Employment Eligibility

F-1 students

F-1 students are eligible for on-campus employment while maintaining their F-1 status. The federal government defines on-campus work as work that is either:

• 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 that is educationally affiliated with the school (such as an off-campus research lab).
  

However, employment with on-site commercial firms, such as a construction company building a school structure, which do not provide direct student services, is not considered on-campus employment.

F-1 students may work part-time on campus when school is in session and full-time during approved breaks (summer, winter, etc.). Students do not require any authorization from the ISSS office to work on campus.

F-1 students may begin on-campus employment 30 days before the program start date on their I-20, and must end their on-campus employment on their I-20 program end date. Exception: students continuing their education at the next program level (e.g., Bachelor’s to Master’s) at WSU may continue working on campus between programs. An F-1 student may not engage in on-campus employment after their program end date except for practical training (OPT).

F-2 dependents may not be employed under any conditions. DHS strictly prohibits employment for F-2 individuals.

J-1 students

J-1 students can work on campus but must report the employment to their designated program sponsor before starting. If WSU has issued you your DS-2019 form, please report your employment to our office using the J-1 Student On-Campus Employment Reporting form. Work must be part-time (up to 20 hours per week) while classes are in session and can be full-time during official university breaks. If you do not have a DS-2019 issued by WSU, please speak with your sponsoring agency about working on campus at WSU.