F-1 students in Tseng College programs may participate in the following employment opportunities:

  • Off-Campus: Optional Practical Training
    • Pre-completion (part-time, before graduating)
    • Post-completion (full-time, after graduating)
  • On-Campus (part-time)

Both paid and unpaid employment must be authorized prior to beginning a job. Any unauthorized employment is an automatic violation of status.

Curricular Practical Training is not available for any Tseng College program. 
 

Optional Practical Training is temporary employment authorization that allows students to get practical training in their field of study. A total of 12 months of standard OPT is available following each level of study.

Students must complete one full academic year in F-1 status before being eligible to apply. 

Post completion OPT allows for full-time employment (more than 20 hours a week) and can be authorized with or without an offer of employment (including multiple employers) for paid and unpaid work. Unpaid Employment may be called volunteer work or an internship. Regardless of paid status, employment must be authorized before beginning any work. All employment activities, paid or unpaid, must be related to the student’s major field of study.

While on OPT, students still must report any changes of their own name and contact information, especially any change of U.S. addresses to a DSO in ARC.

Once OPT is completed, you are given a 60-day grace period. If you transfer your I-20 to another school while on OPT, your OPT benefit will terminate on the day your SEVIS record is released to your new school.

You can submit an application for OPT:

  • Up to 90 days prior to completing your degree program OR
  • Up to 60 days after completing your degree program
  • Regardless of when you initiate the OPT application process with your DSO, your OPT application must be received by USCIS within 30 days of the date your DSO issues the OPT recommendation in SEVIS.

You can choose your requested employment start date:

  • Any day within the 60 days following completion of your program requirements 
     

OPT processing time varies. Check the USCIS website for current case processing times. 

If your mailing address changes after you file your application, you must update your address with USCIS and with the United States Postal Service (USPS) as soon as possible. If you don’t update your address promptly, your case could be delayed, your document(s) could get lost, and you may need to reapply and pay the fee again.
 

Pre-completion OPT is for students who still have coursework remaining to complete their degree program. Work authorization is limited to a maximum of 20 hours a week while school is in session.

Pre-Completion OPT Eligibility

  • Must have been enrolled as a full-time student for one academic year before being eligible. (Tseng College students in a cohort program are considered full time when they maintain enrollment in required cohort classes.)
  • Must be a continuing student and in status, both in SEVIS and in good standing academically.
  • Your Pre-Completion OPT START DATE must be after you have completed an academic year of studies; however, you can submit your application to USCIS up to 90 days prior to requested start date.

If pre-completion OPT is authorized, you must maintain regularly required enrollment while on OPT, and be making normal progress toward completing degree. All employment activities must be directly related to your major area of study. Pre-completion OPT must end before your program end date. 

The amount of time authorized for pre-completion OPT reduces the total amount of time you will be eligible for when applying for post-completion OPT. The total amount of time allowed for OPT employment is 12 months.  Pre-Completion practical training reduces time from those 12 months. For every month of Pre-Completion OPT used, Post-Completion OPT is reduced by one month.

Pre-completion OPT and post-completion OPT are separate benefits and separate applications to USCIS. Authorization for pre-completion OPT does not carry over to post-completion OPT. Talk to your Designated School Official to see if Pre-completion OPT is right for you. 
 

Tseng College can NOT authorize CPT for any programs.

Regardless of what is called, internship, cooperative education, training, practicum, fieldwork and whether it is paid or unpaid, if you work off-campus, you are employed. You must be authorized to work off campus, and working in the United States without authorization is a violation of your F-1 status. 
 

On-campus employment is work that takes place on campus or at an off-campus location that is part of the university. On-campus employment is often Student Assistant positions in an office in one of the colleges or administrative departments or working at any of the businesses located on the CSUN campus.

It is not necessary for the employment to be related to a student’s field of study.

On-campus employment allows students to work on-campus, part-time, which is 20 or fewer hours per week when school is in session. During school breaks, if eligible and intend to register for the next semester, students may work for more than 20 hours per week. 40 hours per week is the maximum. 21 to 40 hours a week is defined as full-time employment.
 

Student Eligibility for On-Campus Employment

  • F-1 students who enter the United States on an "Initial" I-20 may not begin on-campus employment more than 30 days prior to the actual start of classes.
  • Transfer in students:
    • Once the I-20 is transferred in SEVIS students cannot work at their old school.
    • Once the I-20 is transferred in SEVIS, students can begin working at their new school up to 30 days prior to the start date of the session.
  • All international students seeking on-campus work authorization must be in correct F-1 status and graduate students must maintain a GPA of 3.0.
  • Students must stop working when they complete their last class in their program.
  • Working during the 60-day grace period after completion of studies is not allowed.
  • Students who fall out of SEVIS status are not eligible to work on campus. They must immediately stop working so that they do not accrue unauthorized employment time.
     

Process to Work On Campus

  • Must have an offer of employment first.
  • The department that is hiring you issues an “Intent to Hire” letter.
  • Go to ARC, Admissions, Registration and Client Services, in EU 200 to:
    1. Have your “Verification of International Student Status” form signed, and
    2. Request an “On-Campus Employment Verification” letter.
  • If you have never received a social security number before, use this same letter when applying for a social security number. You must go in person to the Social Security Administration office when applying for a social security number. Bring original documents, not copies, to your appointment.