On This Page: On-Campus Authorization • Hours Per Week • Start and End Dates • Enrollment Requirements • Other Considerations
On-Campus Authorization
F-1 Students
ISS authorization is not required for on-campus employment.
J-1 Students
Before you start employment, you must request authorization from ISS by submitting the On-Campus Employment Authorization e-form. Upon approval, ISS will issue a J-1 Employment Authorization letter that you can give to your employer so they can complete the hiring process. You can be authorized for on-campus employment for up to 12 months at a time or until the end of your DS-2019, whichever occurs first. If you change employers, you must submit a new e-form.
Hours Per Week
You may work up to 20 hours per week during the fall and spring semesters without written permission from International Student Services (ISS) or United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). During winter, spring and summer breaks, you are allowed to work full-time, however, university policy limits students to 35 hours per week during official breaks.
Read the Allowable Work Hours for Student Workers policy
Start and End Dates
Upon initial entry to begin a new program, you may not begin on-campus employment more than 30 days prior to the first day of classes. If you are an incoming (SEVIS) transfer student, you may only engage in on-campus employment after receiving a new I-20 from the University of Arizona.
Your on-campus employment authorization ends on the end date of your I-20 or DS-2019.
Enrollment Requirements
Student workers must meet the following minimum enrollment requirements each semester of student employment:
- Fall Semester: Minimum enrollment of 6 credit hours.
- Spring Semester: Minimum enrollment of 6 credit hours.
- Summer Session: Minimum enrollment of 3 credit hours unless the student completed at least 6 credit hours during the previous spring semester and is registered for at least 6 credit hours for the following fall semester.
- Winter Session: Minimum enrollment of 3 credit hours unless the student completed at least 6 credit hours during the previous fall semester and is registered for at least 6 credit hours for the following spring semester.
Read the Eligibility for Student Employment Policy
Other Considerations
For the majority of on-campus employment, the University of Arizona will be your employer and the work will be physically located on the university campus. Some off-campus locations are treated as on-campus sites if they are directly owned by the University of Arizona or have strong educational affiliation. If you are unsure whether your work site is considered on-campus, you should speak with an ISS advisor for clarification.
International students are not eligible for work-study positions on-campus, because the majority are federally funded and only available to students who have completed a FAFSA form.
You are only eligible to apply for a Social Security Number (SSN) if you have on campus employment or authorization to work off campus. If you have on-campus employment, such as a student work position or graduate assistantship, For application instructions, visit the Social Security Number (SSN) page.
This information does not apply to J-1 student interns.