F-1 Employment

CPT provides international students on an F-1 visa with temporary authorization to work while enrolled as a full-time student in the US. You only need to apply for CPT if you are working in an internship while physically in the US. Note that you may only work 20 hours or fewer while school is in session. (You may work more than 20 hours during school breaks.)

Please plan ahead when applying for CPT. The process can take up to two weeks.

Eligibility

To be eligible for CPT, you need to:

• maintain F-1 status for a minimum of one full academic year (fall, Wintersession and spring terms)
• be currently enrolled with a declared major
• have your internship approved
• earn academic credits toward your degree

How to apply

• Register your internship in Artworks.
• Complete the required CPT modules in Canvas.
• Fill out our CPT application checklist online and upload the documents listed below.

Once you meet all requirements, an international student advisor will approve your Artworks application and process your CPT request. We will also keep a record of your documents.

Application checklist requirements

• passing final quiz score from Canvas CPT modules
• copies of your current Form 1-20, passport ID page, current F-1 visa
• most recent I-94 record obtained from US Customs and Border Protection
• job offer/internship letter from employer, furnished on company letterhead and that includes: employment start and end date, job responsibilities related to your major, hours worked per week and employer contact information

OPT grants international students on an F-1 visa one year’s eligibility to work in a job or internship related to their studies. Read below for eligibility requirements and application instructions.

Eligibility

To be eligible for OPT, you need to:

• maintain F-1 status for a minimum of one full academic year (fall, Wintersession and spring terms)
• be currently enrolled or have recently graduated*

* If you have recently graduated, you must submit your application to US Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) within 60 days of your graduation date.

How to apply

First, complete the required OPT modules in Canvas. This course will walk you through how to submit your online OPT application.

To apply you will need to gather the following materials:

• Form 1-765 (create a USCIS account to submit online)
• copies of any previous I-20 forms that include CPT or OPT authorization
• copy of your passport ID page
• copy of your current F-1 visa
• 1-94 record (obtain from the Department of Homeland Security)
• a copy of your employment authorization document (EAD) card
• a US passport-style photograph (2 x 2") taken within the past month that has not been used for a previous government document
• a $410 application fee

After you've completed the above, fill out and submit the OPT I-20 request form and checklist. You will upload the above documents as part of your request submission.

Students who hold degrees in a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)-designated field may be eligible to apply for an additional 24 months of OPT, for a total of 36 months of post-completion OPT. In general are only eligible if your degree carries this designation. (If you completed a degree in a STEM field at an SEVP-certified school within the past 10 years but prior to attending RISD, you may still be eligible for a STEM extension.)

RISD majors that are currently STEM-eligible are:

• Architecture
• Digital + Media
• Graphic Design
• Industrial Design
• Interior Architecture
• Landscape Architecture

In addition to having completed a STEM-designate degree, you must have a job offer or be working for an employer registered with E-Verify, a federal employment verification system.

You and your employer must complete Form I-983—Training Plan for STEM OPT students. The Department of Homeland Society provides a guide to completing the I-983 that you will find under “Employer Responsibilities and Obligations for STEM OPT.”

If you are on OPT, you must report your employment to our office, as well as any of the following:

• your employer’s name and address
• employment start date and (if known) end date
• employment changes (job change, end of employment, etc.)
• current US address
• any changes to your legal name
• any immigration status changes
• a transfer to a new US school/institution
• a departure from the US that will end your need for F-1 OPT

Remember that:

• your OPT employment must be related to your field of study.
• you must work more than 20 hours per week (can be one full-time or two part-time jobs).
• you can take up to 90 days of unemployment during OPT.

After graduation and/or you complete OPT, you can apply for other types of visa, such as the H-1B or O-1. Work with an immigration attorney for eligibility assistance. See the quick links section below for resources related to post-RISD/OPT visa options.