On-Campus Employment for F1 Students
- Maintain F-1 status
- Not work more than a total of 20 hours per week (including any off-campus work you may have been authorized to perform) while school is in session
Your responsibilities once authorized:
You may be employed full time during holidays and vacation periods, including summer vacations, provided you are eligible and have pre-registered for the next school term.
The 20-hour-per-week limit on your employment while school is in session applies to all types of on-campus employment. A 20-hour-per-week graduate assistantship, for example, would utilize all your hours.
Eligibility for an international student to hold an on-campus job is verified by the ISS office. Every fall and summer, students employed on-campus will need to submit the hourly on-campus work authorization form to the ISS office. Staff will verify enrollment and eligibility. If you are approved the form is signed and returned to you to submit to the Payroll Office.
Employment by the University: On-campus work performed for SNHU is acceptable, whether it is employment in the library, the computer center or the housing office, or work required by a scholarship, fellowship or assistantship.
Other Employment on School Premises: Work performed on campus is considered "on-campus employment" if the employer provides direct services to students. Employment in the school bookstore or cafeteria, which provide direct services to students, is acceptable even though operated by private, commercial firms. Work for a construction company erecting a campus building is not acceptable since the construction company does not provide direct student services. Work for a sports camp that is not direct employment by SNHU is not on-campus employment.
Work Off Campus Which Qualifies as On-Campus Employment
Immigration regulations allow you to work at an off-campus location if the location is educationally affiliated with Southern New Hampshire University. The educational affiliation is associated with your program's established curriculum or is related to a graduate level research project which SNHU has contracted to perform and the work is an integral part of your program of study. This is not a common situation and you should speak directly with the international student advisor to ensure your particular situation qualifies.
School Transfer
If you transfer from SNHU to another school, you will have a 'release' date. This is the date your immigration record (SEVIS) is changed to your new school. Once that date occurs, you are not eligible for on-campus work at SNHU, but you may work at the new school.
Program Completion
When you have finished your program, you are eligible to work on campus if the employment qualifies as optional practical training and you have received OPT authorization.