International Students

Part-time Employment

International students may work on campus while attending Boston University if granted permission by the International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO). Work permission is usually granted to students with F-1 or J-1 immigration status. In rare instances, students in other visa statuses may be granted work permission.

A variety of paid part-time positions are available for graduate students through the Job Board (long-term part-time and summer jobs) or Quickie Jobs (short-term employment). International students may work only on campus unless they have received specific off-campus employment authorization from ISSO. Please refer to  the International Student Employment Guideline for more information.

Restrictions on Hours Worked

According to USCIS regulations, international students may not work more than 20 hours per week while classes are in session. However, students may work full time during vacation periods: winter intersession, spring break, and summer recess.

Monthly-paid teaching fellows, research assistants, and residence hall assistants are commonly considered to be working twenty hours a week and therefore cannot also work in an hourly-paid position during the academic year. If your department’s requirement is less than 20 hours per week, you may have another job, but the combined weekly hours for both jobs must not exceed 20 hours.