OFFCAMPUS EMPLOYMENT

F-1 visa international students are only allowed to work off-campus after they have been authorized by an international advisor and/or USCIS. Unauthorized employment is a serious violation of your visa status and grounds for deportation.

Curricular Practical Training

 

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) allows students who have internship or research courses to obtain part-time or full-time paid work experience outside the classroom. Because it works like a lab, CPT employment dates are synchronized with a specific CPT course and the employment authorization is only during the dates of the specific course.

 

For more information on CPT please click here.

 

To apply for CPT please click here.

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Optional Practical Training

 

Optional Practical Training (OPT) allows students to gain part-time or full-time paid work experience in their degree field. Listed below are the three different types of OPT.

 

Pre-completion OPT is OPT that is used prior to graduation. Generally, students do not apply for pre-completion OPT as it is not the best option and students may use CPT instead. Please contact an international advisor at the ISSO for more information.

 

Post-completion 12-month OPT is available to all F-1 students after completion of their academic program.

Please click here for more information on Post-Completion 12-month OPT.

Please click here to apply for Post-Completion 12-month OPT.

 

17-month OPT Extension allows students in certain STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) majors an additional 17-months of OPT employment authorization in the U.S. Effective May 13, the application process for 17-month OPT Extension has changed.

Please click here for more information.

Please click here to apply for 17-month OPT Extension.

Economic Hardship

Students who have been in status for at least one academic year and who have faced extreme financial hardship due to unforeseen circumstances beyond the student's control may be eligible to apply for an economic hardship work authorization. Authorization allows a student to work part-time off-campus while maintaining his or her full course load. Applications are expensive, take several months to process and are often denied so this is not a viable option for most students. To determine if you are eligible for this authorization, please speak with an international student advisor.

Taxes

The American tax system is very complex. ISSO advisers are not professionally qualified to provide tax advice. For assistance with the preparation of tax forms, students should seek professional assistance from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), tax accountants, tax attorneys or a licensed tax preparation service.

The tax year in the U.S. goes from January 1 to December 31 each year. In January and February of each year, employers prepare a W-2 tax form regarding their employees’ wages from the previous year and mail the W-2 to these employees. It is very important that students keep their address up to date with the university and with the ISSO. Financial institutions and other business entities also prepare different forms to send out to their customers for tax purposes. Taxes are due each year by April 15, and failure to file by this date may result in penalties.

The University of Texas- Austin’s international office has created a wonderful tax website for international students and scholars. Also, you may go to the IRS’s website for international students and scholars at or call 1-800-829-1040. You may also hire a tax service in the yellow pages to assist with your taxes.