Working in the US

Employment is considered to be the part-time or full-time rendering of services for any type of compensation (financial or other). Employment is a “benefit” of the F-1 & J-1 student statuses, which is only available to those students who have maintained their lawful immigration status. F-1 and J-1 students can only work in the U.S. after receiving the proper authorization and with certain restrictions. Working in the U.S. without proper authorization is a serious violation of the F-1 & J-1 student statuses which can lead to deportation. If you are considering any type of employment in the U.S., you should first consult with the Immigration Services Office for specific rules and restrictions. (See Special Note Below.)

All students who plan to work in the U.S. must first obtain a U.S. social security number for employment and taxation purposes. Details about the social security card application can be found here.

Details about the various F-1 and J-1 employment options can be found by clicking on the links provided below. For additional information, please do not hesitate to contact the Immigration Services Office at 574-631-5243.

F-1 Students

All F-1 Employment Options
On Campus Employment
Curricular Practical Training
Optional Practical Training
OPT 17 Month STEM Extension Information and Application Checklist
Severe Economic Hardship Employment
Employment with an International Organization

J-1 Students

J-1 Employment Options
J-1 Student Employment Request Form
Academic Training

Special Notes: F-2 dependents are NOT permitted to work in the U.S. under ANY circumstances, and F-1 and J-1 students are NOT permitted to engage in any type of self-employment.

J-1 and J-2 students with DS-2019 forms issued by other agencies or organizations (other than the University of Notre Dame) must address all employment and immigration related questions to your sponsoring agency/organization directly.

J-2 Dependent Employment

In most circumstances, the J-2 spouse of a J-1 exchange visitor may apply for employment authorization. The J-2 spouse and primary J-1 exchange visitor must have maintained lawful immigration status to be eligible for employment authorization. This employment authorization is valid for any number of hours per week, may be in any field of endeavor and is generally unrestricted as long as the conditions of the employment are consistent with applicable labor laws.

Application Process

To apply for employment authorization, the J-2 dependent must submit the following documents to the USCIS Service Center that has jurisdiction over the area in which the dependent resides:

□ Form I-765 Application for Employment Authorization
□ I-765 filing fee (currently $340.00 USD)
□ Two passport style photos
□ Letter from the J-2 dependent that includes a statement that the employment will not serve to support the principle J-1 exchange visitor
□ Copies of J-1 exchange visitor’s financial support documents (used to verify that J-2 employment is not necessary to support principle J-1 exchange visitor)
□ Copies of the J-2 dependent spouse’s
□ DS-2019 form
□ Passport (biographical and issuance/expiration information)
□ I-94 card (front and back)
□ Visa (most recent, if available)
□ Copies of any previously issued Employment Authorization Documents (EADs).
□ Copies of the principle J-1 student’s
□ All DS-2019 forms issued to the student
□ Passport (biographical and issuance/expiration information)
□ I-94 card (front and back)
□ Visa (most recent, if available)

The J-2 dependent initiates the application by mailing the above documentation with the application to USCIS at the following address:

USCIS Nebraska Service Center
850 S Street
P. O. Box 87765
Lincoln, NE 68508

Processing Notes

● Current USCIS processing time is approximately 2-3 months.
● Employment authorization is granted for employment for any number of hours per week.
● Employment authorization is granted in 12-month intervals and is renewable for duration of the primary J-1 student’s program and any subsequent Academic Training.
● Employment is not required to be related to any field of study or endeavor.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Employment may not begin until J-2 dependent receives EAD and start date has passed.