International Student Services

International students are an important part of our campus community. The Office of Intercultural Life strives to provide the best possible services and programs to make your college experience enjoyable and successful.

International Student Services are located at the Office of Intercultural Life in Thomas Commons. As a current international student you have both benefits and an obligation to maintain your visa status while studying here. While you will receive the same rights and privileges as domestic Cornell College students, there are certain guidelines you must follow to help maintain that status.

 Course work and maintaining your status

• While studying at Cornell College you must receive and maintain at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA.

• You must take and maintain a full course of study. Dropping below a full-time course load will cause you to become out of status. 

• If you are suspended from the College for any reason (academic, disciplinary, or financial), your SEVIS record will be terminated.

Travel to Cornell

• Make sure you plan at least several weeks in advance to ensure any and all paperwork that may be needed is in order. 
• If you are traveling outside or inside of the U.S. you must travel with your form I-20 with an up-to-date travel endorsement, passport, and copy of your I-94. 
• Make sure to know what visa requirements you may need if you are traveling to another country. Cornell’s PSDO or DSOs can assist you with this process.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the governing body that regulates all matters related to immigration. As of March 1, 2003, all functions of the former Immigration and Naturalization Service were moved into three Bureaus within the Department of Homeland Security. Here are a few terms and abbreviations that you will need to know while studying here at Cornell:

USCIS—The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services is responsible for most of the applications and petition adjudications that were previously done by INS. These would include change of non-immigrant status, authorization for off-campus work programs, reinstatement to status, etc.

USICE—The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement is responsible for immigration investigations, detention, removal, intelligence, and SEVIS.

USCBP—The United States Customs and Border Protection is responsible for immigration inspections at U.S. ports of entry, for the border patrol, and for the Customs Service.

SEVIS—The database operated under the SEVP (Student and Exchange Visitor Program), designed to allow the collection of information regarding foreign students and exchange visitors in the United States. All F-1 student I-20s are issued through the SEVIS database. (Please keep in mind that the SEVIS record is tied to the I-20 but is separate from the F-1 visa itself.)

If you have further questions, refer to this government website: Study in the States.

Working while on visa and obtaining a driver's license

• In order to work on campus, you must obtain a Social Security Number from the Social Security Administration. You will have an opportunity to apply for a Social Security Number during the first block of the year through Intercultural Life.
• You must also receive approval from the Office of Financial Assistance.
• You are allowed to work up to 20 hours per week during school and up to 40 hours per week during breaks. 
• You are prohibited from working 0ff campus. 
• You must wait 10 days after arriving in the United States to apply for a driver's license so that your Form I-94, "Arrival/Departure Record," information can update in all the government systems.

Filing taxes

Any income you earn in the U.S. must be reported.

• Income from wages
• Receipt of grant, fellowship, or scholarship
• Interest from stock options
• Lottery or gambling earnings
• Other type of non-wage income

International Student Employment Programs

As an international student, you can be employed outside of campus work when it is in service to your educational goals. You must be authorized through one of two programs: Curricular Practical Training or Optional Practical Training.

Curricular Practical training (CPT)

CPT is temporary authorization for practical training directly related to your major field of study. For example, you work with the Berry Career Institute to get an unpaid internship at a homeless shelter. Your internship provides you with practical training in the field of psychology, your major. The CPT authorization allows you to work in this scenario. If the internship was paid, you would also receive CPT authorization to work.

Practical training can include any of the following as long as the work supports your understanding of the field of your academic major and is central to the Cornell curriculum within your major:

• Paid employment
• Paid or unpaid internships
• Cooperative educational experiences
• Practicums

Eligibility for applying for CPT

• Enrolled on a full-time basis for at least one full academic year (7 blocks)
• Your major field of study that the work supports is listed on your I-20
• PDSO (Principal Designated School Official) must authorize CPT in SEVIS
• The work must occur before your program end date on the I-20
• Your training or work opportunity is secured before applying
• F-1 status is valid

Authorization is for one specific employer and for a specific period of time. However, you may have more than one CPT authorization during any given period of time.

CPT may be part-time (20 hours per week or less) or full-time (more than 20 hours per week). If you accumulate 12 months (365 or more days) of full-time CPT authorization, you lose your eligibility for Optional Practical Training (OPT), another type of employment authorization for F-1 students. Part-time CPT and fewer than 12 months of full-time CPT authorization does not affect your OPT eligibility.

F-1 CPT request form

Optional Practical Training (OPT)

Optional Practical Training (OPT) provides F-1 students with an opportunity for hands-on work experience (work authorization) related to the academic field of study.

The earliest you can submit this application is 90 days before graduation;  you have until the end of the 6-day grace period following your program end date. It is important that you do not leave the country during this time.

You are eligible to apply if you meet the following criteria

• You are currently in F-1 status.
• You have been enrolled in a full course of study for one academic year (7 blocks, including final exams week) or will complete one academic year by the date the OPT approval begins.
• You have not exceeded 12 months of full-time Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorization. (Part-time CPT does not affect OPT eligibility.)
• You do not need a job offer first; you can apply for the 12-month OPT authorization without a job offer. However, please note that you are only allowed 90 days of unemployment, 150 if you have applied for the STEM extension.
• You have not previously completed 12 months of OPT at the same degree level. You are eligible for 12 months of full-time OPT per academic level. For example, you may apply for 12 months of OPT after completing a bachelor's degree and then another 12 months after completing a master's degree.
• You may apply for OPT authorization during your academic program, after your program completion, or a combination of both. You must speak with PDSO about your OPT plans and receive authorization prior to applying. Once the PDSO recommends OPT in SEVIS, you will have 30 days to complete your application to USCIS.
  
  • You must apply for OPT using the CIP code listed on your form I-20. If you have more than one major,  you should choose the major that is more directly related to your OPT work.
  • If you have a BSS or individualized major, the Registrar's Office or the PDSO can help determine the most accurate CIP code to list.

OPT types

For students engaged in post-secondary schools or at conservatories, 12 months of Regular OPT is available for each higher level of study. (For example a student may have 12 months for a bachelor’s degree and another 12 months for a master’s degree).

1. Pre-Completion OPT: Any portion of OPT used before the your Program End Date. It may be part-time or full-time.
2. Post-Completion OPT: Any portion of OPT used after the your Program End Date. It must be full-time.
3. 17-month (STEM) OPT Extension: For students who majored in designated Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) degrees approved by USCIS. This type of OPT is a 17-month extension of OPT.

You can create your own USCIS OPT account portal using these instructions.

Contact Cornell's PDSO if you have questions about the application process.

Online I-765: application for employment authorization Form