The cost of living in the United States of America is quite high so often times F1 visa students tend to get a part-time job alongside their education to make ends meet. The option of driving usually is the first to come to mind because of the flexible nature of the job.
What is an F1 Visa?
The F1 visa is a US visa granted to international students who wish to Study in any educational institution in the United States of America. This visa covers both elementary school, university, graduate schools and other degrees.
You are eligible to apply for the F1 visa as an international student once you get accepted by any of the institutions in the US.
The F1 visa is purely for educational purposes.
What is the Validity period for F1 Visa?
The F1 visa lasts for as long as the program you applied for is ongoing. Once the educational program you were invited for is completed, your F1 visa expires.
Are F1 Students Qualified for SSN?
SSN stands for Social Security Number. SSN are assigned to individuals who are authorized to be employed in the United States of America. Note that SSN does not automatically guarantee employment, you still need a work permit alongside the SSN.
What is Uber known for?
Uber is a popular taxi network operating in the US and a few other countries. They are the largest taxi network in the US.
Work Requirement for Uber
In order to work as an Uber driver, there are certain requirements you must meet, requirements like work permits requirements, licensing norms, insurance policy requirements, and the likes. See full details below.
- You must be 21 years old and above.
- You must have a work permit for your legal employment in the US if you are not a citizen of the United States of America.
- You should have a US issued drivers license that is at least a year old. If you are under the age of 23 then the license should be at least three years old.
- You must have auto-insurance to your name i.e the driver’s name.
- You must pass a background verification check which includes your driving record.
- You should have a car or access to a four-door car that is not older than 10 years. If you do not have one, uber can provide you with one.
- You must have a Social Security Number (SSN)
- The vehicle which you are to use must have an in-state license plate.
- Your driver license must tally with the state where you are looking to be employed.
Can F1 Visa Drive Uber?
From the well detailed explanation above, it can be deduced that an F1 visa student cannot work as an Uber driver in the US. The F1 visa neither takes the place of work permit neither is it accompanied by a work permit.
However, there are series of legal employment an F1 visa students can take up alongside their educational program. Some of which include:
- On-campus employment
- Off-campus employment
On- campus Employment
This simply refers to job opportunities provided for students who wish to have a part-time job within their institution of study or an off-campus location that is affiliated with the institution.
Off-Campus Employment
This refers to jobs that are located outside of your institution of learning. As an international student, you must have completed one full academic year before you can qualify for Off-Campus employment.
Also, you must fall under the category of economic hardship or an emergent circumstance.
The others include Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and Optional Practical Training (OPT). International students can choose from any of these as driving for Uber is not an option.
