F-1 Employment - University of Houston
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F-1 Employment

On-Campus

F-1 students with a valid I-20 issued for attendance at the University of Houston are generally permitted to work part-time (no more than 20 hours per week) except for official school breaks and the student's annual vacation, when it may be full-time) with the University of Houston as the employer, while they are attending the University of Houston and maintaining their F-1 status, subject to certain restrictions discussed in the F-1 visa regulations: 8 CFR 214.2(f)(9)(i)

Off-Campus

CPT

CPT work authorization may only be granted to the internship/employment directly related to the student’s major area of study and only if the student is otherwise eligible.

Student Self-Check Preliminary CPT Eligibility:

If you answer "yes" to all questions listed above, you may be eligible to apply for CPT. ISSSO will verify your eligibility after you submit your CPT application.

For students who choose CPT under COOP option, please follow the directions provided by the COOP office.

  • UH CO-OP Virtual Office - This is run through Microsoft TEAMS and students have to use their UH credentials to join

Optional Practical Training

Overview

Optional practical training (OPT) is defined in the regulations as "temporary employment for practical training directly related to the student's major area of study."

There are three general types of optional practical training:

  1. Pre-completion OPT
  2. Post-completion OPT. For more details go to How to Apply for OPT.
  3. OPT STEM Extension for students with degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). For more details go to STEM Extension (OPT-X).

More information on OPT: 8 CFR 214.2(f)(10)

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