Employment can be a great way to enrich your student exchange experience. There are two main types of employment available to J-1 student exchange visitors: on-campus employment and off-campus employment. All employment requires prior authorization through the Center for Global Engagement before you can start work.
On-Campus Employment
Working on-campus can help you gain valuable professional experience in the US. The work does not have to be related to your field of study. You can work up to 20 hours per week on-campus, but you can’t work after the program end date on your DS-2019.
You must have authorization from your J-1 sponsor before you start any on-campus job and before you change on-campus jobs.
Your J-1 program sponsor is listed in section 2 of your DS-2019 and in most cases, your J-1 sponsor is Boise State University.
Steps to complete:
- Find a suitable on-campus job.
- Complete the J1 Student On-Campus Employment Authorization Form with your employer and submit it to the ISS office (internationalinfo@boisestate.edu). If your J-1 program sponsor is not Boise State University then please contact your program sponsor for work authorization.
- If you don’t have a social security number (SSN) then you can apply for one after your employment is authorized. You will need a support letter for your SSN application. If your program sponsor is Boise State University then you can request a support letter here.
- Once you have employment authorization and have completed your SSN application then visit Human Resources to complete the I-9 process (scroll down the I-9 information page for information on international employees).
You must submit a new J1 Student On-Campus Employment Authorization Form and get prior approval every time you change or start a new on-campus job. You can’t start working in the new job until your employment is approved. Work authorization is valid for 12 months or until the end of your program, whichever date is earlier.
Off-Campus Employment
If you want to work off-campus as a J-1 student exchange visitor then you must be approved for Academic Training (AT) before you start work. AT is an authorization to work off-campus either during or after your J-1 program in a field directly related to your study at Boise State University. You must have a written job offer to apply for AT.
You can learn more about Academic Training on our dedicated AT webpage.