Off-Campus Employment for Serious Economic Circumstances
You may apply for permission from ISS for employment that is necessary because of serious, urgent and unforeseen economic circumstances that have arisen since acquiring J-1 exchange visitor status.
ISS recommends that you meet an advisor to discuss your situation prior to looking for a job and applying for employment permission through ISS.
Hourly/Time Limits
- ISS can authorize employment on account of serious economic circumstances up to a maximum of 12 months at a time.
- After ISS approval, you can work no more than 20 hours per week, except during school breaks and the annual vacation quarter.
- Total employment cannot exceed 20 hours per week (for example: if you work on campus 10 hours per week, you can only apply for permission for 10 hours of off-campus work due to a serious economic situation).
How to Apply
- Meet an Advisor
- Receive an off-campus job offer (but do not start the job prior to getting ISS permission).
- Apply for off-campus work authorization due to serious economic circumstances. Use our webform below. You will need the following information to complete the webform:
- Proof of employment offer (can be email, offer letter, etc.)
- Employer name
- Employer address
- Number of hours per week
- Employment start and end date
- If you receive government funding, a scan/photo of your funding letter
- J-1 Students can request permission for off-campus employment through MyISSS.
- Allow up to 3 weeks for ISS processing. ISS will verify your full-time status as well as off-campus employment eligibility. You will receive an email from ISS when the employment authorization is ready to pick up. Wait for employment authorization confirmation from ISS.