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External Work Permits: F-1 OPT and More
Many international citizens work on campus, and not all are sponsored by Cornell. Foreign nationals may hold academic or nonacademic staff positions at the university if they have independently gained work authorization through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) or if they have an external visa sponsor.
International Services can't provide immigration or legal advice to current or prospective employees with independent work authorization. We encourage you to reach out to your human resources representative or central HR if you have questions about someone’s eligibility to work or receive payments.
Independent Work Authorization Types
On this page, you'll find clarifications about some common types of external work permits you're likely to encounter on campus. Your department or unit may also have current or prospective employees with a variety of other external work permits. Please connect with your HR representative if you have questions about employment eligibility or how to support employees with independent work authorization.
F-1 OPT and OPT STEM Extension
F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT) and OPT STEM extension are benefits for recently graduated F-1 international students. To work at Cornell, F-1 graduates of U.S. universities must apply for and obtain F-1 OPT or the OPT STEM extension from USCIS.
OPT offers one year of employment authorization for graduates who have completed at least two semesters in F-1 status and earned a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree. The STEM extension gives graduates an additional 24 months of OPT authorization if they have a degree in an approved science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) field.
Most eligible graduates prefer to begin working using OPT, because it is an extension of their existing F-1 status. Obtaining OPT or OPT STEM work authorization is usually easier and less expensive than changing to a different status, and it does not subject the graduate to any new immigration restrictions.
- Graduates apply for OPT through the institutions that sponsored their F-1 programs. Unless your prospective employee earned a degree at Cornell, the OPT authorization is external (sponsored by another university). Only Cornell graduates work with International Services to apply for OPT.
- OPT and OPT STEM employees must present valid employment authorization documents (EAD cards). They cannot work before or after the dates on the card.
F-1 CPT
Current F-1 students who are actively pursuing degrees may be eligible for F-1 Curricular Practical Training (CPT). CPT is commonly used for summer jobs and internships.
- Students interested in F-1 CPT apply through the institutions that sponsor their F-1 programs. Unless your prospective employee is enrolled at Cornell, the CPT authorization is external (sponsored by another university). Only Cornell students work with International Services to apply for CPT.
- CPT students can begin working if they have an I-20 authorizing their CPT. They cannot begin working until the listed start date and cannot work after the end date.
J-1 AT
J-1 students may be authorized for up to 18 months of J-1 Academic Training (AT) during or immediately after their studies. PhD graduates may be eligible for an additional 18-month extension. J-1 AT may not exceed the total amount of time it took to complete the full course of study.
Most eligible students prefer to begin working using J-1 AT, because it is an extension of their existing J-1 status. Obtaining AT work authorization is usually easier and less expensive than changing to a different status, and it does not subject the student to any new immigration restrictions.
- Students apply for J-1 AT through the institutions that sponsored their J-1 programs. Unless your prospective employee is enrolled at or graduated from Cornell, the AT authorization is external (sponsored by another university). Only Cornell students work with International Services to apply for J-1 AT.
- A separate application to the government is not required for J-1 AT.
- In addition to valid List B documents, students authorized for J-1 AT must present the following for their I-9s:
- DS-2019 indicating Cornell as the employer, and
- Work authorization letter from J-1 program sponsor listing dates of employment and Cornell as the approved employer.
Other External Work Permits
Your department or unit may have current or prospective employees in other categories like these:
- Spouses with work authorization (J-2, H-4, E-3, or L-2)
- J-1 Fulbrighters and other J-1s not sponsored by Cornell
- DACA recipients with work authorization
- Asylees, refugees, and those with temporary protected status (TPS) with work authorization
- Permanent residents with valid proof of status at the time of hire
Reach out to your HR representative if you have questions about how to support employees with these types of work permits.
About EAD Cards
Many people with independent work authorization receive EAD cards (Form I-766) from USCIS. For I-9 purposes, an unexpired EAD card is a List A document, establishing both identity and employment authorization.
EAD cards list any employment limitations and also have validity dates. In most cases, people can't work before or after the validity dates on their EAD cards. In some cases, a receipt notice combined with an expired EAD card may allow for a temporary extension of employment, but be sure to review this closely and reach out to Cornell HR if you have any questions.
Some people may receive EAD cards as part of the permanent residency process. We typically recommend continuing employment in their underlying status (usually H-1B status) rather than using the EAD card.
Not all work-authorized statuses have EAD cards. It’s important to confirm what documents are required to hire someone by consulting USCIS’s I-9 Handbook for Employers.
