Undergraduate and exchange students should start their job search by looking on the Student Employment Office’s Jobs Board. If you are a UVM department interested in hiring an international undergraduate or exchange student, please work with the Student Employment Office (SEO) to post your job and hire a student through their process. International graduate students do not have access to SEO’s Jobs Board. If you are interested in hiring a graduate student, you will need to hire the student as a temporary employee through UVM’s Human Resource Services.

After a student receives an on-campus job offer, the student needs to check that he or she has the right work authorization. Most degree-seeking students at UVM are F-1 students. F-1 students are allowed to work on campus without special permission from the OIE. They can work up to 20 hours per week on campus while school is in session. There is no limit to the number of hours that students can work while school is not in session. F-1 students can start working as soon as they have completed their hiring paperwork, including an I-9.

Most exchange students and a few degree-seeking students are J-1 students. J-1 students are allowed to work on campus but they must have special permission from the sponsor of their immigration document before they start working. The student will need a job offer letter from the department to obtain work authorization. The letter needs to be on letterhead and signed. It should also include the name of the department, the student’s job title, the approximate number of hours per week and an anticipated start date. Depending on who has sponsored the student’s immigration document, on-campus work authorization can take one to two weeks to process.

After an international student has received the proper work authorization, he or she may need to complete additional hiring paperwork with Human Resource Services. If a student has never been employed with UVM or if there has been a significant gap in employment with UVM, the student will need to complete a new I-9 and W-4. If a student has recently worked for UVM, please check with Human Resource Services to see if the right documentation is on file. Note: I-9s can only be completed once a student is physically present in the US. 

Students are allowed to start working before they receive a social security number (SSN). But if they do not have an SSN already, they will need to apply for one. Our office supports them in this process.

If a student does not have a SSN, they will need a written job offer letter from the hiring department. The job offer letter must include the name of the hiring department, the student’s job title and an anticipated start date. The student will submit this letter through our electronic database and we will issue an SSN support letter. Then they take their materials to apply for a SSN at the Social Security Administration (SSA). Generally, it takes 1-2 weeks for the SSA to process the SSN application. After the student receives an SSN card, they should report the SSN to UVM’s Payroll Services to receive their paycheck.

International students may receive work authorization for different types of work opportunities during their degree, including paid or unpaid internships. However, any off-campus position must be related to a student’s studies.

After the student has a job offer and has worked with an academic advisor to establish the curricular connection (including corresponding course) they must submit an application with supporting documentation to the OIE. This supporting documentation includes a job offer letter. The job offer letter should be on company letterhead include the following information:

• Start and end date of employment, expected hours per week
• Address of employment
• Job title, and a brief description of job duties.
• Supervisor name and contact information

Students are allowed to start working before they receive a social security number (SSN). However, they need a social security number (SSN) before their employer can release their paychecks. If a student already has a social security number, he or she is paid in the same way as any other student.

If a student does not have an SSN, he or she should bring a written job offer letter from the employer to the OIE for SSN support. The job offer letter must include the name of the hiring department, the student’s job title and an anticipated start date. The student will need the job offer letter to apply for an SSN at the Social Security Administration (SSA). Generally, it takes 1-2 weeks for the SSA to process the SSN application. After the student receives an SSN card, they should report the SSN to their employer to receive their paycheck.

Post-graduation work authorization is only for work related to a student’s studies. The work should be related to what a student has studied and it should be commensurate with the student’s degree. Graduate students who have received post-graduation work authorization are no longer allowed to hold graduate student assistantships. Students should be hired through standard HR processes.

Generally, students are eligible for 12-36 months of post-graduation work authorization as a continuation of their student status. This time is designed for students to obtain practical experience in their field. The length of the work authorization depends on their field of study, their visa status and other factors. This initial work authorization is has no cost to employers. Students are responsible for applying for the appropriate work authorization in a timely manner and should contact the OIE if they have questions about this process. If your unit wishes to sponsor the student beyond this time period, you will work with International Scholar Services on this matter.