Workshop
I attended a workshop by the International Student Services Center somewhere in October. It was about employment opportunities for international students in the US.
They mainly focused on the different ways internationals can legally work in the US. The first was on-campus jobs. It’s pretty much self-explanatory. You hit up on the different departments on Baruch campus (as well as any other CUNY campus) and ask them for a job and if they say yes, you start right away. Nothing great.
The second one was Curricular Practical Training and Optional Practical Training. Both of them are quite similar as they allow one to work outside the campus in any field related to their major. For example, one majoring in Finance can apply and work in any bank of financial institution. Find the job anyway you can (the SCDC helps internationals just as much as any other), get it approved by your academic counselor (since the job must be related to your field of study) and then ask the ISSC to make a CPT/OPT I-20 for you. Once it’s done, you’re set to go. The difference between CPT and OPT is that CPT is while you’re in college – and last as long as you want it to be – OPT is after you’ve graduated for college and lasts for only one year.
The third part is the government’s economic hardship plan which allows an international to work anywhere if they can prove that they do not have enough financial means to afford college in the US. The amount required must be under US$10,000, one which a person can earn by working only 20 hours a week (which is the limit under economic hardship and CPT wile studying full time). If one required more than that amount, sadly, they’ll have to leave unless they manage to get some financial aid or scholarship or they’re daddy starts coughing up some big bucks soon.
That’s it. My third workshop. Bye!
