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Information for Academic Departments: F-1 and J-1 Regulations

International students must abide by certain federal regulations when they study in the U.S. in F-1 or J-1 visa status. Some of these regulations have an impact on a student’s academic work and their experience in the U.S., including post-graduation.

Below are a few key concepts related to maintenance of status that are helpful to know when working with F-1 and J-1 international students. If you have any questions or concerns about these rules with regard to an international student you are working with, please call a member of our team or stop by our office in Fisk 105 for a face-to-face conversation with one of us.   

Full-time Course Load

  • International students must be enrolled in a full-time course load each semester. For undergraduate students, the requirement is 3 credits; for graduate students, the requirement is 1 credit.
  • If they are struggling academically in their first year of study or they do not need a full-time course load in their last semester of study in order to graduate, they may be eligible for a Reduced Course Load also known as an "RCL." International students experiencing serious situations affecting their physical and/or mental health may also be eligible to be authorized for a medical RCL. 
  • RCLs required specific documentation and must always be authorized by OISA before a student drops below full-time enrollment. 

On-campus Employment

  • F-1 and J-1 international students are able to work on-campus for up to 20 hours per week for all positions combined during the semester.
  • They can work up to 40 hours per week during official vacation periods (e.g., winter break, spring break, summer break).
  • Students must apply for jobs posted in Handshake and be on the Wesleyan payroll for a position to qualify as “on-campus employment”; they may not work and be paid by a grant or a professor.
  • F-1 and J-1 international must follow the process outlined on our On-Campus Employment & Volunteering webpage, which includes the requirement of applying for and obtaining a Social Security Number (SSN). 
  • J-1 international students must always be authorized by OISA for any on-campus jobs before they begin work; F-1 students do not have this requirement, however, they must apply for and receive an SSN and submit a copy of it to International Compensation & Taxation (ICT) within 60 days of their first paycheck. 
  • F-1 and J-1 international students need special authorization to work off-campus. For off-campus work during their academic program, F-1 international students must first receive Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorization from OISA or pre-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) authorization from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). J-1 international students must apply for and receive Academic Training (AT) authorization from OISA for work during or after their academic program. Off-campus work authorization for after F-1 international students graduate is known as post-completion OPT and requires an application to OISA and then USCIS.    

Extension of Program

  • If an F-1 student will not complete their degree by the end date of their Form I-20, they must request an extension of their program before the end date listed on their I-20
  • For graduate-level F-1 students, a letter is required from their department chair explaining how long they need to extend their program for and why.

Employing Wesleyan International Students after Graduation

  • International students are required to have work authorization to work (even on campus) after graduation. For F-1 international students, this is post-completion OPT. For J-1 students, this is Academic Training.
  • Students who have graduated must show an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) from USCIS as proof of work authorization – this will be required to get them on Wesleyan payroll.
  • F-1 international students are usually eligible for up to 12 months of OPT. J-1 students' post-completion AT authorization period is more nuanced; students should contact OISA for guidance.
  • Students who completed a degree in a STEM field may be eligible for up to an additional 24 months of employment authorization, called the STEM OPT Extension. One of the requirements of being on STEM OPT is that the employer must be an E-Verify employer.

    *Note: F-1 international students who are authorized for the STEM OPT Extension are not permitted to work for Wesleyan because the University is not an E-Verify employer.