Working On-Campus as an International Student

General Guidelines for Working On-Campus

• You must maintain full-time enrollment and good academic standing in your program.

• You are limited to 20 hours per week except during official university break periods and the summer.

Starting a New On-Campus Position

When you start a new on-campus job, you must work with your supervisor to complete all of the necessary steps with Human Resources in order to be legal. Most students will work with the University of Tennessee (UT) Human Resources department, but students working at Dining Services through Aramark will work with the Aramark Human Resources department. If you supervisor has questions about the steps you need to take, we have a page created with helpful information at Graduate Assistantships and Working On-Campus. If this is the first time you have worked in the U.S., you will need to apply for a Social Security Number (SSN). We have a guide that will help you with this process at Getting a Social Security Number (SSN).

F-1 Student Requirements

There are two types of limits on employment for F-1 students: On campus and University affiliated with an off-campus location. You may begin working on campus 30 days before the start of their program but will need to inform ISSS before they begin working. F-1 students may work more than one job, but the total hours for all jobs cannot exceed 20hrs during the semester. (Example: 15hours at Job A and 5hours at Job B.) F-1 students cannot work during the 60 day-day grace period after the completion of your program.

For F-1 transfer students, you can only work once your record has been officially released to us. Once your record has been officially released to us, you can no longer work at your previous institution.

In order to work on campus, you will need a Social Security Number.

For more information on the basic guidelines for F-1 Students working on campus click here.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How long can I work for?

Does my on-campus job have to be related to my course of study?

Do I actually need a Social Security Number?

Will I need to pay taxes?

J-1 Exchange Visitor Requirements

If you work on-campus as a J-1 exchange visitor, you will have some additional reporting that must be done. Speak with an ISSS advisor about this for details. You can schedule an appointment at our Getting Advising page.

For more information about J-1 Exchange Visitor work guidelines click here.