How many hours may I work on-campus? Students are limited to 20 hour work weeks while school is in session, but may work full-time during vacation periods. Vacation time is defined as summer semester, spring break, and winter break.
When may I begin work on-campus? Upon initial entry to begin a new course of study, students may not begin on-campus employment more than 30 days prior to the actual start of classes. Students transferring-in to Texas A&M may begin on-campus employment after their SEVIS release date and once they have received the new I-20 issued by Texas A&M University. All new students must Check-In with ISS BEFORE beginning on-campus employment. The ISS Check-In Hold will be removed from the student’s record once the check-in has been completed with ISS.
Do I have to have written authorization from ISS in order to work on-campus? No. F-1 students are eligible to work on campus under 8 C.F.R. §214, paragraph (f)(9)(ii)(B) or (C). Once a student has checked in with ISS, they must check in with their on-campus employer and process normal HR paperwork. Students must present the necessary immigration paperwork (i.e. form I-20, I-94 card, passport, etc.) to be put on the payroll. However, if you violate your F-1 status in any way, you must stop working immediately.
I am an F-1 sponsored student. May I work on campus? If you are a sponsored student, although you may be eligible for on-campus employment per federal regulations, on-campus employment may impact your contract and funding from your sponsor. You should check with your sponsor and Sponsored Student Programs
ssp@tamu.edu for additional information.
When must I stop working on campus?
- You are no longer eligible for on-campus employment after the day of your graduation. You may work up to the day of graduation. Your I-20 will be shortened by ISS to the day of your graduation per Department of Homeland Security regulations.
- You may not work once the I-20 has expired.If you apply for post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT), it is your responsibility to inform the payroll department that your employment must end on the last date of the I-20. In some cases, graduate students in a PhD program or Master’s Thesis Option may apply for the OPT to begin prior to graduation. If you apply for OPT, it is your responsibility to note the end date of the new I-20 issued by ISS and inform your payroll office and employing department. You are not eligible to continue working once the I-20 past the end date on the OPT I-20.
For Example:
- A student applies for Post-Completion OPT.
- The student receives a new form I-20 with an updated end date due to the OPT application.
- The student may not work past the new end date on their I-20. The student must inform his/her department of the updated end date of the I-20.
- If you receive a Letter of Completion from OGS, you are no longer eligible to work in a student worker or graduate assistant position on campus. If you receive the Letter of Completion, your I-20 will be shortened to the issuance date on the Letter of Completion reflecting that your academic program has completed. It is your responsibility to inform your payroll and employing department that you are no longer eligible to work on campus once you have received the Letter of Completion from OGS.
- If you violate your immigration status, you must stop working immediately! Students who have fallen out of legal immigration status as well as students with a reinstatement application pending with DHS (in attempt to re-gain legal immigration status) are not permitted to work on-campus.
Students must inform their on-campus employer of any changes to their form I-20. It is the student’s responsibility to know when they must stop working on campus. Failure to inform their department of a change in their form I-20 may result in the student engaging in unauthorized on-campus employment per Department of Homeland Security regulations.
For more information, F-1 students should review On-Campus Employment details.