armed conflict) and you are experiencing severe economic hardship as a direct result, you may qualify for the suspension of certain regulatory requirements. If you entered and established your F-1 or J-1 status as a passport holder from one of the countries with SSR designation, please make an appointment with your DSO or RO/ARO to learn more about the application process for this benefit.

Additional Resources

• Employment | ICE
• F1-SSR Designations

 

Academic Training (J-1)

As a J-1 student visa holder, you may pursue academic training during your studies, with or without remuneration. To qualify, you will need to meet the following general conditions to apply:

• You hold an unexpired DS-2019 from Lehman College.
• You are in the United States primarily to study (i.e. your intended period of academic training may not be longer than the semester(s) you have spent studying).
• You are participating in academic training that is directly related to your major field of study as listed on your Form DS-2019 and confirmed by your course instructor or academic advisor.
• You are in good academic standing and enrolled in a course that gives you academic credit for the training experience. 

To learn more about the application process for Academic Training, please make an appointment with your RO/ARO.

Curricular Practical Training-CPT (F-1)

CPT is defined as alternative work/study, internship, cooperative education, or any other type of required internship or practicum that is offered by sponsoring employers through cooperative agreements with a university. CPT is only available to F-1 students when it is an integral part of their degree program. In practical terms, this means that the experiential learning component is required by your degree program and/or your participation in experiential learning earns you academic credit towards degree completion. To qualify, you will need to meet the following general conditions to apply:

• You are in valid F-1 status and have been for one full academic year (2 consecutive semesters). Please note that time spent in English language studies does not count.
• You are enrolled full-time in an undergraduate or graduate degree or certificate program.
• The experiential learning is directly related to your major area of study.

If you are unsure if you meet the general conditions or wish to learn more about the specific requirements, review the CPT application and/or make an appointment with your DSO. When you are ready to apply, please complete the CPT application and submit the completed application to your DSO. Once received, the DSO will review your application and determine if CPT may be authorized. If permitted, you will receive an updated I-20 noting your CPT authorization. You do not need an EAD card to participate. Note that if you are authorized for 365 days of full-time CPT, you become ineligible for OPT.

Additional Resources

• Study in the States-Training Opportunities

Optional Practical Training-OPT (F-1)

OPT is a benefit you may apply for with USCIS if you wish to engage in temporary employment and gain practical experience in your field of study. You do not need a job to apply. There are two general types of OPT:

Pre-Completion OPT
This is available while you are completing your degree program and occurs before the program end date on your I-20. You should note that time authorized for Pre-Completion OPT deducts from your available 12-month Post-Completion OPT benefit at half rate. For example, if you complete 12 months of Pre-Completion OPT, you will only be eligible to receive 6 months of Post-Completion OPT.

Post-Completion OPT
This is a benefit that is available after you complete your degree program. If authorized, you will remain in F-1 status even though you are no longer studying. Post-completion OPT is further sub-divided into:

• • Standard Post-Completion OPT
    This is a 12-month benefit. The earliest OPT start date you may request is the day after the program end date on your I-20 and latest possible OPT start date you may request is 60 days after your program end date. The earliest you may apply for this benefit is 90 days before the program end date listed on your I-20.
  • STEM OPT extension
    

Before you apply to USCIS for this benefit, you need to request an updated Form I-20 from our office with your OPT recommendation. To proceed, please complete the relevant application for the period of OPT you are requesting.

• OPT Application (Pre-Completion)
• OPT Application (Post-Completion)
  
  
  • Make sure the application is complete. Submit it and all supporting documents via Liquid Files.
  • Once uploaded, your DSO will review your application and contact you if additional information is needed.
  • If no additional information is needed, you will receive your Form I-20 with the OPT recommendation within the next 5 business days. Your filing deadlines will be communicated at this time.

Once you receive your Form I-20, you will be able to complete Form I-765 with USCIS. Before submitting your final application and paying the related fees, schedule an appointment to review the completeness of your submission with your DSO. Failure to adhere to the filing deadlines as communicated will result in USCIS denial of your application.

After USCIS approves your application, they will mail you an EAD card that lists the approved start and end dates of your authorized OPT. These dates may differ from your initially requested start and end dates. You cannot begin any employment until you have received the physical card and the start date listed on your EAD card has arrived.

You are required to report your employment information to our office within 10 days of beginning or changing employment.

STEM OPT Extension (select F-1)

This is a 24-month benefit for students on a valid period of Post-Completion OPT who earned a qualifying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degree on the STEM Designated Degree Program List. To qualify, you will also need to meet the following general conditions to apply:

• Have a degree in an eligible STEM field from a Student and Exchange Visitor Program certified school that is accredited at the time the student submits the STEM OPT extension application to USCIS.
• Have a sponsoring employer that is enrolled in USCIS’s E-Verify employment eligibility verification program.
• Sponsoring employer must provide the student applicant with formal training and learning objectives and complete the Form I-983.
• Work a minimum of 20 hours per week for the employer.
• Employer must be paying you a prevailing wage.
• Be in a valid period of OPT at the time of submission. You must submit your complete STEM OPT Extension application to USCIS before the end date listed on your current EAD card.

Before you apply to USCIS for this benefit, you need to request an updated Form I-20 from our office with your STEM OPT recommendation. To proceed, you and your employer must complete the Form I-983.

• Make sure Form I-983 is completed accurately as per USCIS instructions. Submit it via Liquid Files.
• Once uploaded, your DSO will review your application and contact you if additional information is needed.
• If no additional information is needed, you will receive your Form I-20 with the STEM OPT recommendation within the next 5 business days. Your filing deadline will be communicated at this time.

Once you receive your Form I-20, you will be able to complete Form I-765 with USCIS. Before submitting your final application and paying the related fees, schedule an appointment to review the completeness of your submission with your DSO. Failure to adhere to the filing deadlines as communicated will result in USCIS denial of your application.

You may continue to work on your expired OPT approved EAD for up to 180 days while your STEM extension application is pending if you meet these conditions:

• You are currently in a period of post-completion OPT.
• You submitted the proper application to USCIS prior to your OPT expiration date.

You are required to report any changes in employment, including material deviations from your formal training plan, within 10 days. When changing employers during your STEM OPT Extension, you will need to submit a new and complete Form I-983 to your DSO. You are also required to report your employment to our office every 6 months. At the mid-point and end of training, you must also complete evaluations using Form I-983 and submit them to your DSO. Do NOT submit Form I-983 to USCIS. During the initial OPT and subsequent STEM OPT Extension, you may be unemployed for no more than a total of 150 days.

Social Security Number Application

A Social Security Number (SSN) is a 9-digit number that’s unique to you. It. You will need to apply for an SSN if you have been authorized for work. A Social Security Number (SSN):

✔   may only be issued by the Social Security Administration (SSA), a federal agency.

✔   is yours for life (like your date of birth) and needs to be kept securely (like your passport) for your protection. You don't need to apply for another one if you already have an SSN from a previous stay in the United States.

✘   is not a work permit. An SSN is used only for tax-reporting purposes.

✘   is not required to open a bank account, rent an apartment, or get a driver’s license.

You can learn more about the documents you will need to apply for your SSN here.

Once you have the required documentation, you may complete the online Social Security number (SSN) card application.

Once you've submitted your online application, you will need to schedule an appointment to bring the required documentation within 45 days to the local SSA office to complete your application. It may allow you to schedule the appointment upon completing the online application. If not, you can visit this website to secure your follow up appointment.

Normally, you will receive your SSN within 14 days of submitting a completed application.

Additional Resource

• SSA flyer-International Students