Navigating employment as an international student can be tricky, but we’re here to help. Read this guide to better understand the rules and procedures for employment established by Boston University, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and your sponsoring agencies.
Finding and Starting Employment
If you meet the eligibility criteria to work on-campus, you may search for a position through the JobX Student Job Board. You may also find opportunities through word-of-mouth or by looking at job listings posted around campus.
You may work only on campus unless you have received specific off-campus employment authorization from ISSO. To aid in your job search, there is a specific “On-Campus” category for our Student Job Service.
If you’re in an immigration status other than F-1 or J-1, you may be authorized for full-time or off-campus employment under certain circumstances, but you must consult with an advisor at ISSO before beginning work.
Work Essentials
Individual departments, positions, and students will have different needs, but these are the basic international employment requirements to complete. Once you’re offered a position, complete these next steps.
- Submit a Form I-9. Learn how now.
- Complete the hiring process with your supervisor or hiring department.
- Obtain a Social Security Number (SSN) if you don’t already have one.
- Check with Student Payroll to see if you are eligible to sign a tax treaty. This cannot be done until you have received your SSN and card from the Social Security Administration. This affects your federal and state withholdings for your earnings.
Payment and Taxes
All student employees are paid in a similar manner. For more information, refer to the Getting Paid section.
Like all student employees, international students are subject to both federal and state income taxes. However, students from countries that have tax treaties with the United States may be eligible to exempt a portion of their earnings from taxes. All tax information, including mandatory income filing for earnings, can be found in Tax Information for International Students.
Restrictions on Hours Worked
According to USCIS regulations, you may only work up to 20 hours per week while classes are in session. You may work more than 20 hours per week during vacation periods: winter intersession, spring break, and summer recess. Here’s how it works:
Part-Time or Full-Time Hours
If you are a student in F-1 or J-1 immigration status, you are permitted to work on-campus:
- Up to a maximum of 20 hours per week during semesters of required registration (Fall, Spring, and Summer if it is your final term).
- Full-time (over 20 hours per week) during vacation periods (Winter Intersession, Spring Break, and Summer Break if you will return in the Fall Semester).
- If summer is your first or final semester, it is not considered a vacation period for you and you can only be employed part-time.
Please keep in mind that:
- Weekly-salaried paid teaching fellows and research assistants are commonly considered to be working twenty hours a week and therefore cannot also work in an hourly-paid position during the academic year. If your department’s requirement is less than 20 hours per week, you may have another job, but the combined weekly hours for both jobs must not exceed 20 hours.
- Residence Assistants working in Boston University dormitories are considered to be working 20 hours per week and therefore should not work in another position during the academic year.
If you are concerned about the amount of hours on your student employee file each week, please contact our office for more information.
Obtaining a Social Security Number (SSN)
After you’ve received a job offer, it’s essential to obtain a SSN for tax purposes. When you receive it, please provide the number to Student Employment either in-person or through secure electronic submission. (Do not share your SSN via regular email or phone.)
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In-person: Go the FirstPoint counter at 881 Commonwealth Ave, 2nd floor with your SSN card and BU ID.
- Electronically: Send a secure email by visiting https://securecontact.me/seo@bu.edu. Please use your BU email address and the subject line: “SSN Submission”. The email message must include your full Social Security Number and UID.
Questions
Since each student’s situation is different, we encourage you to seek additional assistance from the following sources:
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