International students in F-1 status have the ability to engage in different types of employment during and after their time as a UCSF student. However, unauthorized employment carries very severe penalties and will result in the termination of your F-1 visa status so it's important to understand the rules of F-1 student employment and consult with the ISSO before engaging in employment if there are any concerns.
On-Campus Employment
F-1 students may work in any on campus job, as long as their employer is UCSF. Exceptions may be made for on campus jobs where UCSF is not the employer but these jobs should first be approved by the ISSO. On campus employment is limited to 20 hours per week while classes are in session. If you hold a 50% fellowship or assistantship, you are not eligible for additional on campus employment. Full time employment is defined as more than 20 hours per week and is only permitted during vacation periods, when classes are not in session. For most PhD students, summer is the only term that qualifies for full time on campus employment. Students in enrolled in a master's program or a professional program should assume they do not qualify for more than 20 hours per week of on campus employment since these programs often require summer term enrollment. Consult with the ISSO if you are unsure about your ability to work more than 20 hours per week.
No special work permission form the ISSO is needed to begin working in a on campus position.
On campus employment is limited to the dates printed on Page 1 of the F-1 I-20 or the last date of classes, whichever is earlier. After a student graduates, they are no longer authorized on campus and must wait for their post-completion employment authorization to be approved if they wish to continue working on campus, beyond their I-20 end date.
Off-Campus Employment
Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
Students holding F-1 status are eligible for CPT only after having been enrolled full-time for one academic year and before completing the degree program. Exceptions are available for graduate students whose programs require immediate curricular training.
The CPT must be considered an integral part of the established program curriculum. It may be part-time or full-time depending on the curriculum requirements.
The student must have an offer of employment from a curriculum-approved CPT employer and the UCSF academic advisor must provide a written recommendation for the CPT confirming that the job experience is a required part of the curriculum. ISSO and DHS approval is required in advance of beginning CPT.
Optional Practical Training (OPT)
International students are eligible to apply for OPT after one full academic year of full-time study. Advance approval is required from the ISSO and the DHS. Before beginning work, the student must apply for and receive an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) from the DHS with the assistance of the ISSO.
The student may work on or off-campus as long as the practical training is directly related to the student’s program of study as confirmed by a written recommendation from the student’s academic advisor. Employment may take place before program completion for up to 20 hours per week. However, the student must maintain a full course of study. Full-time OPT is allowed after completion of the student’s required courses.
OPT is allowed for a cumulative maximum of twelve months. However, the use full-time CPT for one year or more eliminates eligibility for OPT. Students must apply for OPT prior to completing their course requirements up to a maximum of 90 days in advance of completion.
For more information and how to apply, visit F-1 Optional Practical Training.
Start-Ups and Entrepreneurial Activity
F-1 students sponsored by UCSF are generally limited to on-campus employment unless authorized for off-campus work through Curricular Practical Training (CPT) or Optional Practical Training (OPT), in accordance with federal regulations.
UCSF does not support self-employment or entrepreneurial activity (including work for a student’s own startup) under CPT or pre-completion OPT. This policy is based on the ISSO's inability to adequately verify employment conditions, supervision, and hours, as well as the need to ensure that such activity does not interfere with full-time academic engagement.
Students who wish to pursue entrepreneurial activities may be eligible to do so after program completion under OPT, where permitted by federal regulations.
Students also have the option of seeking an alternative visa status (non-UCSF sponsored) that permits employment while studying full time. However, students should ensure they can still comply with UCSF and GEPA academic policies before considering changing their visa status for the purposes of employment.