Students with F-1 visas are allowed to work on campus in a wide variety of roles. When beginning work on campus, it is important for international students to familiarize themselves with the regulations related to their visa status.
To be considered on-campus employment, a position must be one of the following:
- Work performed on the school’s premises (including on-location commercial firms that provide services for students on campus, such as the school bookstore or cafeteria).
- Work at an off-campus location that is educationally affiliated with the school. The educational affiliation must be associated with the school’s established curriculum or related to contractually funded research projects.
International students cannot:
- Be employed in "work-study" positions.
- Work on-site for a commercial firm if the firm does not provide direct student services (an example would be a a construction company building a school building).
Eligibility
- Students in possession of a University of Minnesota I-20 adjudicated by the Department of Homeland Security or a University of Minnesota I-20 generated by ISSS for degree/major change, school transfer, program extension, or replacement are eligible to work on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus.
- F-1 students who enroll at the University of Minnesota but who are on another school’s I-20 program are not eligible to work on the University campus unless: (a) they have off-campus work permission or Optional Practical Training authorized by DHS or (b) they have Curricular Practical Training to work at the University authorized by their international student adviser.
Information for Transfer Students
- Students transferring to begin a program of study must obtain a University of Minnesota I-20 and completed their ISSS Check-In to be eligible for employment (including assistantships).
- Students transferring away from the University of Minnesota will not be eligible to work on the campus of the UMN as of the “transfer release date” on which their SEVIS record is transferred to the new school.
Limitations of Employment
- On-campus employment is limited to a total of 20 hours per week while school is in session and up to full-time during semester breaks and the summer vacation period.
- Students are in violation of their F-1 status if they work more than 20 hours a week while school is in session.
- Students holding employment in more than one UMN department should inform their employers of the other position(s).
- Students new to the University and admitted to begin a program of study during the Summer Session are required to enroll full-time over the summer of admission and are limited to 20 hours/week on-campus employment.
Work Authorization End Date
On-campus work eligibility ends on the day a student completes all of their degree requirements. Students who have applied for post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) but fail to complete by the date specified on their OPT application are not eligible to continue on-campus work unless the job is related to their field of study and the student has received the OPT authorization for employment.
Finding a Job
- The UMN Job Search webpage has postings of on-campus positions (such as data entry, clerical, grounds maintenance, food service, etc.).
- Student and non-student titles are acceptable employment. Assistantships and administrative fellow positions also include tuition and insurance benefits.
Confirming an Employer Is "On Campus"
In general, on-campus jobs are those offered by University departments. There are some on-campus jobs that are not organized by UMN departments (one example would be working for the Minnesota Daily). If you plan to work in one of these jobs, you should contact an ISSS advisor for a letter of approval. An ISSS advisor can also help you determine whether another location could be determined as on-campus employment.
