Practical Training

If you're in the United States as a student, under either a F visa for academic study or an M visa for vocational training, you can sometimes be eligible for employment as practical training, either during your studies or immediately after.

Curricular Practical Training

Work that is an integral part of your program of study may be the basis for curricular practical training employment authorization that allows you to work during your studies. Some examples of practical training programs include:

Work-study programs
Internships
Co-op programs
Practicum programs

To qualify for practical training, your program must be either a required part of your academic or vocational program or be work for which you receive course credit.

Optional Practical Training

Students can also be eligible for up to twelve months of optional practical training, which provides an opportunity to apply academic knowledge to a practical work experience. The work must be directly related to your major field of study. It may, under certain circumstances, be full- or part-time and can take place anywhere in the U.S. You can work under optional practical training during vacation time, the academic year or after completing your studies.

Optional practical training must be endorsed by both your academic or vocational program and the USCIS before you can start to work. To be eligible for optional practical training, you must be enrolled in a full course of study for at least one full academic year.

What forms do I need for practical training?

You should give the designated official at your school Form 538 and should submit it to the USCIS upon their completion. Your school official should certify on the form that your intended work's purpose is practical training related to your studies and that it is necessary you stay in the United States for this training because you can not receive the same type in your home country.

You must also submit USCIS Form I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization) and your I-20 ID, signed by the designated school official. Because you cannot work legally without USCIS authorization, you should send your application to USCIS no more than 60 days before your student status expires and no later than 30 days after your studies are completed.

Durrani Law Firm can answer your questions about working under practical training guidelines either via email (at info@durrani.com), over the phone (1-866-DURRANI) or through a consultation at either of our offices.