Work authorization
Also called permanent work authorization · PWA · non-permanent work authorization
No. Permanent residents are PWA. Citizenship, not passport stamp at orientation, is the test. A U.S. citizen in a London MBA is non-permanent there unless they also have UK/EU right to work. Multi-campus programs use the campus where the student completed. Students with no reported status stay in totals and drop out of the PWA breakdown.
Work authorization in MBA employment reports is CSEA’s permanent vs non-permanent split, judged by the right to work where the program sits. For a U.S. MBA, the example footnote is citizens and permanent residents. OPT, STEM OPT, CPT, and H-1B are not permanent in that table (CSEA Edition VII).
Are international students all “non-permanent”?
No. Permanent residents are PWA. Citizenship, not passport stamp at orientation, is the test. A U.S. citizen in a London MBA is non-permanent there unless they also have UK/EU right to work. Multi-campus programs use the campus where the student completed. Students with no reported status stay in totals and drop out of the PWA breakdown.
CSEA bucket vs documents that let you payroll
| Status (U.S. program) | CSEA bucket | Typical duration | Source / date |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. citizen / LPR | Permanent | Open-ended | CSEA VII |
| F-1 OPT | Non-permanent | 12 months | USCIS |
| F-1 STEM OPT | Non-permanent | +24 months | USCIS |
| H-1B | Non-permanent | Up to 3+3 years | USCIS |
| CPT | In-school only | Program dates | ICE |
Table 4.A splits compensation by this flag. Function, industry, and geography tables do not. I-9 eligibility (can this person be paid today?) is not PWA (ongoing right to work in the program country). An EAD is a document. PWA is a reporting category.
Example: 200 seekers, 120 PWA, 80 F-1. Three-month accept rates 92% vs 71%. Publishing only a blended 84% hides the visa gap. Publishing the non-PWA rate as “international placement” is also wrong if some internationals are permanent residents. H-1B approval after the three-month snapshot does not rewrite the CSEA class file.
Common errors
- Labeling all international students non-PWA
- Treating OPT as PWA because the EAD authorizes work
- Re-breaking function salaries by visa against CSEA instructions
- Using “work authorization” in marketing to mean STEM OPT
FAQ
Does a pending green card count as PWA?
No. Permanent resident status, not a pending I-485, is the usual PWA line.
Why don’t function tables split by visa?
CSEA Edition VII says not to. Cell sizes and a single required split on Table 4.A.
Can non-PWA salaries be higher?
Yes. The split is legal status, not pay. Some offices pay the same $190,000 base to citizens and OPT holders.
Are asylees or DACA PWA in a U.S. table?
CSEA’s U.S. example names citizens and permanent residents. Other statuses need a school footnote. Do not silently fold them into PWA.
Related terms
Sources
- CSEA Full-Time MBA Standards Edition VII PWA = right to work where the program is located; U.S. example is citizens and permanent residents
- Optional Practical Training (OPT) for F-1 Students (USCIS) OPT/EAD is temporary F-1 employment authorization, not permanent residence
