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Office of International Programs

Employment for J-1 Students

Students holding a J-1 visa must contact the J-1 sponsor that issued their DS-2019 form to request permission for employment, either on campus or off-campus. All employment must be approved in writing by your J-1 sponsor before employment begins. Some J-1 students may not be eligible for any form of employment due to the restrictions of an exchange agreement. Check with OIP for details.

On-campus Employment

A J-1 student may engage in up to 20 hours of on-campus employment if the student has maintained a full-time course of study (12 credits for undergraduates, nine credits for graduate students.  

  • All on-campus employment must be authorized in advance of beginning employment in writing by the J-1 sponsor for students. Such employment may include jobs in the SHU university center, the libraries, recreational centers, and in academic or administrative departments.
  • On-campus employment may be full-time during vacation periods (winter, spring, and summer breaks) for students who have maintained full-time status before the vacation and intend to register for full-time study the following semester. Students are not required to enroll for classes during the summer period.

Off-campus Employment

Students can request permission to work off-campus when it becomes necessary because of serious, urgent, and unforeseen economic circumstances which have arisen since acquiring exchange visitor status. Need for off-campus employment must be fully documented to the satisfaction of the OIP, and authorized in writing by the OIP. Employment will be limited to 20 hours/week while school is in session, full-time during vacation periods (winter, spring, and summer breaks), providing full-time registration has been maintained both before and after the vacation.

Academic Training

J-1 students in an academic program may engage in Academic Training. Academic Training is employment related to the field of study. It must be approved by both the student's academic advisor and the OIP.

  • Students may engage in Academic Training either before or after completion of studies.
  • Students in a pre-doctoral program may engage in up to 18 months of Academic Training, or the period of full course of study, whichever is shorter.
  • Students who complete a Ph.D. program and are offered a post doctoral research or teaching position at an academic or research institution or work in private industry may be authorized for up to an additional 18 months of Academic Training.
  • Academic Training authorized before program completion may be unpaid or paid; after completion, Academic Training must be paid unless your sponsor approves unpaid Academic Training.