On-Campus Employment for F-1 Students
Eligibility
F-1 students must be enrolled full-time to be eligible for on-campus employment.
- Exceptions to this must be authorized by the Center for International Studies prior to a student's registering for less than a full course load.
- Violation of the student's F-1, such as falling below a full course load without authorization, automatically nullifies any employment authorization.
Employment must not exceed 20 hours/week while school is in session.
- The student may hold more than one job. The total number of hours, however, may not exceed 20 per week during academic terms.
Employment may be 40 hours (+) per week during vacations/breaks.
- Students are eligible to work full-time when school is not in session, such as during the annual vacation, provided the student will continue to be a full-time student the term following the break.
Note: Employment is terminated upon completion of studies, or upon transfer of your SEVIS record to another school.
Procedures if you don’t yet have a Social Security Number (SSN):
- Have hiring department complete CIS offer letter template
- Bring letter to CIS front desk for verification and signature (processing time: 2 business days)
- Pick up letter from CIS and bring with immigration documents to the Social Security office to apply for the SSN.
- Notify your department that you have applied for the SSN
- For more information on required documents and application procedures please review the information provided on our government resources page under the Social Security Number section.
Taxes
- International students are subject to state and federal taxes but are exempt from Medicare and Social Security taxes (if the student has not been in the U.S. for more than 5 years).
