F-1 Work Rules Decoded: On-Campus Jobs, CPT and the OPT Year
F-1 students get 20 hrs/week on campus — everything else needs authorisation. CPT, OPT and the STEM extension decoded for Nepali students.
By Nepalese Events Australia Editorial
Published: 2026-10-01T09:00:00.000000Z
Category: Students
America's student work rules are stricter than Canada's or Australia's — and the penalties for getting them wrong are status-ending, not just fines. The line for F-1 holders: on-campus work up to 20 hours a week during term, full-time during breaks. Everything beyond that requires specific authorisation from DHS's student employment rules.
On-campus: the only automatic option
Libraries, dining halls, research assistantships, campus bookstores — the 20-hour on-campus allowance is the only work that needs no extra paperwork, and it's genuinely competitive in college towns. The pay funds living costs; it won't dent tuition.
CPT: work inside your curriculum
Curricular Practical Training covers internships and placements that are a credit-bearing part of your program — authorised by your university's international office (DSO), not USCIS, usually processed in days. The trap: 12 months of full-time CPT eliminates your OPT eligibility — a rule that catches students who treat CPT as an open work permit.
OPT: the year that matters
Optional Practical Training is the main bridge to the workforce: 12 months of work authorisation in your field, usable during or after the degree — most students take it post-graduation. STEM degree holders get a 24-month extension on top. OPT requires a USCIS application, a fee, an EAD card, and months of processing — file as early as the window allows. Working while it processes is not permitted; the card is the permission.
The authorisation-first rule
Unlike some countries, unauthorised work in the US isn't a slap on the wrist — it can terminate F-1 status entirely and surfaces in every future visa application. The DSO exists precisely to keep you legal: ask before accepting anything off-campus, including paid freelancing and gig apps, which count as work even when no employer feels involved.
Where it leads
OPT is the standard on-ramp to the H-1B lottery — the long-term is mapped in our F-1-to-PR guide. For settling in first, see the first-month checklist, and families can USD to NPR.
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