Employment
Employment is defined by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) as “any type of work performed or services provided in exchange for money, tuition, fees, books, supplies, room, food or any other benefit.”
F-1 students who are maintaining status may engage in “on-campus employment.” On-campus employment is available through our Student Employment Office located in Metzer Hall. Students do not need to apply to the USCIS to get an Employment Authorization Document.
An F-1 student who has maintained F-1 status for an academic year and in good academic standing may apply for “off-campus employment based on economic hardship.” In order to be eligible to work under this program, student must be able to show to the USCIS that employment is necessary due to severe economic hardship caused by circumstances beyond his or her control that arose after obtaining F-1 status. The student must obtain the work permit from the USCIS before working off-campus. For application process and details, meet with the immigration advisor.
For either on-campus or off-campus employment, the student’s course of study does not matter at all. Both types of employment limit the students to work for 20 hours per week while school is in session but can be 40 hours per week during the annual vacation or when the school is not in session.
For details contact the immigration adviser.