Employment Options for F-1 Students

Reminder: Do NOT accept any type of employment until you have checked with the International Student Advisor for approval. Working illegally is grounds for deportation!

1. ON CAMPUS EMPLOYMENT
   If you are an F-1 student, you are eligible to work part-time (20 hours or less per week),on-campus as long as you meet the following eligibility criteria:
   • You must be a full-time student (enrolled in 12 or more credit hours)
   • You must have a valid, activated SEVIS Form I-20 from Scottsdale Community College
   • You must have a valid, unexpired passport
   • You must have an I-94 card that is marked "F-1 D/S"
   • You have obtained a Social Security Card
   If you are a new student, it is strongly recommended that you do not have a job during your first semester, so that you may focus on your studies and get accustomed to the American system and culture. Please note that there are limited jobs available on campus, generally in the library, cafeteria or campus safety office. The pay is usually about $7.00 per hour. To find a job, it is your responsibility to check with the individual departments, or in the Career Services Office where most departments post their job openings.
    
   You may NOT engage in on-campus employment if any of the following applies:
   • You are not registered as a full-time student (or, if working during the summer term, you do not intend to register in the upcoming fall semester)
   • You have graduated and do not intend to begin a new program at SCC in the next available term
   • You do not have valid documents as listed above
      
2. WORK AUTHORIZATION DUE TO SEVERE ECONOMIC HARDSHIP
   F-1 Economic Hardship work permission is a type of employment authorization for F-1 students who have suffered severe economic hardship due to unforeseen and unexpected economic problems.
   • You must receive authorization from the BCIS (Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services) before you can work!!!
   • You must have been a full-time student at SCC for at least one full academic year.
   • You must be able to document that the circumstances which led to your economic situation were unexpected and beyond your control. Examples include evidence of unexpected currency fluctuations, or the unexpected loss of employment or unexpected medical expenses incurred by you or your financial sponsor.
   • You must be capable of continuing full-time studies and maintaining F-1 status while engaged in Economic Hardship work permission.
   You do NOT need a job offer to apply for Economic Need work permission. Please see the International Student Advisor if you think you may be eligible to apply for this type of authorization.
    
3. CURRICULAR PRACTICAL TRAINING
   Curricular Practical Training (CPT) allows you to accept paid, off-campus employment that is an integral part of the curriculum of your degree program.
   1. Internship: the employment is a mandatory part of a course that you are taking for degree credit. The course may be an elective, but the credit must count toward your degree. You can enroll through the Cooperative Education Office.
   2. Practicum: this is a non-credit employment or fieldwork experience that your department requires of all degree candidates in your program.
       
   CPT is available only if one of these categories is included in the curriculum of your degree program. Because every program has different academic requirements, not every student at SCC will be eligible for CPT.
    
   In order to qualify for Curricular Practical Training, you must meet the following criteria:
   • You must have been a full-time student at SCC for at least one full academic year, and be in lawful F-1 status.
   • You must be making normal progress toward degree completion, be in good academic standing, and otherwise maintaining F-1 status while engaged in CPT.
      
   Please see the International Student Advisor if you think you may be eligible to apply for this type of authorization.
    
4. OPTIONAL PRACTICAL TRAINING
   Optional Practical Training allows F-1 students to accept paid, professional-level employment that is directly related to their field of studies. You must receive authorization from the BCIS (Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services) before you can work!!!
    
   Please see the International Student Advisor if you think you may be eligible to apply for this type of authorization.
    
   Optional practical training may be undertaken in one or more of the following situations:
    
   Pre-completion
    
   (A) on a part-time basis only, during the academic year while engaged in coursework
    
   (B) on a part-time or full-time basis, during the annual vacation period
    
   Post-completion
    
   (D) on a full-time basis only, once all degree requirements have been fulfilled.
    
   You are granted a maximum of 12 months of optional practical training. Optional practical training can be used on a pre-completion and/or post-completion basis, as long as the total amount used does not exceed 12 months. You must also meet certain eligibility criteria as indicated below. Note that part-time OPT counts at a rate of 50% toward full-time OPT. For example, 2 months of part-time OPT is equivalent to 1 month of full-time OPT.
    
   Eligibility Criteria for Post-Completion OPT
   • You must have been a full-time student at SCC for at least one academic year before you can engage in OPT.
   • You must currently be in F-1 status.
   • You must be in good academic standing at the time of application, and you must have made normal, full-time progress toward degree completion.
   • You must not have used more than 12 months of pre-completion OPT in the past at your current degree level.
   • You must not have been authorized for more than 12 months of full-time Curricular Practical Training.
   • You do NOT need to have a job offer in order to apply for OPT, although once you are approved for OPT, the time is deducted from your 12 months regardless of whether you actually work.
   Application Deadlines
    
   IMPORTANT: YOU MUST APPLY FOR POST-COMPLETION OPT NO LATER THAN THREE WEEKS BEFORE YOU COMPLETE YOUR DEGREE REQUIREMENTS, TO ALLOW FOR ADEQUATE PROCESSING TIME. THE BUREAU OF CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES (BCIS) WILL NOT ACCEPT APPLICATIONS RECEIVED AFTER YOU HAVE COMPLETED YOUR STUDIES.
   • If you have been a full-time student in F-1 status for MORE than one academic year, you may apply for post-completion OPT up to 120 days before your desired OPT beginning date, although you must apply before you complete your degree requirements.
   • If you have been a full-time student in F-1 status for LESS than one academic year, you may apply for post-completion OPT up to 90 days before the date that you will have completed one academic year. However, your application cannot be submitted any earlier than 120 days before your desired OPT beginning date. You must also apply for post-completion OPT before you complete your degree requirements, and you cannot begin your OPT period until you have completed one full academic year of study.
      
   OPT requires an application to the U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS). The BCIS may take several months to process an application for OPT. Please plan accordingly - we recommend that you apply as early as possible.