Work Permits
Click on the Letter to link to information below:
A.
General Information
B. Curricular Practical Training (Eligibility Criteria for Pay)
C.
Optional Practical Training Checklist
D.
Severe Economic Hardship Checklist
E.
Social Security Information
F.
Working On Campus
1. All spouses on the E-2 or L-2 Immigration Status, and J-1 Dependents, are now eligible to apply for work permits. The I-765 form will need to accompany the principal's I-129 form; then follow USCIS instructions; send with required fees. See the SCF Coordinator of Educational Records for more details.
2. All students on the F-1 Student Status are permitted to work on campus only if there is employement available. Student may work up to 20 hours per week. See Working on Campus.
Students working off campus without permission from the U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) could be deported to their home country and possibly barred from the U. S. for life.
3. Students on the F-1 status who wish to secure a Social Security number need to follow the directions on this Web page under Social Security Information below.
4. If a student is experiencing severe economic hardship, after the student has been in the U. S. attending school in good standing for one academic year, that student may apply for an off-campus work permit. Students who finds themselves in this position must see the Coordinator of Educational Records for guidance or go to Severe Economic Hardship.
5. Students who are in their last semester of an Associate in Applied Science or Associate in Science degree may apply for a 12-month work permit. Any student who is interested must see the Coordinator of Educational Records or go to Optional Practical Training.
B. Curricular Practical Training (Eligibility Criteria for Pay)
Curricular Practical Training (CPT) employment is available for F-1 students who have been lawfully enrolled on a full-time basis for at least one full academic year.
All students must work with the Career Resource Center in the Student Services Building and gather the following documents. Then, the Coordinator of Educational Records will need to see these documents and make copies for your files:
From the Company:
1. A letter from the employer addressed to the student offering the student the job.
2. A description of the work assignments.
3. The student cannot displace a worker.
From the Student:
1. A proposal stating the work site, the nature of the work, the planned area of
study (information to be learned by working, and the work/study objective.
From the Program Manager of the student's AAS or AS degree program:
1. A letter authorizing the work site, the nature of the work, the planned area
of study (information learned by working) and the work/study objectives.
2. The start and ending dates and the number of hours of work per week.
3. Rationale for the training and how it fits the curriculum.
4. A course description and the objectives clearly defined.
5. A faculty member has to be assigned to the course and complete a review
to make sure the learning is being completed, either by talking with the
employer and the student or by visiting the worksite.
It is particularly important that any employment experience required by the course be instrumental in achieving a curricular academic objective. A course offered for the primary purpose of facilitating employment authorization does not qualify for curricular practical training.
Once the above is completed, the Coordinator of Educational Records must complete a new SEVIS I-20 authorizing the student for curricular practical training PRIOR to commencement of employment.
Approval is not needed from the Department of Homeland Security.
C. Optional Practical Training Checklist
Optional Practical Training (OPT) employment is available for F-1 students who have been lawfully enrolled on a full-time basis for at least one full academic year.
Optional Practical Training (OPT) is applied for during the last semester of a student's degree and is for a period of 12 months. This employment must be the same as the student's field of study. The processing time for the work permit is approximately 3 months. During this time period, a student may not work or leave the country. If a student does leave the country prior to the processing of the work permit, the application will be voided never to be applied for again.
1. Completed I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization)
Type in SCF's address in the "Return Address" section:
SCF-Karen Armstrong
5840 26th Street West
Bradenton, FL 34207
2. Two - 2" X 2" photographs.
3. Required fee, obtain a cashiers check or money order from a bank made payable to: Dept of Homeland Security, USCIS. Personal checks or cash are not acceptable. Money orders from retail outlets are not suggested; they may be too difficult and costly to trace if lost. In all cases, process this through the Coordinator of Educational Records on the SCF Bradenton Campus.
4. Copy of Photo page of Passport.
5. Copy of Expiration page of Passport.
6. Copy of F-1 Visa in Passport or Notice of Action approving F-1 status.
7. Original I-94 card
8. If student previously held an EAD card, a photocopy is required.
9. Once a student has all of the above, the documents should be submitted to the Coordinator of Educational Records on the SCF Bradenton Campus. Students attending SCF Venice should submit the above to the Educational Records office on that campus to be hand delivered to the Coordinator of Educational Records on the SCF Bradenton Campus. Or mail them to the address listed above.
D. Severe Economic Hardship Check List
Severe Economic Hardship refers to financial problems caused by unforeseen circumstances beyond the student's control. Those F-1 students who would like to apply must have been lawfully enrolled on a full-time basis for at least one full academic year.
Listed below is a check list of the items that need to be completed in order to apply for a work permit, due to severe economic hardship. Once all the paper work is completed, please submit it to the Educational Records Office on the SCF Bradenton Campus. Students attending the SCF Venice Campus should submit the paper work to the SCF Venice Educational Records for delivery to the Coordinator of Educational Records on the SCF Bradenton Campus.
1. Completed I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization)
Type in SCF's address in the "Return Address" section:
SCF-Karen Armstrong
5840 26th Street West
Bradenton, FL 34207
2. Two - 2" X 2" photographs in a plastic zip-lock bag.
3. Submit the original I-20AB to the Educational Records Office.
4. Required fee obtain a cashiers check or money order from a bank made payable to: Dept of Homeland Security, USCIS. Personal checks or cash are not acceptable. Money orders from retail outlets are not suggested; they may be too difficult and costly to trace if lost. In all cases, process this through the Coordinator of Educational Records on the SCF Bradenton Campus.
5. Copy of Photo page of Passport.
6. Copy of Expiration page of Passport.
7. Copy of I-94 card (both sides if there are notations on the back side.)
8. If previously held an EAD card, a photocopy of EAD card is required.
9. All students must provide documentation proving their economic hardship. Students may wish to contact the Coordinator of Educational Records for guidance.
10. Once a student has all of the above documents, submit them to the Educational Records Office on the SCF Bradenton Campus. Students attending the SCF Venice should submit the above to the Educational Records Office on that campus to be hand delivered to the Coordinator of Educational Records on the SCF Bradenton Campus. Or mail them to the address listed above.
E. Social Security Information
Getting A Social Security Number:
There are three steps in obtaining a Social Security Number:
All students on the F-1 Student Status are permitted to work only on campus. If there is employment available, work would be only for up to 20 hours per week. See On-Campus Employment . Please note: It is very important that you SEE the Coordinator of Educational Records BEFORE taking any steps towards obtaining employment. This is to make sure all the correct steps are taken.
