F-1 On-Campus Employment

F-1 students may work on campus for up to 20 hours per week during regular fall and spring semesters. An example of on-campus employment is working at the school bookstore or library, or working as a research or teaching assistant.

• F-1 students may work on campus for a maximum of 20 hours per week while school is in session and full-time during break and vacation periods (for example, summer, etc.) as long as the student will continue to enroll in courses in the next semester.
• F-1 students will need to apply for a Social Security number (SSN) to work on campus. See the steps to apply for a Social Security number.
• Upon obtaining an on-campus job offer, F-1 students need to complete the Steps for Newly Hired Foreign Nationals.
• F-1 students may work on-campus for the duration of their academic program. Eligibility for on-campus employment ends on the graduation date, or I-20 end date (whichever date occurs first).
• Students who are fully-funded by WashU are limited to part-time employment up to an average of 10 hours per week.

Note: F-1 students are not eligible for any campus jobs classified as Federal Work-Study positions.

Steps for newly hired foreign nationals

In order to be paid by WashU and to ensure proper handling of tax matters related to WashU employment, you will need to follow the Steps for Newly Hired Foreign Nationals and complete your FNIS (Foreign National Information System) account upon receiving an on-campus job offer.

You are eligible to begin working up to 30 days before your I-20 program start date.

If you are transferring your SEVIS record to WashU, you are eligible to begin working on the date your SEVIS record is released to WashU. If you are starting a new academic level (change of level in SEVIS) at WashU, you can begin working as soon as the new I-20 is issued.

A note about off-campus employment

Off-campus work for F-1 students requires authorization. Unauthorized off-campus work is a violation of your F-1 status and will result in your immigration status termination.

Generally, there are two types of off-campus work authorization for students in F-1 status:

• Curricular Practical Training (CPT) – requires authorization from an OISS adviser
• Optional Practical Training (OPT) – requires OISS recommendation and authorization from USCIS

In certain situations, on‑campus employment may also include work at off‑campus locations, provided that it is at a location which is educationally affiliated with WashU. The educational affiliation must be associated with the school’s established curriculum or related to contractually funded projects at the postgraduate level. The employment must also be an integral part of the student’s educational program. Please check with your OISS Adviser for more details before accepting and starting such employment.