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International Student Services

On-Campus Employment

On-campus employment

  • Employment pursuant to the terms of a scholarship, fellowship, or assistantship
  • Employment on the premises of the school you are authorized to attend (UW).

Hourly/Time Limits

  • Students can work no more than 20 hours per week during the regular academic quarters.
  • Students can work more than 20 hours per week during quarter breaks (check the UW academic calendar) and annual vacation quarter.
  • The employment can be authorized for up to 12 months at a time.
  • On-campus employment authorization is canceled when you graduate or complete an exchange program, fail to maintain J-1 status, or transfer to another school.

How to Apply for On-Campus Employment Permission

Students who already have a Social Security Number (SSN)

  1. Receive an on-campus job offer (but do not start the job prior to getting ISS permission).
  2. Apply for on-campus work authorization through MyISSS. You will need the following information to complete your request:
    • Employer name (UW hiring department)
    • Employer address
    • Number of hours per week
    • Employment start and end date
    • Whether or not the employment relates to a scholarship, fellowship, or assistantship, or if it simply occurs on the UW campus
  3. Wait for employment authorization confirmation from ISS. Your ISS adviser will update your J-1 SEVIS record with your employment information. The SEVIS record update is the authorization.

Students who need a Social Security Number (SSN) for this on-campus job

  1. New students (continuing students skip to step 2): complete the ISS Online New Student Check-In
  2. Receive an on-campus job offer (but do not start the job prior to getting ISS permission).
  3. Apply for on-campus work authorization through MyISSS. You will need the following information to complete the webform:
    • Employer name (UW hiring department)
    • Employer address
    • Number of hours per week
    • Employment start and end date
    • Whether or not the employment relates to a scholarship, fellowship, or assistantship, or if it simply occurs on the UW campus
  4. Allow time for ISS processing. ISS will verify your full-time status as well as on-campus employment eligibility. You will receive an email from ISS when the on-campus employment authorization is ready to pick up. Wait for employment authorization confirmation from ISS.
  5. Apply for a Social Security number in person at a local Social Security Administration office. (New students: wait at least 2-3 weeks from your arrival in the U.S. before requesting a Social Security number.) Bring with you:
    • ISS On-Campus Employment Authorization/SSN Eligibility Letter
    • Form DS-2019
    • Passport (along with old passport if it contains your J-1 visa)
    • I-94 card; or, a copy of your J-1 admission stamp in your passport and a printout of your electronic I-94 information, which can be obtained from the USCBP I-94 website
    • An employment offer letter from your department/hiring office
    • Form SS-5