Can I do a winter or spring internship? What if it’s unpaid and/or remote?
If you are an international student, no. Per MIT’s International Student Office (ISO), F-1 and J-1 students can only begin off-campus work (whether it is paid or unpaid) after they have been in their US immigration status for one academic year (i.e., completed both fall and spring terms). This means that the earliest an MFin international student is eligible to apply for off-campus work authorization is for summer 2024. Please note that off-campus work includes any paid/unpaid project, internship, or part-time role, irrespective of whether the work is being conducted in-person or remote.
If you feel like your situation falls outside of the above parameters, please come to talk your career advisor and/or our MFin ISO liaison Alison Day about your specific circumstance.
We understand how important work experience is to your job search and for positioning yourself for the roles you are targeting. And, we want to make sure you are in compliance with immigration regulations, and ultimately in a position to have a meaningful industry experience over the summer/after graduation. Again, please come talk to your career advisor or ISO if you have any questions on this. We are here to support you.
