On-Campus Employment (for F-1 Students)

An F-1 student is permitted to be employed part-time on the campus of the institution that issued the student’s current form I-20. This employment is considered incidental to status and requires no additional authorization from USCIS or from the Immigration Services Office. Notre Dame students who maintain lawful immigration status are permitted to engage in employment on campus for up to 20 total hours per week while school is in session—during the Fall and Spring semesters. The 20-hour limit applies to the total of all employment; if a student works 15 hours per week in the library, that student may only work up to 5 additional hours that same week in another position on campus. The number of hours an F-1 student may work on-campus is not limited by USCIS regulations during scheduled school breaks and annual vacation periods—Christmas break, spring break and summer vacation. However, please keep in mind that the university has rules in place that may limit the number of hours any student may work during a given period, which may reduce the number of hours students may work.

On-campus employment generally does not include work done for non-Notre Dame Companies or organizations that are operating or using space on the Notre Dame Campus. There are only a few companies that have contractual agreements with the university where the employees will receive a Notre Dame paycheck. These companies are considerd to be “on-campus employment” for immigration purposes. Any Notre Dame F-1 student considering employment on campus outside of a Notre Dame administrative office must first consult with the Immigration Services Office to ensure that they have proper authorization prior to beginning employment.

On-campus employment at Notre Dame is coordinated through the Student Employment Office, which is located in the Main Building, Room 115. On-campus job openings are posted on the Student Employment Office website at: studentemployment.nd.edu. The largest number of openings appears on this list during the months of January and August.

On-Campus Employment Key Points:

• Working on campus for more than 20 hours per week total while school is in session is a serious violation of the F-1 status which can affect your ability to remain in the United States. The 20-hour weekly limit includes work done for teaching, research or graduate assistantships at the graduate level.

• Full-time on-campus employment (more than 20 hours per week) is only permitted during annual vacation.

• The 20-hour per week limit applies to the total of all on-campus employment if more than one job is held.

• On-campus employment does not require prior written approval from the ISO, unlike all other types of F-1 employment.

• F-1 students are only eligible to engage in on campus employment at the school that issued the I-20.

• New F-1 students who have just arrived in the U.S. are not permitted to begin any on-campus employment—including teaching, research and graduate assistantships—more than 30 days prior to the program start date listed on the I-20.

• All graduate students should check with their academic departments before planning to work on campus because of certain restrictions established by certain departments.

• Students who have graduated, or completed all degree requirements, and wish to work on campus must be authorized for Optional Practical Training (OPT) and have a valid Employment Authorization Document (EAD) from USCIS prior to working at ND. Under the OPT employment benefit, students can only work in a position that is “directly related” to their major field of study.