Employment Options for J-1 Students

Employment under the J-1 visa status should not interfere with making normal progress towards completing the program of study. Students must be in valid J-1 status to be eligible for any type of J-1 employment. A  social security number  is required for all forms of employment.  Approval for any type of employment or practical training must be obtained BEFORE starting employment.

On-Campus Employment:

  • “On-campus employment must either be performed on the school's premises, (including on-location commercial firms which provide services for students on campus, such as the school bookstore or cafeteria), or at an off-campus location which is educationally affiliated with the school. Employment with on-site commercial firms, such as a construction company building a school building, which do not provide direct student services is not deemed on-campus employment for the purposes of this paragraph. In the case of off-campus locations, the educational affiliation must be associated with the school's established curriculum or related to contractually funded research projects at the postgraduate level."(8 C.F.R. 214.2(f) (9) (i))

  • Employment is  limited to 20 hours per week when school is in session. Students may work at more than one on-campus location, but the  total number of hours may not exceed 20 hours per week. Full-time employment (more than 20 hours per week) on campus is allowed during regular breaks (winter and spring breaks) and during the summer term as long as student is not enrolled full-time for the term.

Off-Campus Employment- Requires Employment Approval and Authorization from ISSS.

Working without authorization will terminate your legal J-1 status.

International Students and Scholars are required to submit annual tax information. ISSS sponsors tax workshops on the Boca Raton campus each spring semester. Tax professionals will be on campus on the above dates to assist with filling out forms and answering tax related questions.

For information about  Tax Preparation and Information Workshops  click  here.