Employment, Travel & Legal Matters

To avoid problems with U.S. immigration agencies, all F-1 and J-1 visa holders must report the following events to an international student advisor:

• Change of address (permanent or local) within 10 days of moving
• Change of legal name
• Change of program of study
• Completion of program prior to the end date on forms I-20 and DS-2019
• Withdrawal from the program for any reason
• Change of visa status
• Dropping below full-time enrollment (prior approval needed from International Student Advising)
• Transfer students need a new form I-20 within 60 days of completing a program for the next semester

Read more in SEVIS & Immigration.

Please take a few minutes to review the International Handbook. It contains important information for your comfort and success at UNO. Take special note of these UNO policies and rules:

• Drug-Free Schools and Campuses Act: It is illegal to have controlled drugs or to share prescription drugs.
• Equal Opportunity/Non-Discrimination: Know your rights and report abuses. Opportunities may not be denied on the basis of gender, age, religion, race, or country of citizenship.
• Sexual Harassment: All people have the right to be protected from unwelcome sexual attention. Unacceptable behavior can include sexual speech, visual contact, physical contact, unwelcome advances, or requests for sexual favors. Report sexual harassment to an advisor.
• Privacy of Information: UNO may not give out personal and confidential information about you.
• Alcoholic Beverages: Alcohol is not allowed on the UNO campus. It is illegal to drink alcohol if you are under the age of 21, and it is illegal to give alcohol to others who are younger than 21. It is also illegal to drink and drive a car or to be drunk in public.
• Smoking Policy: Smoking is permitted only outdoors on the UNO campus and not immediately in front of entrances. Any smoking must be done at least 15 feet away from a building entrance. Look for posted signs.

On-campus employment: International students in F-1 status are allowed to work up to 20 hours on campus during the school year and full-time over the summer. At UNO, international students are eligible for student worker positions, but not for federally funded work-study positions. The UNO Career Center keeps listings of available on-campus positions and hosts job fairs. To learn about on-campus employment, contact UNO Human Resources. In addition, jobs are posted across from the cashier in the Eppley Administration Building. Approval is needed from an international student advisor in order to accept work that is not clearly an on-campus position. Off-campus work without authorization is illegal. Read more at UNO Human Resources, Student Emplyment.

Curricular Practical Training (CPT): CPT is an internship or practicum that serves as an integral part of an established curriculum. CPT permits undergraduate or graduate F-1 students to engage in such employment during their course of study. CPT can be part-time during the school year or full-time during the summer. Employment cannot begin until the I-20 has been updated with CPT authorization. Authorization for CPT is given one semester at a time by an international student advisor, and extensions should be applied for at least two weeks before the expiration of the current authorization. Students who engage in a total of 12 months or more of full-time CPT become ineligible for Optional Practical Training (see below). Part-time CPT does not affect eligibility for OPT. CPT requirements:

• Student must be enrolled full-time, or in his or her final semester working on a thesis or equivalent.
• Student must have maintained F-1 visa status for at least nine consecutive months.
• The training must be an integral part of the established curriculum.
• Training must be recommended and approved by the student's academic advisor.
• Student must be receiving academic credit for the training.

Download the Curricular Practical Training Application

Optional Practical Training (OPT): Full-time, 12-month Optional Practical Training is offered to students who have completed their course of study, excluding thesis or equivalent. The student must apply for and receive an Employment Authorization Document, or EAD card, from USCIS with the assistance of an international student advisor before work begins. Students may apply before the completion of studies or during the 60-day grace period following the completion of studies. Plan to apply at least 90 days before beginning work. Processing times and other information is availavble at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The 12 months of work must be completed within 14 months of course completion. OPT requirements:

• Students must have maintained F-1 visa status for at least nine consecutive months.
• Students must have completed their course of study, with the exception of thesis or equivalent.

Download the Optional Practical Training Application from UNO and the Form I-765 from the IRS.

J-1 student employment: Students who have jobs or internships must get approval from the Responsible Officer (RO) or the Alternate Responsible Officer (ARO) before employment begins. This work must be reported to SEVIS and can be documented for only 12 months at a time. The name and address of the employer must be recorded, even for on-campus employment, as well as the number of hours per week and start and end dates. In addition, the RO or ARO must indicate if the work is on- or off-campus. This includes paid or unpaid jobs or internsips.

J-1 academic training: Academic training with a J-1 visa differs somewhat from Optional Practical Training (OPT) offered to F-1 students. The work must be study-related and meet these conditions:

• Your main purpose in the U.S. must be study, not academic training.
• You must be in good academic standing.
• The employment must be directly related to your field of study.
• You must maintain J-1 status during the training and apply for extensions as necessary.
• You must maintain health insurance for yourself and J-2 dependents during the training period.

J-1 academic training also has certain limitations:

• The regulations state that academic training can be authorized for "the length of time necessary to complete the goals and objectives of the training, provided that the amount of time ... is approved by (both) the academic dean or advisor and ... the responsible officer." It cannot go beyond "the period of full course of study," or 18 months, whichever is shorter. Doctoral students may take up to 36 months of academic training if it is required for the degree.
• Part-time training counts against the total time allowed for full-time training.
• Academic training following completion of study must be paid employment. Any prior periods of training from previous degrees will be counted against the total possible time granted.
• Academic training is available before and after a J-1 student completes a study program. This allows J-1 students to work part-time while school is in session and full-time during vacation periods. Under certain conditions, a student may take a break from study to work full-time. Students working on a thesis may be able to take advantage of this option.

For more information, please make an appointment to meet your international advisor.

If you are enrolled full-time, hold an F-1 or J-1 visa, and have a job offer, you can apply for a Social Security number. New international students who entered with an "initial" form I-20 must wait at least 10 days from the date of entry to visit the Social Security office and file an application. A receipt from the Social Security office is required to begin working at UNO. In addition, new students must be registered in SEVIS for at least 48 hours before going to the Social Security office.

Follow these steps to apply for a Social Security number:

• Bring your UNO job offer to the front counter of the International Advising office and complete a Student Request Form.
• You will be contacted in a few days to pick up your Social Security Letter.
• Take your passport, form I-94, Form I-20 or DS-2019, Student ID Card, Letter of Intent to hire from your UNO employer, and the Social Security Letter from your advisor to the local Social Security office.
• Ask for a receipt before you leave the Social Security office; the receipt will allow you to begin on-campus work. It may take days or even months to receive your Social Security card.

For more information, check out www.ssa.gov.

UNO will be hosting a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site each year for non-residents. UNO coordinates this program with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Any person who is considered a non-resident for tax purposes is welcome, and most international students and scholars fall into this category.

All international students and their dependents who were physically present in the United States in the previous year are required to complete the simple form 8843, even if they earned no income. All students who earned income in the previous year are required to report earnings to the IRS and state government.

April 15 each year is the deadline for filing tax forms. Tax forms are available at the VITA sessions and in the International Advising office.

Please note that nonresidents are not allowed to file U.S. taxes electronically. Doing so could lead to serious problems. Software programs such as TurboTax will not prevent you from filing electronically, but will complete your tax forms incorrectly. It is your responsibility to know that this is not allowed. Nonresidents must complete and mail paper forms.

Information about the annual VITA sessions, including how to volunteer, will be available in the spring of each year. Watch this website and the International Newsletters as the deadline approaches.

Follow these steps if you are traveling outside the United States and returning on your F-1 or J-1 visa:

• Two weeks prior to departure, bring form I-20 or DS-2019 to the International Advising office and complete a Student Request Form asking that the that your document be endorsed or signed for re-entry.
• When signing your form I-20 or DS-2019 for travel, International Advising will issue a letter stating that you are enrolled full-time and in good academic standing.
• You may also request a visa support letter from International Advising if your visa is expired. You can remain in the United States on an expired visa with no penalty. A visa is used for entry into the United States and is required for re-entry. If your visa is expired, you will need to show financial documentation at your visa renewal interview. If your sponsor has changed, please provide an updated UNO Financial Affidavit and bank document so that your Form I-20 can be updated before you travel. Make an appointment at the U.S Consulate in your home country so that your visa can be renewed in time to return to classes.
• You will be contacted by an advisor in a few days to pick up the documents.
• When you leave the United States, you must surrender your form I-94 Departure Record. Please see the back side of form I-94 for detailed instructions. You do not have to turn in the I-94 if you are visiting Canada, Mexico, or adjacent islands, other than Cuba, for less than 30 days.

If planning to re-enter more than five months after your departure, you will need a new SEVIS record, a new SEVIS fee payment, and form I-20.

Failing to comply with immigration regulations will result in the loss of student status. This is something you'll want to avoid, but if it happens, work with your advisor to resolve the issue quickly. Any student who is out of status with immigration loses all benefits of the student visa status such as on-campus employment. Deportation is also possible.

Reinstatement to F-1 status is only possible by applying the USCIS or through re-entry to the United States. Applying for reinstatement is time-consuming, costly, and risky. Applying for reinstatement through the USCIS must be done as soon as possible and no later than five months after the status violation. The student should apply for reinstatement early to make approval more likely. While applying for reinstatement, a student must have all tuition fees paid and enroll in classes full-time. Use this checklist for reinstatement applications:

• Use form I-539. "Reinstatement to F-1 status" should be written in Part 2, Item 1, and the word "Reinstatement" should be written at the top of the form in red.
• The form I-539 fee, made payable to USCIS, should be in the form of a personal check, cashier's check, or money order.
• SEVIS form I-20, issued for reinstatement.
• A letter from the student explaining the situation and requesting reinstatement.
• A letter from the international student advisor explaining the situation.
• Copy of the new financial affidavit form and supporting bank documents. Bank documents must be original and dated recently.
• Student's original form I-94.
• Copy of visa and passport.
• Any documentation that might help establish the nature of the status violation, to document that the violation occurred less than five months ago.

If the reinstatement application is approved, the student is back in F-1 legal status with F-1 benefits upon receiving an approval notice from the local USCIS office.

Individuals in the United States on other visa types sometimes desire to change their status to F-1. To apply for a change of status through the USCIS, the applicant must be admitted to a degree-seeking program at UNO. After being admitted, the applicant should schedule an appointment with an international advisor to help with the application process and determine eligibility status change. The following documentation is required:

• Completed form I-539.
• Personal check, money order, or cashier's check made out to USCIS for the processing fee.
• SEVIS form I-20 from UNO. This will be issued after you have been admitted to UNO.
• A copy of the front and back of the I-94 card.
• A copy of the U.S. visa stamp in the passport.
• A copy of the passport ID page.
• A copy of any current immigration status documents.
• The UNO financial affidavit form and a blank document showing funds for at least one year of studies at UNO.
• A copy of spouse's immigration document, if applicable.
• A letter explaining reasons for the change is helpful, but not required.

Paying the SEVIS fee is required. After receiving the form I-20, the SEVIS fee must be paid and the receipt printed. The receipt must be sent with the change of status application.

Please note that approval is not guaranteed. Normal processing time is 90 days. Anyone whose current visa status prohibits study must have the change of status approval before beginning study.

Follow these steps to transfer to another school:

• Notify your international student advisor of your intent to transfer to another school.
• Apply to the school. Most schools have a transfer form that your international student advisor will need to complete verifying that you are in good academic and immigration standing.
• Once you have been admitted, make an appointment with an international student advisor. Provide the advisor with proof of your admission to the new school and decide on a date for your SEVIS record to be released to your new school.
• When you arrive at the new school, you must process your new I-20 from the new school within 15 days.
• If you are traveling out of the country and there is less than five months between transferring schools, please inform both schools of your travel plans and be sure to re-enter the country with a transfer pending form I-20 from the school that you plan to attend.
• If you are traveling out of the country and there is more than five months between transferring schools, please inform both schools of your travel plans and re-enter the country with an initial form I-20 from the school that you plan to attend.