On campus jobs; the easiest way to earn money

Regardless of your visa type- whether it is an F-1 visa or J-1 visa- immigration regulations require international students to be authorized first through the CPT (F-1 visa), OPT (F-1 visa), and Academic Training (J-1 visa) programs before they start working off-campus.

However, on-campus jobs are exceptions. International students can engage in any on-campus jobs without going through the official authorization process.

Given that international students are not eligible for financial aid and there’s a limited number of scholarships for them, working on campus would be a great way for international students to earn some money legally while studying in the United States.

Therefore, this blog post will introduce immigration regulations regarding on-campus employment and practical tips on how to find on-campus job opportunities. Students will be able to learn the following:

• Limitation on work hours
• The earliest date when new students can start working on campus
• On campus employment eligibility after graduation
• On campus employment eligibility while transferring
• How to find the on campus employment jobs

All other F-1 visa rules that will be helpful for international students can be found on the F-1 visa page. To learn more about off-campus work authorization programs, click OPT and STEM OPT pages.

Contents

• Immigration regulations regarding the on campus jobs
• Working on campus after graduation/ while transferring
• How to find on campus employment opportunities

Immigration regulations regarding the on campus jobs

What is the on campus employment?

What is on-campus employment? When you go to the library to study, you will see your peers are working there. When you go to the dining halls to eat, there are student workers as well. Employment opportunities on campus that are available for students can be defined as on-campus jobs.

The immigration regulations 8 CFR 214.2(f)(9)(i) defines the following:

(i) On-campus employment. On-campus employment must either be performed on the school’s premises, (including on-location commercial firms which provide services for students on campus, such as the school bookstore or cafeteria), or at an off-campus location which is educationally affiliated with the school.

8 CFR 214.2(f)(9)(i)

Therefore, a few examples of on-campus employments are as below. This is not, by all means, an exhaustive list but it gives you an idea of what is considered on-campus jobs:

• Residential Dining Services
  • Pros: If you work for dining services, you may be able to have free meals XD!
  • Cons: It is physical work and you will have to keep moving to clean tables.
• Retail shops (cafes)
• The College stores (book stores)
• Accounting and Administration
  • Pros: If the responsibility is related to your major, it can be a plus in your resume.
  • Cons: It will be fairly competitive to get the position.

Please note that the regulations do not consider constructions works as valid on-campus employment opportunities for international students as “the employment must be an integral part of the student’s educational program.”

If you find an on-campus employment opportunity but are not sure if it is considered a valid on-campus job, reach out to your immigration advisors (DSO; Designated School Official). They will be able to tell you if you can accept the position or not.

Limitions on work hours

If you are interested in working on campus, there’s a rule on working hours that you should be aware of. During the semester, student visa holders can work up to 20 hours per week. That being said, there’s an exception to this provision.

International students who are eligible for “Special Student Relief” can work full time even when the school is in session upon approval. To learn more about Special Student Relief, click the related blog post below.

Related blog post: Special student relief benefits for Burmese, Syrian, Venezuelan

The immigration regulation 8 CFR 214.2(f)(9)(i) allows foreign students with student visas to work full time, “when school is not in session or during the annual vacation.” In general, full time is considered as 40 hours per week, but it is wiser to double-check with your advisor as the institutional policy can vary.

Employment authorized under this paragraph must not exceed 20 hours a week while school is in session, … An F-1 student may, however, work on campus full-time when school is not in session or during the annual vacation. 

8 CFR 214.2(f)(9)(i)

On campus rules for new international students

When it comes to new international students, the earliest date that they can start working is 30 days prior to the semester start date.

Upon initial entry to begin a new course of study, an F-1 student may not begin on-campus employment more than 30 days prior to the actual start of classes.

8 CFR 214.2(f)(9)(i)

Working on campus after graduation/ while transferring

On campus employment eligibility for students who change the education level

In most cases, students cannot engage in on-campus employment upon graduation. However, students can work on campus when the student is changing the education level within the same institution. To put it simply, if you are accepted into the graduate program at the same institution where you obtained the bachelor’s degree, the “30 days rule for new students” will not apply to you and you can continue to work on campus.

A student who has been issued a Form I-20 A-B to begin a new program in accordance with the provision of 8 CFR 214.3(k) and who intends to enroll for the next regular academic year, term, or session at the institution which issued the Form I-20 A-B may continue on-campus employment incident to status.

8 CFR 214.2(f)(9)(i)

On campus employment eligibility for transfer students

Immigration regulation 8 CFR 214.2(f)(9)(i) also provides on-campus work guidelines for transfer students. To fully understand this guideline, international students are encouraged to look at the following article and learn about the “SEVIS record release date.”

Related blog post: Transfer college within the U.S. for international students

Basically, the guideline can be interpreted that the student can work at the current institution up until the SEVIS release date. Once the SEVIS record is released/ transferred to the new (transfer-in) school, the student should not engage in on-campus employment at the old (transfer-out) institution.

In the case of a transfer in SEVIS, the student may only engage in on-campus employment at the school having jurisdiction over the student’s SEVIS record.

8 CFR 214.2(f)(9)(i)

How to find on campus employment opportunities

OK, now you know the rules about on-campus jobs. How can you find on-campus work opportunities in your institutions? One of the easiest ways will be asking student workers or desk assistants who are working on campus that you would like to work for and ask how to apply for the position.

Also, in most cases, you will be able to search “on-campus jobs ABC university” in your web browser as well. The first or second search result will direct you to the page where you can see available positions and instructions on the application process.

Unfortunately, there are several students each year who become a target by scammers who impose as professors or employers around the university. Although the sender has a @university.edu email address, DO NOT reply back to them, if they ask you for private information or money as it is a SCAM.

To protect yourself from possible frauds, please click the related blog post below and read it thoroughly.

Related blog post: ICE, USCIS, SEVP scam, phishing; fraud advisory