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Employment for International Students

Drury University > Undergraduate Admission > International Student Admission > Employment for International Students

Drury offers student employment only to full-time undergraduate day school students. Federal regulations allow for F-1 student on-campus employment as long as the student is maintaining their F-1 immigration status and are in good academic standing.

During the academic year, F-1 students can work up to twenty hours per week on campus. When school is not in session, F-1 students can work full time on campus.

Human Resources can help you with all stages of the on campus job search: identification of open positions, accepting applications for employment, and assisting with the paperwork associated with working on the Drury campus.

View Current Student Job Openings

Off-campus Employment Options

It is very important to remember that immigration regulations prohibit all types of off-campus employment without specific authorization. Any unauthorized off-campus work is illegal and subject to strict penalties, including deportation.

Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) makes it possible for F-1 students to gain specific practical work experience required or optional in an established degree program. Such training must be an integral part of the curriculum (the student must be receiving academic credit if the training is not a required part of the degree program). CPT provides legal authorization for the F-1 student to be in a work environment whether or not payment of wages is involved. Internships and other work requirements listed in the Drury University course catalogs are examples of such programs. Questions concerning the appropriateness of CPT in specific situations should be addressed to the Office of Career Planning & Development at 417-873-7284 or career@drury.edu.

Application Procedures:
CPT Information & Procedures

Applicable Forms and Links for CPT Registration Processes (As mentioned in CPT Information & Procedures):

  1. Most internships on campus are facilitated through the CP&D office and are approved through the Internship Registration Process, which includes the submission of an online Internship Commitment Form (ICF). Most students will submit an ICF and complete this process to verify their employment details.
  2. Drury international students enrolled in programs that require internship credit, practicum hours, work experience, etc… as part of the curriculum that do not use the internship registration process will need to complete a CPT Advisor Recommendation Form and provide an Employment Offer Letter to verify employment details. (Example Programs: Music Therapy, Education, Architecture). Both documents will need to be submitted to Brandon Gash, Director, CP&D by email or in-person bgash@drury.edu.
    1. CPT Advisor Recommendation Form
    2. Employment Offer Letter (Template)

** Students are not authorized to begin working without completing one of the two appropriate registration processes and receiving an updated CPT I-20 that includes approved work dates. **

Optional Practical Training (OPT)

Optional Practical Training (OPT) is defined in the Federal Regulations as temporary employment directly related to a student’s field of study. During OPT, a student remains in F-1 status and is allowed to work in the United States in a job that is directly related to their degree program. Students with legal F-1 status who meet certain eligibility criteria can apply for OPT. The end result of the OPT request process is an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) issued by United States Citizenship and Immigrations Services (USCIS). The standard OPT period is a cumulative maximum of 12 months, but certain F-1 students who receive science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees may be eligible to apply for a 24-month extension of their OPT.

Application Procedures:
OPT Training Info and Procedures

I-765 General Guidance:
Guidance for Online Filing of OPT I-765

Once employment is accepted the OPT student is required to update employer information
to ensure your SEVIS record is accurate at all times. It is the student’s responsibility to
maintain and report updates to employment and address information. Report any address
changes (within 10 days of it changing) or changes of employer by emailing Brandon Gash,
bgash@drury.edu and by logging into your SEVP Portal and updating your profile there.
Review OPT student reporting requirements for additional details regarding student
responsibilities.

STEM OPT Extension Information

The STEM OPT extension is a 24-month period of temporary training that directly relates to an F-1 student’s program of study in an approved STEM field.

Eligible F-1 students with STEM degrees who finish their program of study and participate in an initial period of regular post-completion OPT (often for 12 months) have the option to apply for a STEM OPT extension.

Application Procedures:
STEM OPT extension Info & Procedures

I-765 General Guidance:
Guidance for Online Filing of STEM OPT extension I-765

STEM OPT students are required to update employer information to ensure your SEVIS record is accurate at all times. It is the student’s responsibility to maintain and report updates to employment and address information. Report any address changes (within 10 days of it

changing) or changes of employer by emailing Brandon Gash, bgash@drury.edu and by logging into your SEVP Portal and updating your profile there. Review STEM OPT student reporting requirements for additional details regarding student responsibilities.