What happens to a student who works more than 20 hours a week when they are not legally able to do so?
According to federal regulations, the international student loses his/her non-immigrant status and is now considered to be acquiring unlawful presence in the United States. The Department of Homeland Security has little tolerance for employers who employ international students who lose their status due to unauthorized employment. In fact, there is a zero tolerance policy for international students who lose their status due to unauthorized employment. It is unlikely that such an international student would be able to remain legally in the U.S. to complete a degree in this situation.
