Office of International Education |
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IN ORDER TO WORK, ALL VISA HOLDERS MUST HAVE THE PROPER AUTHORIZATION. All students must meet with the International Student Advisor (ISA) before accepting employment on or off campus. For current regulations and procedures, students must consult the ISA. Students are NOT permitted to accept off-campus employment without U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services or USCIS (formerly the Immigration and Naturalization Service or INS) authorization. There are strict regulations regarding working off-campus. If the permission is granted, students are permitted to work up to 20 hours per week while school is in session and up to 40 hours per week during vacation periods. To receive permission to work on-campus, the student must consult the ISA. F-1 students are eligible to work part-time up to 20 hours per week while school is in session and 40 hours per week during vacation periods as long as they maintain full-time student status. New F-1 students are advised to work no more than 10 hours per week for on-campus employment until they have successfully completed their first semester of study. Students may not work on campus after graduation unless they have an Employment Authorization Document. If a student's enrollment drops below full time, s/he will not be allowed to work under the Student Employment Program without special approval from the ISA. On-campus employment must meet certain criteria and the student must meet certain conditions. What is qualifying employment? The proposed employment must meet one of the following conditions:
How Do I qualify?
What is the procedure for an on-campus job? 1. Obtain an employment authorization letter from the International Student Advisor (ISA) in the Office of International Education. This letter will explain the immigration requirements of your employment. 2. Obtain an on-campus job and a copy of the Job Approval Form (JAF) stating the details of your employment from your on-campus job supervisor. 3. As soon as the first two steps have been completed, email Nancy Colon in the Office of International Taxation (OIT) at ncolon@richmond.edu for an appointment to complete tax and I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification form) paperwork. Please do not wait on this step as your ability to continue your on-campus employment may be put in jeopardy. OIT knows the tax implications and/or treaties between the U.S. and other countries, thus all international students must complete their paperwork in OIT in Maryland Hall (not Student Employment). Bring to the appointment the following:
At the appointment, you will complete the following:
If you do not have a social security card, your immigration documents will be sufficient for you to complete the I-9 form and be able to work. If you have questions about the I-9, please contact the Office of International Taxation. You must apply for a social security card. This can only be done after you have been in the U.S. for at least 10 days and have reported to the International Student Advisor. The actual start date of the job can be no more than 30 days from the date of your social security application. The Office of International Taxation will work with you to help you through the application process. 4. Once OIT verifies your employment eligibility, they will give you a Release to Work (RW) form which must be given to the supervisor of the department that will be employing you. This will allow you to work on campus. New students cannot work on campus until the supervisor receives the RW form. International students who have worked on campus before and been set up in Banner can start working immediately without a RW form. Contact Student Employment if you are not sure. When Can I Begin Working? You may not begin working on-campus without authorization from the ISA, which consists of a work authorization letter, and the Release to Work form from OIT. Once I have permission to work, how do I find a job on-campus? The Student Employment office, located in Sarah Brunet Hall, has a listing of available positions online at http://oncampus.richmond.edu/urworkin/. International students may apply for jobs on campus labeled as University Work Study (UWS). J-1 and F-1 students do not qualify for Federal Work Study (FWS) job listings. What if I am a graduate student and have an assistantship? Assistantships are calculated into the 20-hour limit for on-campus employment. If I am an RA (resident assistant), how many hours may I work beyond this position? It is estimated by the Dean's office that an RA position requires about 15 hours of work per week. Therefore, nonimmigrant students (those on a student visa) may work an additional 5 hours per week on-campus while school is in session. During vacation periods, students may work full-time on campus. What should I do if I have a question about work regulations? USCIS regulations regarding permission to work are strict and complex. Therefore, it is important to consult the International Student Advisor in order to make certain that the correct procedures are followed. Practical Training for F-1 Students Curricular Practical Training is defined as employment that is an integral or important part of a student's curriculum. The work must be related to the student's field of study. Training which is required by a degree always meets the requirements of curricular practical training. Training which is not required by your degree program may meet the conditions of curricular practical training if you receive academic credit for the employment experience and if it is an important part of your studies as recommended by a faculty advisor in your major. Courses cannot be created to facilitate curricular practical training. To be eligible, students must be in lawful F-1 status and must have been a full-time student for at least nine consecutive months. NOTE: If you are a graduate student and the proposed employment is required by your degree program, you may apply for permission to engage in curricular practical training whenever your program requires it. Caution: Do not begin any practical training before you have been authorized to do so. Working improperly or without authorization is a serious violation of your status. It is your responsibility to contact the International Student Advisor at least one month before the practical training is to begin. You must be careful not to continue employment beyond the date authorized your I-20. If you participate in full-time curricular training for twelve months or more, you will not be eligible for Optional Practical Training. For further information contact the International Student Advisor. Optional Practical Training (OPT) To apply for OPT authorization, F-1 students must go to the International Student Advisor for an application packet and apply prior to completion of studies. No specific job offer is required to request OPT or to apply for an EAD. You are advised to secure a job offer before applying for the EAD so that time for OPT is not lost. CAUTION: If you have completed your educational program and depart the US before receipt of the Employment Authorization Document from USCIS, then you may not be permitted into the United Status for reentry as an F-1 student. If you have completed your educational program and depart the United States without applying for OPT, you will not be eligible to apply for OPT upon return to the U.S. and cannot return to the U.S. as an F-1 student unless you have a new I-20 from another institution because you are transferring to a new institution. You must be careful not to continue employment beyond the date authorized by the EAD. Once you have used the 12 months of OPT, you are not eligible for any extension or another period of OPT unless you continue in a second degree program at a higher level or make a new entry into F-1 status after leaving the U.S. for more than 5 months. Students who are eligible for full time work in the United States can be considered for employment by U.S. companies. The requirements for practical training should not be confused with the requirements for working full time in the United States. Employers are not required to hire students who are eligible only for practical training work authorization. However, if an employer does hire an international student with authorization for practical training, after the 12-month period expires, the employer must either terminate the individual’s employment or sponsor the individual for another work authorization visa, typically the H-1B. The H-1B authorizes work eligibility for up to three years and is renewable once for an additional three-year period. The number of H-1B visas available until September 30, 2003 is 195,000. Commencing October 1, 2003, the number of H-1B visas will be reduced to 65,000. U.S. citizenship may be required by an employer only when federal, state, or local law requires citizenship for the position; when a federal contract requires citizenship for a position; or when the U.S. Attorney General approves citizenship requirements for a position. |
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Office of International Education | University of Richmond VA 23173 | Phone 804-289-8836 | Fax 804-289-8904 |
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