F-1 Employment Options

Although your primary purpose for attending the University of Washington is to study, prospective international students may also be interested in learning about employment opportunities that are allowed under F-1 student status. While the International Student Services (ISS) office can only set up appointments or consult with students who are currently enrolled at the University of Washington, you are encouraged to review employment options on the ISS website.

24-Month STEM OPT Extension

If you intend to study in a science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) degree program at the University of Washington on your F-1 student visa, you may be eligible to apply to extend your Optional Practical Training (OPT) authorization after graduation. Please review the STEM OPT information on the ISS website.

To determine which UW degree programs are in STEM fields that may qualify an F-1 student for a STEM OPT extension, please reference the most current STEM Designated Program List on the US Department of Homeland Security website. You can compare the STEM Designated Program List’s cip codes to the cip codes on the UW Graduate Program List (the list also has a “STEM Programs” filter).

You may also contact the UW degree programs directly with your STEM-related questions.