Juneteenth National Independence Day

Campus will be closed Thursday, June 19 and Friday, June 20 in honor and observance of Juneteenth. 

Employment

F-1 students have limited employment opportunities available to them.  Any and all employment opportunities must be reviewed and approved by the assigned support services office (Undergraduate: Office of Student Affairs) (Graduate: Department of International Student Services).            

On-Campus Employment

UC offers limited employment opportunities for up to 20 hours per week during the academic year for undergraduate students only. Employment on-campus may be full-time in the summer (if summer is not your first or last semester of enrollment) and vacation periods. 

Off-Campus Employment

F-1 students cannot work off campus without permission from the Office of Student Affairs (undergraduate) or the Department of International Student Services (graduate).  Either office can help students navigate the CPT and OPT employment request processes. 

I-20 Shipping Details

I-20 Shipping Information (MyEduDocs – University of the Cumberlands)

  1. To request shipment of your documents, go to the following secure website: https://ucumberlands.myedudocs.com/.
  2. Login or Register an account. 
  3. Add the desired document (I-20) to your cart and proceed to checkout. 

Once you request a document via MyEduDocs, you will receive email confirmation of your request. When your request is processed at the University, your MyEduDocs dashboard will reflect the status update and you will be sent an email update and be provided the UPS tracking number. From your dashboard you can view your recent orders, manage your shipping and billing addresses, and edit your password and account details.

Note: We cannot provide soft-copies of your I-20 and we are not able to provide you with copies of your past I-20s.

IMPORTANT Shipping Information: The 1 or 2 day shipping timeline will begin ONLY when the shipment is processed and picked up by the carrier, not when the shipment request is placed.

***Shipments are only processed during business hours Monday-Friday.***

Curricular Practical Training

This is a type of off-campus work/internship that is directly tied to the student’s program of study and enrollment. 

GRADUATE CPT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

  • Graduate students can request CPT in their first semester of enrollment, it is an integral part of the student’s graduate studies.
  • There is no limit to the number of months a student utilizes part-time CPT.
  • If a student completes 12 months (11 months and 29 days) or more of full-time CPT, he or she will not be eligible for Optional Practical Training (OPT). It is the student’s responsibility to keep track of the number of months he or she has participated in CPT.
    • Please note, the written offer of employment/internship experience must be included with the application. In addition, the offer letter must meet the following requirements:
      • Must be written on company letterhead
      • Must contain an original signature from an authorized individual from the company
      • Be dated within the past six months.
      • Offer letter must contain a detailed job description explaining the roles and responsibilities of the position. Duties must relate to the overall program of study.
    • Students must have a CPT endorsed I-20 in hand before participating in employment.

CPT REQUEST PROCESS:

  • Secure a job/internship offer (in writing) in a position directly related to the student’s field of study. 
  • Complete the CPT Request Form or CPT Renewal Form. 

CPT APPLICATIONS:

IMPORTANT: CPT applications are specific to term and employer. If employment changes OR if a student starts a new program of study a new request is required. Submitting a request for one term does not automatically carry over to the next term even if some request have already been applied, approved, or issued. Please make sure to submit the proper application and/or renewal for each term. It is a student’s responsibility to keep track of employment details and update their DSO. For questions or concerns please contact your assigned DSO by email.

All CPT applications can be submitted through UC Global

 ***Please do not use Google Chrome when submitting your CPT application as you may experience difficulty uploading your documents.***

CPT FAQs

Here is some more info to help you understand CPT at Cumberlands. 

Optional Practical Training (OPT)

Students can select to participate in 12 months of Optional Practical Training (OPT) prior to completing their degree, or in the year following degree completion.  This type of work authorization requires an application to the USCIS in conjunction with the student’s UC Designated School Official (DSO).    

Key Reminder for the OPT Process: 

  • The experience must be directly related to your major or course of study.
  • You can apply for 12 months of OPT at each educational level (i.e. you may have 12 months of OPT at the bachelors, master’s level and doctorate level).
  • To be eligible you must be enrolled, full-time, for at least one year’s time.
  • If you completed a STEM approved program and want to apply for a STEM extension, you must file for an extension of your EAD with USCIS before your current OPT work authorization expires. USCIS recommends that you file 90 days before the expiration of your OPT.  
  • Apply early! You do not wait for a job offer as it is not needed to apply for OPT. Allow three months for processing by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), plus additional time for processing the request and obtaining required signatures from University of the Cumberlands, and mailing to USCIS. You cannot work until you receive OPT approval.

OPT Request Process

  • Complete the OPT Request Application - You may file up to 90 days prior to your program end date and no later than 60 days after your program end date. A delayed application may result in delayed work authorization and/or loss of full OPT eligibility (12 months) due to the three-month processing time by USCIS.
  • Once your OPT request has been processed you will receive an email update with shipping instructions.
  • After receiving a new I-20 with DSO recommendation for work authorization, you must complete the Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization and pay the filing fee. Your OPT application must reach USCIS within 30 days of the DSO requesting OPT on your SEVIS record.
  • Upon approval, USCIS will send you a Form I-766, “Employment Authorization Document,” (EAD). You will also receive a link to access your SEVP Portal. You will use your portal to update your employment information and then request your updated I-20 via eShipGlobal.
  • There is a fee associated with your OPT application that can be paid through your Patriot Portal. 

Forms for USCIS Application

  • Completed I-765 Form
  • Photocopy of OPT I-20 that was issued by UC within the past 30 days (page 1-3). Don’t forget to sign it!
  • Photocopy of passport identification page
  • Photocopy of F-1 visa page
  • Two passport-style photos
  • Photocopy of the front and back of your I-94 card--or, if you do not have an I-94 card, a copy of your F-1 admission stamp in your passport and a printout of your electronic I-94 information, which can be obtained at CBP.gov/I94
  • Photocopy of previously issued EAD (if applicable)
  • Pay the associated filing fee via check or money order payable to "U.S. Department of Homeland Security" (Do not postdate your check. The date format for your check should be as follows: month/day/year).  This amount can change, please double check the instructions for the I-765 to verify the fee amount.
  • Completed G-1145 Form (optional; it signs you up for email/text message notification of your application's arrival at USCIS)
    Please know that although University of the Cumberlands provides information, the OPT application is your application. We do not approve the application or have the authority to influence the process. It is not advised to travel outside the country during the application process or while on OPT.  Please note that if you choose to travel during the application process, it could be difficult to respond to any requests you may receive from USCIS about your application.

Responsibilities During OPT

  • You must update your OPT employment information on your SEVP Portal (if you have access) AND notify your DSO by submitting and OPT Employment Notification form in UC Global.
  • You must update any changes to your employment, address, and/or name within 5 business days of the change. Even if you can update this information on your SEVP Portal, you must still notify the DSO at the university as well and submit the proper requests through UC Global. Contact your DSO if you have any questions about how to make updates.
  • You must work a minimum of 20 hours per week in a position related to your field of study.
  • You cannot exceed more than 90 days of unemployment while on OPT> Days of unemployment prior to your EAD start date do not count towards the 90 days. It is your responsibility to keep records of your employment and any periods of unemployment.
  • Avoid long absences from the US during the OPT period. Time spent outside of the US while unemployed by a US employer counts toward your 90 days of unemployment.
  • Attempting to re-enter the U.S. close to the expiration date of your OPT can be risky.
  • You must not enter the U.S. in a status other than F-1. This may result in the loss of your OPT eligibility.

OPT FAQs

Here is some more info to help you understand OPT at Cumberlands. 

Additional OPT Information

Optional Practical Training (OPT)

Initial OPT Application 
Applications for Optional Practical Training can be submitted up to 90 days before your program end date and no later than 60 days after your program end date. 

Initial OPT Employment Notification Form 
An OPT employment notification must be submitted when a student on initial OPT obtains employment or changes employment.

STEM Applications:

STEM Employment Reporting Applications

DHS requires students on STEM OPT to report STEM participation to a DSO at UC every 6, 12, 18, and 24-moths from the STEM authorization date as listed on the EAD card. Failure to report in a timely manner will result in the DSO not being able to verify employment on your SEVIS record.

Please be sure you are completing the correct employment reporting application before submitting. Do not submit a reporting application if you are only on initial OPT. Reporting applications can take up to 10 business days to be processed.