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International Students: Resources

Student Employment: International Students

As an international IPFW student, you may be eligible for student employment. There may be restrictions on your ability to work in the United States. It is important to work closely with The International Student Services Office to verify your employment eligibility and to follow all appropriate university procedures to expedite the employment process. Career Services coordinates all on-campus student employment. You must be working toward an IU/PU degree, meet visa requirements to work in the United States, and meet all other university requirements for employment before you can be referred to a campus employer.

Applying for On-Campus Student Employment:

  1. Visit The International Student Services Office , Kettler Hall Rm104, and obtain a permission to work form.
  2. Go to www.ipfw.edu/career/students/job.shtml and click on the "Student Employment Job Openings" link and search for jobs on campus.
  3. Go to Career Services and schedule an appointment with a Career Counselor for a resume critique.
  4. Bring your permission to work form to the interview. This shows that you are eligibile to work in the United States.
  5. If you are offered the position, the on-campus employer must complete the F-1 Student Social Security Number Request form and return it to Connell Nelson in The International Student Services Office , Kettler Rm 104.
  6. Once the request is approved, you will receive a confirmation letter and you will take the following items to the Social Security Administration Building to apply for a Social Security number.
    1. Valid Passport
    2. Form I-94 (white card in passport)
    3. Current Form I-20
    4. F-1 Student Social Security Number Request Form

You will not be able to get a Social Security number if one of the above items is missing.

Please note that you will only be able to apply for a social security number between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. After you have received your social security number, you will need to notify your employer.

The Social Security Office is located at:
Worthman Mall
5800 Fairfield Ave. Suite 235 .
Fort Wayne , IN 46807
Phone: (260) 744-3280

Once hired, you must meet with Kirk Tolliver in the Human Resource Office, Kettler G62 to complete the appropriate tax forms.

Please Note:

  • You can only work 20 hours a week during the academic school year.
  • After completing one full academic year, you may be eligible to work off-campus. You will need to contact The International Student Services Office for more information.

For additional information about student employment at IPFW, visit the Career Services Web site at www.ipfw.edu/mac/ or The International Student Services Office web site at http://www.ipfw.edu/iss/

IPFW Departments that hire International Students

  • Admissions
  • Archaeological Survey
  • Athletics
  • Child Care Center
  • Civil & Architectural Eng.
  • Communicator
  • Computer Science
  • Dental Education
  • Human Services
  • Information Tech Services
  • Interior Design
  • Library
  • Nursing
  • Physical Plant
  • Physics
  • Psychology

Internships: International Students 

As an international IPFW student, you are eligible for degree-related work off-campus (Curricular Practical Training), or what we commonly call an internship. The Office of Academic Counseling & Career Services coordinates student internships. In order to qualify, you must be working toward an IU/PU degree, and an internship must relate to your academic area of study.

Curricular Practical Training Requirements:

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is an employment option available to F-1 Visa status students where the practical training employment is considered to be an integral part of the curriculum or academic program. 

Employment for 20 hours or less per week while you are enrolled in classes is considered part-time CPT. There is no limit as to how long you can work as part-time CPT status.

Employment for more than 20 hours per week is considered full-time CPT. There is no limit to how long you can work as full-time CPT status; however, if you participate in 12 months or more of CPT, it may affect how many months of Optional Practical Training (OPT- full-time employment after graduation) you are allowed(?).

*Students should use caution when choosing to work full-time for more than 12 months- this can put OPT at risk. For more information, check with Connell Nelson in International Student Services at260-481-6923 or (email) nelsonc@ipfw.edu

Searching for an Internship

Meet with a career counselor in Career Servicesto receive information about available internships.

Register and search for positions on JobZone, IPFW’s free job database for full-time degreed and internship positions. Link: http://www.ipfw.edu/career/students/job/jobzone.shtml

Register and search for positions on IndianaINTERN, Indiana’s free internship posting database. Link: www.indianaintern.net

Visit the Co-Op office if your respective major is served by the Co-Op office and you meet specific academic requirements.

Receiving an Internship for Academic Credit

  • Search for an internship
  • Meet with your faculty internship advisor (or the Co-Op office in the case of Business majors) to determine whether or not your internship opportunity can be counted for academic credit.
  • Obtain a letter from the faculty member who will supervise your internship. The letter should:
    • State the specific internship opportunity
    • State the specific elective course it satisfies
    • List the minimum requirements to complete the internship
    • Specify a reasonable period of time needed to complete the internship (e.g., number of credits and duration of internship)
    • Include or have the job description attached
  • Submit letter to Connell Nelson in International Student Services as early as 90 days but no less than 10 days before you wish to begin employment.

Receiving an Internship NOT for Academic Credit

  • Search for an internship.
  • Obtain a letter from a career counselor in Career Services and submit to Connell Nelson in International Student Services. The letter should state:
    • The specific internship opportunity
    • How the internship was obtained (e.g., specific job posting database)
    • Attach the job description
  • Submit the letter to Connell Nelson in International Student Services as early as 90 days but no less than 10 days before you wish to begin employment.

Additional Information

For additional exploring majors and careers information please refer to the exploring majors and careers information overview page.

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