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On-campus Employment for F-1 and J-1 Students

Students with F-1 or J-1 visas can participate in on-campus employment. You are eligible for on-campus work as early as your first quarter at Stanford.

Eligibility Requirements

It is very important that you, as an international student, follow immigration regulations when engaging in employment. You should:

Additionally, to be eligible for on-campus employment you must:

  • Be enrolled in a full course of study and remain enrolled full-time. 
  • Limit your work hours to 20 or fewer when school is in session. You may work full time on campus (more than 20 hours a week) during university-designated holidays and vacations (including the Thanksgiving Recess). You may also work full time during the summer quarter provided you intend to register for the next school term and meet all other eligibility requirements. 
  • Have a Social Security Number. If you pursue on-campus employment and do not have a Social Security Number (SSN), you must apply for a Social Security Number in a timely manner.

IMPORTANT: If you are on an assistantship or fellowship, you may not qualify for additional on-campus employment if the assistantship exceeds 50% or if the fellowship has employment limitations. Check with your department.

F-1 Students

No employment authorization is required for on-campus employment from either Bechtel International Center or the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for F-1 students.

If you are a new F-1 student who has already received your initial form I-20, you may work up to — but no more than — 30 days prior to the start of classes.

J-1 Students

J-1 students must apply for employment authorization with their sponsoring agency.  This applies to both on-campus and off-campus employment. 

  • If Stanford issued your DS-2019, submit your online application for employment in Bechtel Connect at least 10 days before your employment start date. 
  • You can NOT start your employment before you receive written authorization from Bechtel
  • If your DS-2019 is issued by an organization other than Stanford (e.g., Fulbright), contact your sponsoring agency.

Jobs That Qualify for On-Campus Employment

If you are in doubt as to whether a position qualifies for on-campus employment, apply these criteria:

  • The position on campus generates a “Stanford University”  paycheck.
  • The position on campus provides direct services to students (e.g., the Bookstore, Jamba Juice)
  • The position is off-campus but there is an official educational relationship between Stanford and the off-campus employer. You must get prior approval from Bechtel International Center before working at an off-campus location that is educationally affiliated with Stanford.


One way to determine if your employment is truly on-campus is to verify if you will be receiving a paycheck from Stanford. If you are not clear about whether your employment meets on-campus employment requirements, send an email to internationalstudents@stanford.edu.