Virginia International University is a small, private, non-profit university located about 20 miles of Washington, DC in Fairfax, Virginia. VIU’s student body is positively unique in that over 90% of our student body is made up of international students. Our students come from more than 60 countries to study in areas such as Business, Computer Science and Information Systems. VIU offers certificate programs, undergraduate degree programs, and graduate degree programs in these fields. While the majority of our students are here in the United States on international student visas (in legal terms, an F-1 Visa), most are eligible to legally work during their studies here in the United States.

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Common Questions & Concerns

Are International Students able to legally work in the United States?

Yes, international students are able to participate in two types of job-related programs during their studies:

• Curricular Practical Training:
  Curricular Practical Training (CPT) allows F-1 students to participate in paid, off-campus employment in their field of academic study. The training and experience that students will gain through this internship program must be related to coursework for which they are currently registered at VIU. Students become eligible to participate in CPT after they complete one full academic year of study. Students who participate in CPT are limited to working a maximum of 20 hours per week during the academic year. Full time work is permitted during the summer vacation.
• Optional Practical Training:
  Optional Practical Training (OPT) allows F-1 students to accept paid, off-campus employment that is directly related to their major field of study for up to 12 months upon completion of their degree program. Some academic programs even allow for students to stay up to a total of 29 months! OPT, for many students, is their first job in their career field. OPT allows for full-time work as long as the work is related to the student’s academic field.

It’s too much work for me to hire an international student.

Many companies are afraid to hire international students for the fear of an added amount of administrative work being added to their already-full plates. This fear could not be any more false! Hiring an international student is easy for the employer. All paperwork is handled by the student and the school. The only documentation the student will ask you for is a letter proving the offer of employment, which will show the employment dates (for CPT), the rate of pay, job information, and date of hire.

I’m interested in advertising an internship opportunity. What should I do?

If you are interested in advertising an open internship position, contact our Career Services Manager at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . You will need to submit a complete job description along with a brief description of your company. The Career Center will advertise the position for a specified amount of time. You will not need to do any of the advertising or collecting of applicant documents. We will do all of this for you!

Who can I contact if I have specific questions about hiring an international student?

The VIU International Student Services Office is a great resource for employers who may have concerns or questions relating to hiring an international student. They can be reached by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone at (703) 591-7042.