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Employment Options

F-1, F-2 and F-3 Students 

While studying

You are permitted to work on-campus and sometimes off-campus, with the appropriate authorizations.

On Campus Employment  

F-1 Students may work on campus for 20 hours or less as long as you maintain your status . You will need authorization from the Designated School Official (DSO) before you begin to work. Federal regulations allow F-1 students to work on campus full-time in the summer and during university holidays, but very few UTEP departments employ students full-time.

You must bring your I-20 to the Office of International Programs and request an on-campus employment stamp. If you bring your I-20 in the morning before 10:00 A.M., it will be ready for you to pick-up by 4:00 P.M. the same day. If you bring it later than 10:00 A.M., it will be ready by 4:00 P.M. the following day.

Border Commuter students are not eligible for on-campus employment.

Off Campus Employment
F-1 and F-3 Students 

You can request authorization to work off campus by applying for Curricular Practical Training in our office and registering for the CO-OP Program through Career Center.  You can work either part-time or full-time as long as you are making satisfactory progress toward your degree. For more information click here . 

 F-3 Border Commuter student, you may only work with a Curricular Practical Training authorization. Click here for more information.

If you are a F-2 visa holder (dependent of an F-1 student), you may not work in the United States.

After studying

F-1 and F-3 students who have maintained their status are eligible to apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT). OPT is a benefit that allows students to work full-time in a field directly related to their major after they graduate. For more information click here.

Look for jobs at UTEP Career Center JobMine https://www.myinterfase.com/utep/student/

TN Visa

The TN visa (“Trade National” visa, or NAFTA visa) is a work visa for Mexican and Canadian citizens.

Some F-1 and F-3 students at UTEP will apply for the TN visa right after graduation. This is a good option if you are not eligible for OPT. Other students do OPT first and then apply for the TN visa.

The TN visa is a nice opportunity for Mexican or Canadian students who apply for the H-1b work visa while on OPT and who are not approved. The TN visa allows those people to continue working legally and to reapply the next year for the H-1b visa.

The TN visa is a non-immigrant visa which is usually granted for one year. You may apply to extend your visa for additional time.

While Canadian citizens do not have to request a visa, Mexican citizens must request the visa from a U.S. embassy or consulate.

The required fees to request the visa are similar to those required for the F-1 visa.

You are allowed to study in the U.S. either part or full-time while you have the TN visa.

Mexican citizens may continue to apply and renew the PASE certification (in-state tuition waiver) while on the TN visa.

To be eligible for the TN visa, you must:

  • Be a Mexican or Canadian citizen
  • Meet the minimum education and work experience requirements
  • Have a job offer
  • Your job must be related to one of the NAFTA visa job categories

For more information on the TN visa, please click here: http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1274.html.

H1b Work Visa

The H-1b is a popular work visa in the United States. Many F-1 students who hope to work in the U.S. will complete their degrees, begin OPT, and apply for the H-1b visa.

The H-1b visa offers an opportunity to work in the US for 3 years, with the possibility of renewing it for another 3 years.

It is also a “dual intent” visa, meaning that it can either be a non-immigrant or immigrant visa. Some people who hold the H-1b visa will later apply for a change of status to legal permanent resident of the U.S.

In order to be a good candidate for this visa, you must have skills that are hard to find among the U.S. workforce. If you have a degree in a field that is “in demand” in the U.S., you are a good candidate. Or, if you have received extra training or certifications within your field or if you have other qualities that make you “stand out” in your field, you will probably have better chances at getting the visa.

In order to apply for the visa, you must find an employer who is willing to sponsor you. Your employer must pay the application fees, whether or not you are given the visa. These fees should NOT come out of your salary. That would be an unfair labor practice.

Some companies have immigration attorneys that work with you and prepare your petition for the H-1b visa.

If you are working for a private company, the filing period for the H-1b visa begins April 1st of each year. If you will be working for a public company or institution, you may file any time of year.

There is a limit of H-1b visas granted each year. Currently, only 65,000 visas are granted. For this reason, there is a lot of competition for this visa.

If a student on OPT petitions for the H-1b visa and a change of status on April 1st and if the visa is granted, the student will switch to the H-1b visa status on October 1st. In some cases, OPT will expire before October 1st.

Students in this situation whose visa petitions are APPROVED before their OPT EAD (“Employment Authorization Document”) expires, and who have maintained F-1 status may continue to work in the meantime. This is termed the “H-1b cap gap relief.” This is an automatic benefit. No additional application is required to request this benefit. A new EAD card will not be issued in this case. However, you may contact OIP and request that we reprint your I-20 to show that your OPT authorization has been extended through September 30th.

The approval of your petition will be shown through an I-797 Notice of Action. You may work as an H-1b recipient beginning on your H-1b start date with this documentation.

However, should you need to leave the U.S., you will need to go to a U.S. consulate or embassy to have your H-1b visa appointment and stamping in order to reenter the U.S. in H-1b visa status.

PLEASE NOTE THAT OUR OFFICE DOES NOT ASSIST WITH APPLYING FOR H-1B VISAS

To read more about the H-1b visa, please click here: http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1271.html.


Job sites for H-1b Visa at Career Center at UTEP 

J-1  Students 
While studying

You are permitted to work on-campus and sometimes off-campus, with the appropriate authorizations.

On Campus Employment  

J-1 Students may work on campus for 20 hours or less as long as you maintain your status . You do not need authorization from the Responsible Officer(RO) before you begin to work. Federal regulations allow J-1 students to work on campus full-time in the summer and during university holidays, but very few UTEP departments employ students full-time.


Off Campus Employment
J-1 Students 

You can request authorization to work off campus by applying for Academic Training.  You can work either part-time or full-time as long as you are making satisfactory progress toward your degree. 

If you are a J-2 visa holder (dependent of an J-1 student), you may apply for work authorization through U.S. Customs and Immigration Services. An advisor in our office can advise you of the procedures.

After studying
Provided you have not already used 18 months of academic training while studying, you can request authorization to work off campus by applying for Academic Training.  You can work either part-time or full-time.