F-1 Students in the U.S.

F-1 Students in the U.S. who will have valid OPT or CPT

If you are in the U.S. as an F-1 student, then you might have the opportunity to utilize a work authorization associated with your current F-1 status such as Optional Practical Training (OPT) or Curricular Practical Training (CPT) to work for Middlebury in the summer. You must communicate with your current SEVIS Designated School Official (DSO) at your U.S. school about the type of off-campus training benefit you may be eligible for. Once you determine that, begin the appropriate application process as soon as possible.

When you know the type of work authorization to apply for (OPT or CPT), please read the relevant section below for information about the documentation Middlebury ISSS will need from you to confirm you will have an appropriate status and work authorization to work for Middlebury in the summer.
If you discover that you are not eligible for F-1 work authorization benefits, please contact ISSS at isss@middlebury.edu as soon as possible to discuss if other options may be available for you to pursue summer employment at Middlebury.

Important note: All employment for Middlebury summer programs is considered to be full-time (typically at least 40 hours per week) unless the contract letter specifies the employment is part-time and states the number of work hours per week. Per the F-1 regulations, full-time employment for OPT is defined as at least 20 hours or more per week, and greater than 20 hours per week for CPT. As such, F-1 students using OPT or CPT for summer positions at Middlebury must be authorized for full-time employment. (If the summer contract indicates part-time hours, contact ISSS right away to determine if you can use a part-time authorization.)

If you intend to work for a school that offers programs remotely and you will be in the U.S. performing work for the remote program only, you should check with your DSO that remote work is permitted pursuant to their understanding of the F-1 regulations.

If you have questions after reading this webpage, please email isss@middlebury.edu. In the email subject line, indicate the school or program hiring you, if you will be faculty or staff, and the type of question you have, so the email can be directed to the appropriate ISSS staff member. For example, if you will teach for the Chinese Language School, in the email subject line indicate: “Chinese Language School Faculty: F-1 work authorization question.”

For those on F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT)

If you are an F-1 student in the United States, who intends to work for a Middlebury summer program using OPT work authorization, please email isss@middlebury.edu to confirm that you intend to obtain F-1 OPT work authorization associated with your current F-1 status, and that you will not need additional visa-related support from Middlebury. Please also share when you applied for OPT and the start and end dates you requested.

You must be able to show you have work authorization as soon as possible. If you are unable to show you have authorization for the period of your contract by the first week of June, you may not be able to work for Middlebury.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Having a pending application with USCIS does NOT permit you to work in the United States. You must have a valid Employment Authorization Document (EAD) for the dates of your contract to be authorized to work. The USCIS adjudication process for OPT can take more than 90 calendar days from the day USCIS receives your application. If you plan to work at Middlebury using OPT, please contact your International Student Advisor (SEVIS Designated School Official—DSO) right away to inquire about or begin the OPT application process. Also, please remain in contact with ISSS regarding the status of your work authorization documentation.

Once USCIS has approved your OPT authorization and you have received the EAD, submit the following documents to Middlebury ISSS. Submit documents through our secure Document Submission Form link. For privacy and security reasons, DO NOT send these documents by email.

Copy of pages 1 and 2 of the I-20 with full-time OPT recommendation on page 2;
Copy of passport ID page;
Copy of most recent F-1 visa stamp in passport, if applicable.
Most recent I-94 record, which can usually be obtained from www.cbp.gov/i94; and
Copy of EAD card that shows you will be in an active period of work authorization by the start date of your Middlebury summer contract.

For those on F-1 Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

If you are an F-1 student in the United States, who intends to work for a Middlebury summer program using CPT work authorization, please email isss@middlebury.edu to confirm that you intend to obtain F-1 CPT work authorization associated with your current F-1 status, and that you will not need additional visa-related support from Middlebury. Please also share when you applied for CPT and the start and end dates you requested.

Requesting CPT authorization from your current sponsor:

When requesting CPT authorization, please ensure:

The approval dates of your CPT authorization match the employment start and end dates shown on your Middlebury contract. If your approval dates do not match the Middlebury contract dates, ISSS will contact you to clarify the potential impact this will have on your ability to work for Middlebury.
Your CPT authorization should be for full-time employment.

Note: All employment for Middlebury summer programs is considered to be full-time (at least 40 hours per week) unless the contract letter specifies the employment is part-time and states the number of work hours per week. Per regulations, full-time employment for F-1 students is defined as at least 20 hours or more per week for OPT, and greater than 20 hours per week for CPT. If you have questions about this, please email isss@middlebury.edu.

Work site address:

When applying for CPT, please provide your DSO with the correct work site address for your school. In the addresses given below, replace “X” with the name of your school or program.

Site of Activity Addresses:

In the addresses given below, replace “X” with the name of your specific school (for example, Arabic School or School of Environment or Bread Loaf School of English).
If you are joining Middlebury to work in a summer program that is not listed below and intend to add Middlebury as a site of activity, please contact ISSS to request the specific address to add to SEVIS.

The Language Schools and The School of the Environment are located in Bennington, VT, Monterey, CA, or Middlebury, VT. Use the relevant site address listed below.

Arabic, Italian, and Portuguese Language Schools are located at Bennington College. The site address is: