On campus employment refers to work that is paid for by UC Santa Cruz, such as a teaching or research assistantship, dining hall worker, library aide, and so forth.
Eligibility
To be eligible for on campus employment work authorization, you must:
- Be in valid F-1 status currently
- Have checked in at ISSP at the beginning of your program
- Be a full-time registered student (you are not eligible after your I-20 end date)
- Work for an ‘on campus’ employer as described below
- Maintain valid documents
What is considered ‘on campus’ employment?
For immigration purposes, on campus employment includes:
Review by ISSP is not typically needed when:
- Work is done on campus and paid for by the University directly
Review by ISSP is needed when:
- Work done on school premises that provides direct service to students
- Work performed on or off campus at an approved, close educational affiliate of the University
Authorization/work permit
F-1 students do not need written authorization from ISSP or U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to work on-campus, as long as they maintain F-1 student status and pursue a full course of study. No special permission is needed unless they have already graduated.
Work hours
F-1 international students are eligible to work on-campus for up to 20 hours/week during the academic year and full-time during vacation or break periods. Once you complete your studies, you are no longer eligible to be employed on-campus without special additional authorization, i.e. Optional Practical Training (OPT). As long as you meet all Curricular Practical Training (CPT) eligibility requirements and you are fully enrolled for the term, you are allowed to do both CPT and on-campus employment for up to 20 hours per week each.
Multiple jobs
You can have multiple jobs, but cannot work more than 20 hours per week total when school is in session. For example, if you are employed 15 hours/week as a Teaching Assistant, you can only work 5 more hours per week in another on-campus job.
Not sure if a job is on-campus?
If you have been offered a job and are not sure whether it is on-campus or not, or whether it qualifies as employment, contact an ISSP advisor at istudent@ucsc.edu.