International students on an F-1 visa are eligible for on-campus employment upon arrival to the U.S.

If you are hired for an on-campus position and do not have a social security number, please click HERE to request a letter.  Complete the letter request form for a social security number.  This form will generate a request automatically to ISSS and student employment to create the two necessary letters required by the social security office.  Please allow at least 3 days for your request to be processed.   Once your letter is completed, ISSS, it will be e-mailed to you with additional information on the documents you need to take with you to the Social Security Office.  

General Information

• To work on-campus, a student must be enrolled as a full-time student, and be in good status; a student can begin working when they arrive at Columbia their freshman year.  
• Must be in-status with their student visa. 
• You can work in more than one position for up to a total of 20 hours per week while classes are in session and up to 25 hours per week when classes are not in session and during the summer semester. 
• Please address any international student employment questions to isss@colum.edu. 

Eligibility Requirements

• You must enroll for at least 12 hours as an undergraduate or 9 hours as a graduate student.
• Have at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA.
• Have current and valid identity documents (e.g. passport, F-1, I-94, and I-20).

Applying for Jobs

• Visit Handshake to see job openings.
• Upload your resume to Handshake, fill out your profile, and apply for on-campus jobs.
• Interested department supervisors will contact you for a job interview.

Find and Apply for Jobs on HandshakE

• Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

  CPT is any off-campus employment in the form of internships, practicums, etc.  Positions may be paid or unpaid.   CPT requires authorization in advance.    All internships must be approved by the Career Center to be eligible for CPT and meet the following guidelines:

   

  1. You must be in F-1 status for one academic year prior to being eligible for an internship through CPT authorization
  2. All internships must be related to your major field of study.
  3. Require a new I-20 with the CPT authorization of your internship site.

   

  All students on CPT must report changes in personal information as well as employment information to International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) at Columbia College Chicago within 10 days to ensure you maintain your visa status.  

   

  Here's how to start the process: 

  Once you have an internship, request approval for your internship at Internship Credit Request

  • 1. Please be sure to fill out all information.  You must include a start date and an end date along with the complete address (including the postal code of the internship site.  I cannot sign incomplete contracts and they will be returned to you for correction if it is sent to me incomplete. 
    2. Once your internship is approved, the career center will send the completed contract to me to sign.  If complete, I will sign it and issue your new I-20 for CPT. 
    3. Do not start your internship (especially if it is paid) until you have a new I-20 as it could be considered a violation of your student visa status.
• Optional Practical Training (OPT)

  • OPT is training that is directly related to an F-1 academic student’s major area of study.  It is intended to provide students with practical experience in their field of study generally upon completion of a degree program (post-completion OPT) at Columbia College Chicago.   Practical training during your studies is through CPT.     OPT requires that all employment or internships be in the student's degree major field of study.

  • GENERAL GUIDELINES

    • Students may apply up to 90 days prior to degree completion.
    • You do not need a job to apply for OPT
    • Your start date must commence no later than 60 days after your graduation date.
    • Once your OPT is approved, you have 90 days of unemployment

     

  • FALL 2024 OPT INFORMATION SESSIONS

  Juniors and Seniors!
  
  Sign up for one of the OPT Sessions to learn more about post-graduate internships! Please register ahead for the above sessions. ALL OPT Sessions will be hosted ONLINE! and must have a minimum of 3 attendees in order for the session to be run.

  Final Session for FALL 2024: Thursday, November 21^st , 7 - 8 p.m.
  Register  HERE

  After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

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  •  Unable to attend an OPT info session? Please see detailed application instructions below. A special thank you to the office of International Student and Scholar Services at Northwestern University for sharing their detailed information.

  
  

  OPT APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

   

   

• If You Have a Social Security Card
  1. Your supervisor will complete a hire request online.
  2. You will receive an email, informing you to visit the Student Employment office with valid and original forms of identification. Copies cannot be accepted.
  3. Students must complete hiring documents on or before their first date of employment.

  Important: If you are hired and do not have a social security card, you must apply for the card.

• Taxes

  IMPORTANT DATES:  YOUR 2023 TAXES ARE DUE ON APRIL 15, 2024.  Even if you had no income, you are required to file form 8843 as an F-1 or J-1 International Student if you were physically present in the U.S. in 2023.     

  Colombia College Chicago has partnered with Sprintax to assist International Students with their U.S. tax obligations by providing free filing of your form 8843 and Federal Return.  Your Illinois State Tax return is at your expense (44.95).   The code to free filing will be sent to your Columbia e-mail on January 22, 2024.   If you did not receive an e-mail, please contact isss@colum.edu to receive your code.   For complete guidelines on filing your taxes, please review the following:   

  Even if you did not earn any income, if you were physically in the US on F or J status anytime between                January 1st – December 31st 2023, you’re obligated to file a Form 8843 with the IRS (the Internal Revenue Service, or ‘IRS’, are the US tax authorities).

  Meanwhile, if you earned any taxable US source income, you may need to file a federal tax return with the IRS. Depending on your individual circumstances, you may also need to file a state tax return(s).

  Tax Filing Deadline

  April 15, 2024 is the last day for residents and nonresidents who earned US income to file Federal tax returns for the 2023 tax year.

  Who is considered Resident or Nonresident for Federal Tax Purposes

  Generally, most international students & scholars who are on F, J, M or Q visas are considered nonresidents for tax purposes. International students on J-1 & F-1 visas are automatically considered nonresident for their first five calendar years in the US, whilst Scholars/Researchers on J visas are automatically considered nonresidents for two out of the last six calendar years in the US.

  If you’ve been in the US for longer than the five or two year periods, the Substantial Presence Test will determine your tax residency.

  How to File? 

  We have teamed up with Sprintax to provide you with an easy-to-use tax preparation software designed for nonresident students and scholars in the US.

  We (and all other university staff) are not qualified or allowed to provide individual tax advice.

  After you login to Sprintax, you will be asked a series of questions about the time you have spent in the US over recent years. Sprintax will then determine your tax status. If it determines that you are a “nonresident alien” (NRA) for federal tax purposes, you can continue to use the software and respond to a series of guided  questions. Sprintax will then complete and generate the tax forms you need to send to the tax authorities.

  To Get Started Click HERE