Short answer: Talk to your school's international student office (your Designated School Official, or DSO) before you apply. Most F-1 students intern through Curricular Practical Training (CPT), which the school authorizes. Then skip roles that require US citizenship or export-control status, such as NASA internships and many aerospace and defense roles, and spend your time on the rest.

Work authorization, in plain terms

  • CPT lets F-1 students work in a job that is part of their program, such as an internship for credit. Your DSO authorizes it. Students generally need one full academic year of study first, with exceptions for some graduate programs.
  • OPT is work authorization tied to your field of study, used during or after your program. Using it during school can reduce what is left for after you graduate.
  • Rules change and depend on your situation. The official pages under Sources have the details, and your DSO is the person to ask.

Which roles to skip

Some employers can only hire US citizens or people with a specific status. NASA OSTEM internships require US citizenship. SpaceX asks Summer 2027 engineering interns for status under US export rules (ITAR). Many defense and government roles are the same. Reading this on the posting early saves you an application.

Where international students do well

  • Large companies that hire international students every year, in software, data, finance and consulting.
  • Startups and research labs, where the work matters more than the paperwork.
  • On-campus research and jobs, which have their own rules and are often simpler.

Where to look on Useno

Start with fields where most roles do not require citizenship: 638 software engineering internships, 268 data, AI and analytics internships, 563 finance and banking internships. On November 9, 2026, Useno listed 6,910 Summer 2027 roles on the board. Read each role's eligibility before you apply.

Sources

Employer dates come from each employer's own pages where they publish them. A date that only a third party reports is marked Third party. Useno counts are Useno's own data, read on November 9, 2026.