Personal Expenses and working on a student visa?

Question

Hello ppl! I am in the process of applying to a few USA universities for my undergraduation. I did pretty well on my Toefl , achieved a very decent score on the SAT's and my grades aren't that bad either. So admission shouldn't be much of a problem i believe.

But I would like to know that how much could I earn working on a student visa ? Besides are part-time jobs hard to get or easily available ? Also how much would my monthly personal expenses be worth given that i do not lead a very extravagant life ? Any help would be appreciated though i only welcome sensible suggestions/opinions.

Answer 1

Well, the reality is that F-1 students (F-1 = US student visa) are not allowed to work off-campus during the first few months. You will only be allowed to work on-campus during your first semester and these jobs usually pay around minimum wage ($5.60/hour) for up to 20 hours per week. Once you've been on a student visa for 9 months, you will be eligible to apply for internships (curricular practical training) or co-op training where you can work off-campus as part of your training for up to 20 hours/week during the school year and 40 hours/week during the summer months. Your personal expenses will really depend on your area. Rent in NYC, for example, could be as much as $2000/month while rent in say Gainesville, Florida could be around $500/month. And it also depends on the kind of area, number of roommates, number of meals, distance from campus, etc. It IS possible to cover your personal expenses with your part-time wages, but this also depends on how much you will earn. For more information about studying in the US and about internships, check out the following articles:

http://www.macquil.com/articles/study_in...

http://www.macquil.com/articles/internsh...

Good luck!