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Employment for Dependents: F-2, J-2, H-4, E-3/E-3S

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F-2 Dependents

If you are on an F-2 visa you cannot work, either on or off campus. There are no exceptions to this federal regulation.

J-2 Dependents

If you are on a J-2 visa, you must apply for permission to work — in almost any employment you can find — with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). However, this employment must be for your benefit and cannot be used to support your J-1 spouse. Those with J-2 visas can find out how to apply for employment authorization by reviewing Applying for J-2 Employment Authorization.

Employment Resources

  • Stanford Career Education (CareerEd) offers workshops in resume writing, interviewing, and job-hunting strategies. Spouses/domestic partners of current Stanford students are eligible for one appointment per academic year. 

The CareerEd office posts current job listings in the Handshake database. Only Stanford students or alumni who are registered with CareerEd can apply for these positions via the Handshake system.  However, spouses/domestic partners can view these job postings using their Stanford student account and apply directly to the organization. 

Additionally, the CareerEd office offers meetups, informal gatherings to provide you with information on a variety of topics including job search strategies, resumes/cover letters, interviewing, etc. Log into your Handshake to see a schedule of the meetups. Make sure to use the keyword search at the top of the page to find the meetups targeting your career community.

  • Stanford Careers list open Stanford positions. To apply for jobs on campus, visit Stanford Careers, where you can browse for job openings.
     
  • Notice boards are at various locations around campus (Bechtel International Center, Tresidder, academic departments, CareerEd, etc.) and occasionally have postings of part-time work.

H-4 Visa Holders

Certain H-4 dependents may apply for work authorization. Be aware that this benefit is not available to all H-4 dependents.

E-3/E-3S Visa Holders

Spouses of E-3 workers in valid E-3 or E-3S status are considered as employment-authorized incident to status. See E-3 Specialty Occupation Workers from Australia under "Family of  E-3 Nonimmigrant Workers."