F-1 students may legally work in the U.S. for one year after graduation when they receive prior authorization from their University immigration advisor and when their work is related to their major.
F-1 students must apply for and receive an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) from the federal government prior to their employment start date. F-1 students are not permitted to begin working until they have received their EAD, may not begin working until the start date on their EAD, and must stop working on or before the end date on the EAD. An F-1 student's University immigration advisor advises on application for the EAD and the regulations with which the F-1 student must comply. The process is isn't difficult, but receiving the EAD can take several months.
An F-1 student's University immigration advisor can advise employers on the basic regulations that are in place to ensure legal employment, to ensure employer and supervisor comfort with the process, and to ensure that an F-1 student doesn't work without proper authorization, including an assurance that position duties are permissible given the student's academic major. Working without proper authorization, or performing too many duties that are unrelated to a student's major, can have severe consequences on an F-1 student’s immigration status.
This type of legal employment is called Optional Practical Training (OPT).
