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Work Permits |
Click on the Letter to link to information below:
A. General Information
B. Curricular Practical Training (Eligibility Criteria for Pay)
C. Optional Practical Training Checklist
D. Severe Economic Hardship Checklist
E. Social Security Information
F. Working On Campus
A. General Information:
1. All spouses on the E-2 or L-2 Immigration Status, and J-1 Dependents, are now eligible to apply for work permits. The I-765 form will need to accompany the principal's I-129 form; then follow USCIS instructions; send with required fees. See the MCC Admissions & International Student Services Office for more details.
2. All students on the F-1 Student Status are permitted to work only on campus.
If there is employment available, work would be only for up to 20 hours per week. See Working on Campus.
Students working off campus without permission from the U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) could be deported to their home country and possibly barred from the U. S. for life.
3. Students on the F-1 status who wish to secure a Social Security number need to follow the directions on this Web page under Social Security Information below.
4. If a student is experiencing severe economic hardship, after the student has been in the U. S. attending school in good standing for one academic year, that student may apply for an off-campus work permit. Students who finds themselves in this position must see the Admissions & International Student Services Office for guidance or go to Severe Economic Hardship.
5. Students who are in their last semester of an Associate in Applied Science or Associate in Science degree may apply for a 12-month work permit. Any student who is interested must see the Admissions & International Student Services Office or go to Optional Practical Training.
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B. Curricular Practical Training (Eligibility Criteria for Pay)
Curricular Practical Training (CPT) employment is available for F-1 students who have been lawfully enrolled on a full-time basis for at least one full academic year.
All students must work with the Career Resource Center in the Student Services Building and gather the following documents. Then, the Admissions & International Student Services Office will need to see these documents and make copies for your files:
From the Company:
1. A letter from the employer addressed to the student offering the student the
job.
2. A description of the work assignments.
3. The student cannot displace a worker.
From the Student:
1. A proposal stating the work site, the nature of the work, the planned area of
study (information to be learned by working, and the work/study objective.
From the Program Manager of the student's AAS or AS degree program:
1. A letter authorizing the work site, the nature of the work, the planned area
of study (information learned by working) and the work/study objectives.
2. The start and ending dates and the number of hours of work per week.
3. Rationale for the training and how it fits the curriculum.
4. A course description and the objectives clearly defined.
5. A faculty member has to be assigned to the course and complete a review
to make sure the learning is being completed, either by talking with the
employer and the student or by visiting the worksite.
It is particularly important that any employment experience required by the course be instrumental in achieving a curricular academic objective. A course offered for the primary purpose of facilitating employment authorization does not qualify for curricular practical training.
Once the above is completed, the Admissions & International Student Services Office must complete a new SEVIS I-20 authorizing the student for curricular practical training PRIOR to commencement of employment.
Approval is not needed from the Department of Homeland Security.
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C. Optional Practical Training Checklist
Optional Practical Training (OPT) employment is available for F-1 students who have been lawfully enrolled on a full-time basis for at least one full academic year.
Optional Practical Training (OPT) is applied for during the last semester of a student's degree and is for a period of 12 months. This employment must be the same as the student's field of study. The processing time for the work permit is approximately 3 months. During this time period, a student may not work or leave the country. If a student does leave the country prior to the processing of the work permit, the application will be voided never to be applied for again.
1. Completed I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization)
Type in MCC's address in the "Return Address" section:
MCC-Bill Hekking
5840 26th Street West
Bradenton, FL 34207
2. Two - 2" X 2" photographs in a plastic zip-lock bag.
3. $340 fee, obtain a cashiers check or money order from a bank made payable to: Dept of Homeland Security, USCIS. Personal checks or cash are not acceptable. Money orders from retail outlets are not suggested; they may be too difficult and costly to trace if lost. In all cases, process this through the Coordinator of Admissions & International Students in the International Student Services Office on MCC-Bradenton Campus.
4. Copy of Photo page of Passport.
5. Copy of Expiration page of Passport.
6. Copy of F-1 Visa in Passport or Notice of Action approving F-1 status.
7. Copy of I-94 card (both sides)
8. If student previously held an EAD card, a photocopy is required.
9. Once a student has all of the above, submit them to the Coordinator of International Students in the International Student Services Office on MCC-Bradenton Campus. Students attending MCC-Venice should submit the above to the Registrar's Office on that campus to be hand delivered to the International Student Services Office on MCC-Bradenton Campus. Or mail them to the address listed above.
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D. Severe Economic Hardship Check List
Severe Economic Hardship refers to financial problems caused by unforeseen circumstances beyond the student's control. Those F-1 students who would like to apply must have been lawfully enrolled on a full-time basis for at least one full academic year.
Listed below is a check list of the items that need to be completed in order to apply for a work permit, due to severe economic hardship. Once all the paper work is completed, please submit it to the International Student Services Office on MCC-Bradenton Campus. Students attending MCC-Venice Campus should submit the paper work to the MCC-Venice Registrar's Office for delivery to the International Student Services Office on MCC-Bradenton Campus.
1. Completed I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization)
Type in MCC's address in the "Return Address" section:
MCC-Bill Hekking
5840 26th Street West
Bradenton, FL 34207
2. Two - 2" X 2" photographs in a plastic zip-lock bag.
3. Submit the original I-20AB to the International Student Office.
4. $340.00 fee obtain a cashiers check or money order from a bank made payable to: Dept of Homeland Security, USCIS. Personal checks or cash are not acceptable. Money orders from retail outlets are not suggested; they may be too difficult and costly to trace if lost. In all cases, process this through the Coordinator of Admissions & International Students in the International Student Services Office on MCC-Bradenton Campus.
5. Copy of Photo page of Passport.
6. Copy of Expiration page of Passport.
7. Copy of I-94 card (both sides if there are notations on the back side.)
8. If previously held an EAD card, a photocopy of EAD card is required.
9. All students must provide documentation proving their economic hardship. Students may wish to contact the International Student Services Office for guidance.
10. Once a student has all of the above documents, submit them to the International Student Services Office on MCC-Bradenton Campus. Students attending MCC-Venice should submit the above to the Registrar's Office on that campus to be hand delivered to the International Student Services Office on MCC-Bradenton Campus. Or mail them to the address listed above.
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E. Social Security Information
Getting A Social Security Number:
International Students on the F-1 Student Status are permitted to work only on campus for 20 hours per week. A Social Security number for working on campus is required. To apply for a Social Security Number, the student must be FULL-TIME, ENROLLED IN 12 OR MORE CREDIT HOURS.
There are three steps in obtaining a Social Security Number:
1. Students must visit the Career Resources Center on either campus. Once the international student has been offered employment, the student must go to
step 2.
2. Now that the student has been offered employment, the student must visit the International Student Services Office to obtain two official MCC letters. The first letter will be signed by the International Student Services Office. The second letter will be given to the student for their new supervisor to complete. For students on the MCC-Venice campus, call the International Student Office for instructions.
3. Once both letters are signed, then the student will need to go to the local Social Security Office in Sarasota (contact information listed below) with their two letters, their passport, I-94 Card and I-20. When there, complete the application and submit all of the documents listed above. To apply, students must be full-time and enrolled in 12 or more hours.
Social Security Administration
2001 Siesta Drive, Suite 301
Sarasota, FL 34239
PHONE: (941) 953-4716
Office Hours Mon to Fri 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Students are NOT permitted to work off campus without USCIS (United States
Citizenship & Immigration Services) approval. IF A STUDENT DOES WORK OFF CAMPUS ILLEGALLY AND THE STUDENT IS CAUGHT BY USICE, THE STUDENT COULD BE BARRED FROM THE U.S. FOR LIFE!
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F. Working On Campus
All students on the F-1 Student Status are permitted to work only on campus. If there is employment available, work would be only for up to 20 hours per week. See On-Campus Employment. Please note: It is very important that you SEE the Admissions & International Student Services Office BEFORE taking any steps towards obtaining employment. This is to make sure all the correct steps are taken.
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William S. Hekking, Coordinator of
Admissions & International Student Services
Manatee Community College
5840 26th Street West
Bradenton, FL 34207
Phone: (941) 752-5418
Fax: (941) 727-6024
email: hekkinw@mccfl.edu
Web Site: http://www.mccfl.edu/International
