Employment Options for F-1 & F-3 Students
Social Security Card
Before you legally can work in the United States, you must have a social security number, printed on a social security card. To get a social security card, you must have a job offer letter. Once you have a job offer, you must bring the letter to the office and ask for a social security letter. The OIP will create a letter verifying that you are enrolled fulltime and are maintaining your immigration status. The International Student Advisor will then sign off on the offer letter. You must take both letters to the Social Security Administration office to request the card.
Please note: If you are a new student, it can take up to 10 days from after you entered the U.S. for your SEVIS record to show you entered the country. It can also take 24 hours from from the time you reported to the Office of International Programs for SEVIS to show that your record has been activated. The SSA will be unable to process your request until both of these updates to your SEVIS record have been completed
For more information regarding social security numbers, click here.
While Studying
You are permitted to work on-campus and sometimes off-campus, with the appropriate authorizations. Many jobs offered on campus are posted on JobMine, hosted by the University Career Center: https://www.myinterfase.com/utep/student/
On Campus Employment
F-1 Students
F-1 students may work on campus for up to 19 hours a week (up to 20 hours are permitted for graduate students with assistantships) as long as you maintain your status . You will need authorization from a Designated School Official (DSO) at the Office of International Programs (OIP) before you begin to work. Federal regulations allow F-1 students to work on campus full-time in the summer and during university holidays, but very few UTEP departments employ students full-time. For more information, click here.
Before working on campus, you must bring your I-20 to the OIP and request an on-campus employment stamp. During the first two weeks of the fall & spring semesters, if you bring your I-20 in the morning before 10:00 A.M., it will be ready for you to pick-up by 4:00 P.M. the same day. If you bring it later than 10:00 A.M., it will be ready by 4:00 P.M. the following day. Throughout the rest of the semester and calendar year, if you bring your I-20 before 12:00 P.M. (noon), it will be ready to pickup by 4:00 P.M. the same day; if after 12:00 P.M., by 4:00 P.M. the following day.
Part-time border commuter students with the F-1 visa are not eligible for on-campus employment, unless approved for Curricular Practical Training. For more information, click here.
F-3 Students
F-3 students, whether part-time or full-time, are not eligible for on-campus employment unless approved for Curricular Practical Training. For more information, click here.
Off Campus Employment – Both F-1 & F-3 Students
You can request authorization to work off campus by applying for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) in our office and requesting participation in Co-Op with the Experiential Learning Program, offered by the University Career Center. You can work either part-time or full-time as long as you are making satisfactory progress toward your degree. For more information, click here.
After Studying
Optional Practical Training
F-1 and F-3 students who have maintained their status are eligible to apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT). OPT is a benefit that allows students to work full-time in a field directly related to their major after they graduate. For more information, click here.
TN Visa
The TN visa (“Trade National” visa, or NAFTA visa) is a work visa for Mexican and Canadian citizens. For more information, click here.
H-1b Visa
The H-1b is a popular work visa in the United States. Many F-1 students who hope to work in the U.S. will complete their degrees, begin OPT, and apply for the H-1b visa. For more information on the H-1b, click here.
Other Visa Information
For additional information on visas offered by the United States government, including work visas, click here.
Office of International Programs
203 Union East Bldg * (915) 747-5664 * oip@utep.edu * Hours: Monday-Tuesday 8-6 Wednesday-Friday 8-5