Working in the U.S.

All F-1 students at WVU Tech have a variety of ways to work in the United States: On-Campus Employment, Curricular Practical Training (CPT), and Occupational Practical Training (OPT)/STEM OPT. In addition, F1 students may be eligible for employment through special circumstances, such as severe economic hardship.

All in-status F-1 and J-1 students are eligible to engage in part-time work on-campus. These positions are referred to as institutional positions. The best places to look are the Computer Labs, the Libraries, and Dining Services. Various academic departments also have non-federal jobs. Student employment is only available to students in good standing with the university. US regulation limits employment to 20 hours per week on-campus while school is in session, 40 hours on-campus otherwise.

Steps to Be Employed On-Campus

• Receive an on-campus institutional job offer
• If you need a Social Security Number, follow the below steps.  If you do not need a social security number, you will go through the Tech payroll process with no additional steps needed.
• Provide your future supervisor this Employment Verification Letter and ask them to complete it on University letterhead and sign it
• A copy of this completed letter should be emailed to Daniel.Sepion@mail.wvu.edu
• A copy of this completed letter should be kept by the Supervisor
• The original of this letter should be given to you, with the original (wet) signature
• Once Dan Sepion receives a copy of your Employment Verification Letter, Dan will send you the DSO Work Approval Letter through the International Student Portal
  
• Gather the following documents and bring them to the Social Security Office located in the Crossroads Mall
• Your original Employment Verification Letter
• Your DSO Work Approval Letter
• Your current I-20
• Your most recent I-94 (printed out from this website)
• Your Passport & Visa
• Completed  SS-5 Form (or apply online and bring all other documents to the office within 45 days)
• At the Social Security Office, complete the application process and receive a receipt showing you applied
• Complete University payroll paperwork. You will need to provide that receipt and your Social Security Card (once it arrives in the mail)

CPT is an internship/practicum that is approved through Career and Professional Development and then authorized by International Student Services. CPT is available after 1 full year (two semesters) and is available Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters.

To be authorized for CPT, you must be registered for a corresponding course that will assess the internship/practicum experience academically. In addition, the  experience must either be an established component of your major's curriculum or you will be receiving academic credit toward your degree for the experience. The internship/practicum must be directly related to your major field of study.

CPT can occur over the summer months (full-time) or during the academic year (part-time).  Visit the Career Center's CPT website for more information and instructions on how to apply for CPT approval. If you have questions about CPT and your eligibility, visit with International Student Services.

Optional Practical Training (OPT) and STEM OPT Extension

Optional Practical Training (OPT) is an employment benefit for F-1 visa students to work in the U.S in a job related to the student’s field of study. It is intended to enhance and supplement the formal, classroom education after a student's coursework is completed. The United States Immigration and Citizenship Services (USCIS) adjudicates and authorizes OPT (visit their website here).

You must be within the 90 days prior to and 60 days after your program completion date and have completed/will be completing your coursework to request OPT from ISS and apply to USCIS. To learn more about OPT or to have your questions about OPT answered, schedule an appointment with ISS. 

To submit your OPT documents and request permission to apply for OPT, complete the OPT Request on our International Student Portal. On the portal, you will need to submit:

• Your Passport, Visa, and most recent U.S. admission stamp
• All previous I-20s with CPT or OPT approval
• Your current I-94
• A completed draft PDF copy of the I-765 Application
• Your academic advisor's name, title, and email (please notify your academic advisor you are applying for OPT - they need to complete an online recommendation stating you are eligible to graduate)

F-1 STEM students who have elected to pursue 12 months of OPT in the United States to extend the OPT period by 24 months (STEM OPT extension). STEM OPT extensions may only be applied to students employed by employers who participate in E-Verify and STEM OPT requires employers and employees to complete a learning plan and evaluations.  To begin your application process and learn more about the STEM OPT Extension, visit our International Student Portal.