Volunteer Work

Volunteering means you donate your time to an organization whose main purpose is charitable, civic, or humanitarian. You must not receive payment or any other benefit, and the activity should not relate to your field of study or future career. If your activity meets these conditions, you may volunteer in F-1 without special authorization.

Important: Not all unpaid roles are volunteering. If the activity relates to your academic program or career goals, it is considered training and requires authorization before you begin. 

Always speak with your VIS advisor before starting any volunteer activity.

Volunteering vs. Unpaid Experience

You must distinguish between true volunteering and unpaid academic experience (such as internships, practicums, or field placements).

Volunteering

Your activity qualifies as volunteering only if:

• You receive no compensation
• You do not replace a paid employee
• The role is not normally paid
• The work is unrelated to your field
• You must not perform services you were previously paid for or expect to be paid for in the future

Examples: Serving at a food pantry, soup kitchen or supporting disaster relief efforts.

Unpaid Internships or Experience

Practicums, internships, and field placements (referred to below as “experience”) are usually related to your field of study. These positions may be paid or unpaid, but they are still considered training.

U.S. labor guidelines state that an unpaid internship must meet specific criteria, including:

• The experience is similar to training in an educational setting
• The experience primarily benefits you
• You do not replace paid employees and are supervised
• The employer does not gain an immediate advantage from your work
• There is no promise of a job after the experience
• Both you and the employer understand there is no pay

If these conditions are not met, the position may be considered employment or training, which would require prior authorization with CPT or OPT.

When CPT Authorization is Needed

If your unpaid experience is related to your academic program or career goals and provides training, you must have Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorization before you begin.

CPT is required because:

• It confirms your practical experience is part of your academic program
• It allows the university to report your activity, employer, and training location in SEVIS so you can maintain your status
• If you perform work that would normally be paid, you must have proper authorization (such as CPT or OPT), even if the position is unpaid
• If your unpaid experience at some point changes into a paid one (or if your employer decides to compensate you for your work in any way, for example, give you a monetary gift), you won’t be able to accept the payment if your internship was not authorized under CPT or OPT; immigration rules do not allow retroactive payment for unauthorized work

You must have CPT authorization before starting any paid or unpaid internship, practicum, or field placement, even if it is mandatory for your academic program.

Learn More on How to Apply for CPT

Consequences

Remember that any off-campus employment, whether paid or unpaid, for F-1 or J-1 students must be authorized prior to starting the employment. Without proper work authorization, working off-campus would be considered a violation of your F-1 or J-1 requirements. The consequences could include: loss of legal immigration status in the U.S., and great difficulty in any future attempts to acquire a visa to enter the U.S.

If you are unsure whether an opportunity is considered volunteer work or unpaid employment, contact Visa and Immigration Services (VIS) before you begin.