Payroll for U.S. Employees Abroad and Aliens in the U.S. 14 APA's Top Payroll Questions & Answers for 2019 Time limit on work under F-1 visa Q. Is there a time limit on the amount of work that can be done by someone in the U.S. and working on an F-1 visa? A. Yes. Here is what you need to know. All students who study in the U.S. on an F visa must have a Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status. Once accepted into a Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)certified school, international students receive a Form I-20 from their designated school official (DSO). A student on an F-1 visa can apply to receive up to 12 months of Optional Practical Training (OPT), which is temporary employment that is directly related to an F-1 student's major area of study. OPT can be taken on a pre-completion (before completion of academic studies) and/or post-completion (after completion of academic studies), but the total time cannot in OPT cannot exceed 12 months; i.e., any time on pre-completion OPT would be deducted from the available period of time for post-completion OPT. Certain F-1 students who receive a STEM (science, technology, engineering, or mathematics) degree may also be able to get a 24-month extension of post completion OPT. Find out more information about F-1 students and OPT on the USCIS website. Withholding of wages paid to nonresident aliens Q. There were special instructions on how nonresident aliens should complete the pre-2020 Form W-4. How should nonresident aliens complete the new form? 100https://www.uscis.gov/opt