Job Applications that Ask About Work Authorization
International students often have questions about how to answer the questions they encounter on employment applications and verification forms. This guide is meant to provide information that you can use to make an informed decision about how to answer.
This guide is not meant to provide actual answers or to interpret any specific situation.
Typical questions may be:
1. Are you authorized to work in the U.S. without restriction?
- Answer: No.
- Things to think about: If you are eligible and intend to apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT) or Curricular Practical Training (CPT), and if there is a field to enter additional information, then provide supplemental information.*
2. Are you authorized to work in the U.S. and require sponsorship?
- Answer: Yes, if you have employment authorization. If you are eligible and will be applying for authorization such as OPT, you may answer yes but should provide supplemental information.*
- Things to think about: If there is a field to enter additional information, then enter supplemental information.* If there is no place to enter more information, then explain your situation during initial outreach by the company if/when they contact you for the position.
3. Are you authorized to work in the U.S.?
- Answer: Yes, if you have employment authorization. If you are eligible and will be applying for authorization such as CPT or OPT, you may answer yes but should provide supplemental information.*
- Things to think about: If there is a field to enter additional information, then enter supplemental information.* If there is no place to enter more information, then explain your situation during initial outreach by the company if/when they contact you for the position.
4. Are you legally authorized to work in the United States?
- Answer: Yes, if you have employment authorization. If you are eligible and will be applying for authorization such as CPT or OPT, you may answer yes but should provide supplemental information.*
- Things to think about: Most students will answer yes to this question. However, there are some rare cases where a student might answer no if they are not eligible to apply for work authorization. For example, single-semester F-1 exchange students from CMU campuses abroad (Australia, Rwanda, etc.) are not eligible for off-campus work authorization. They are, however, eligible to work on campus during their semester here. So they need to answer this question to the best of their ability.
5. Will you now or in the future require sponsorship to work within the United States?
- Answer: Yes, because you will require work authorization once your student immigration status ends. You may also explain your situation during initial outreach by the company if/when they contact you for the position.
6. Will you now or in the future require [company name] to file a petition or application for employment-based visa status on your behalf to begin or continue employment with our company? If you have non-immigrant status, for example, F-1 or H-1, your answer to this question should be "yes."
- Answer: This question answers itself. F-1, J-1, H-1, and other statuses that do not have permanent work authorization will have to answer yes.
Supplemental Information:
I am currently in F-1 student status. I will be applying for OPT (or I have applied for OPT) to begin on X date, which is an employment benefit that will enable me to work in the U.S. for X months without employer sponsorship. I am/am not eligible for the STEM OPT Extension, which is currently 24 months. After that time, I would need to be sponsored for another immigration status, such as H-1B status.
I am currently in F-1 student status. I will be applying for CPT for this internship. CPT is an employment benefit that will enable me to work in the U.S. for curricular practical training without employer sponsorship for these specific dates: X to X. After that time, I am then eligible for OPT and eventually, I would need to be sponsored for another immigration status, such as H-1B status.
I am currently in J-1 student status. I will be applying for Academic Training (AT), which is an employment benefit that will enable me to work in the U.S. for X months without employer sponsorship. After that time, I would need to be sponsored for another immigration status, such as H-1B status, if I am eligible. I need to first confirm if I am subject to 212e.
If there is no space to provide supplemental information, you can reach out to a recruiter/hiring manager to discuss your answer further.