Working in the U.S. as an F-1 student
Your degree and your permission to work are separate. Each kind of work below has its own rules and paperwork, and none is guaranteed by a degree. Checked 7 Oct 2026; these rules are changing now, so confirm with your school's DSO and USCIS.
Work options, in the order you meet them
From your first term to a long-term work visa. Your school's Designated School Official (DSO) handles on-campus work, CPT and the OPT recommendation; USCIS decides OPT, STEM OPT and H-1B applications.
- While you study On-campus jobs
Work for your school, or for a business on campus that serves students, without separate permission from USCIS.
- No more than 20 hours a week while school is in session; full time during breaks and annual vacation.
ICE
Employment — SEVISU.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement- Checked
- 7 Oct 2026
- While you study Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
Training that is a required part of your program, such as a required internship or practicum, directly related to your major.
- Authorized by your school's Designated School Official (DSO) in SEVIS, not by USCIS.
- Usually after one full academic year of full-time study; graduate programs that require training right away are an exception.
- Part time is 20 hours a week or less; full time is more than 20. Twelve months or more of full-time CPT ends your eligibility for OPT.
DHS
F-1 Curricular Practical Training (CPT)Study in the States (U.S. Department of Homeland Security)- Checked
- 7 Oct 2026
- After you graduate Optional Practical Training (OPT)
Temporary employment directly related to an F-1 student's major.
- Up to 12 months per degree level.
- Pre-completion OPT (after one full academic year) reduces the post-completion time available.
- The DSO recommends OPT in SEVIS; the student then files Form I-765 with USCIS — up to 90 days before and no later than 60 days after program completion, and within 30 days of the DSO recommendation.
Source page updated 25 Nov 2024USCIS
Optional Practical Training (OPT) for F-1 StudentsU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services- Checked
- 7 Oct 2026
- After you graduate STEM OPT extension
A 24-month extension of post-completion OPT.
- Degree (bachelor's, master's or doctoral) must be on the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List and from an accredited, SEVP-certified school.
- Employer must be enrolled in E-Verify and in good standing.
- File Form I-765 up to 90 days before current OPT ends.
- Unemployment limit: up to 90 days during post-completion OPT, plus 60 more days with the STEM extension (150 in total).
Source page updated 30 Jan 2026USCIS
Optional Practical Training Extension for STEM Students (STEM OPT)U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services- Checked
- 7 Oct 2026
- After you graduate Cap-gap extension
Bridges the gap between OPT and an H-1B that starts on October 1.
- If an employer files an H-1B cap petition for you on time while you are in F-1 status, your F-1 status and post-completion OPT can be extended, typically until April 1 of the following year (the end date moved from Oct. 1 to April 1 starting with the FY 2026 H-1B cap).
DHS
H-1B Status and the Cap Gap ExtensionStudy in the States (U.S. Department of Homeland Security)- Checked
- 7 Oct 2026
- Longer term H-1B specialty occupation
Employer-sponsored work status for jobs that require at least a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in a directly related field.
- Annual cap: 65,000, plus 20,000 for people with a U.S. master's degree or higher.
- Higher-education institutions and nonprofit or government research organizations are cap-exempt.
- Employers register electronically (usually in March); selected registrations may then file petitions.
Source page updated 21 Sep 2026USCIS
H-1B Specialty OccupationsU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services- Checked
- 7 Oct 2026
What changed in 2026
Dated, newest first. Two of these rules are blocked by courts for now and the government is appealing, so the situation can change within weeks.
Fixed admission period rule (ending “duration of status”)
F-1 students are admitted for “duration of status”: as long as they keep studying full time and follow the rules. A 2026 DHS rule would replace this with a fixed period. A federal court has blocked it, so duration of status still applies.
- 30 Sep 2026The government appealed to the First Circuit. The rule stays blocked during the appeal unless a court says otherwise.
NAFSA (plaintiff)
Legal Challenge to the Final Rule Ending Duration of Status (case timeline)NAFSA: Association of International Educators (a plaintiff in the case)- Checked
- 7 Oct 2026
Used only for court dates; NAFSA is a party to the case. Page last updated Oct. 2, 2026.
View source - 14 Sep 2026The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts blocked the rule nationwide the day before it was to take effect, in a case brought by NAFSA, the Presidents' Alliance and others.
NAFSA (plaintiff)
Legal Challenge to the Final Rule Ending Duration of Status (case timeline)NAFSA: Association of International Educators (a plaintiff in the case)- Checked
- 7 Oct 2026
Used only for court dates; NAFSA is a party to the case. Page last updated Oct. 2, 2026.
View source - 17 Jul 2026DHS published the final rule, to take effect on Sept. 15, 2026.
DHS
Final Rule: Establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission and an Extension of Stay Procedure — Quick FactsStudy in the States (U.S. Department of Homeland Security)- Checked
- 7 Oct 2026
Last updated Sept. 10, 2026; does not mention the Sept. 14 court order.
View source
Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
Training that is a required part of your program, such as a required internship or practicum, directly related to your major.
- 12 Aug 2026SEVP told schools to authorize CPT only when the training is integral to the curriculum: only if the degree could not be completed without it and the work is required of all students in that degree. Schools that misuse CPT risk losing SEVP certification.
SEVP
Broadcast Message 2608-01: Reminder of Liability for DSOs Regarding CPT Authorization (Aug. 12, 2026)Student and Exchange Visitor Program (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)- Checked
- 7 Oct 2026
H-1B specialty occupation
Employer-sponsored work status for jobs that require at least a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in a directly related field.
- 24 Jul 2026The First Circuit denied DHS's motion for a stay. The appeal itself may still change the outcome — check USCIS before relying on this.
USCIS
Presidential Proclamation on Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant WorkersU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services- Checked
- 7 Oct 2026
- 8 Jun 2026The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts vacated agency guidance implementing the $100,000 payment; DHS asked the First Circuit for a stay pending appeal.
USCIS
Presidential Proclamation on Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant WorkersU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services- Checked
- 7 Oct 2026
- 27 Feb 2026DHS final rule replaces the random lottery with a weighted selection based on the offered wage level (from the FY 2027 registration).
Federal Register
Weighted Selection Process for Registrants and Petitioners Seeking To File Cap-Subject H-1B Petitions (final rule)Federal Register (DHS)- Checked
- 7 Oct 2026
- 21 Sep 2025A Presidential Proclamation requires an additional $100,000 payment with certain new H-1B petitions for beneficiaries outside the U.S. without a valid H-1B visa.
USCIS
Presidential Proclamation on Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant WorkersU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services- Checked
- 7 Oct 2026
Fixed admission period rule, if it takes effect: Under the rule, F-1 students would be admitted for the program length on the I-20, at most four years, plus 30 days to arrive and 30 days to leave. Staying longer would need an extension of stay from USCIS or a new admission after travel.