J-1 Student On-Campus Employment

To be eligible for on-campus work authorization, you must: 

• Be in good academic standing with Mines
• Be enrolled full-time (exception: regular academic breaks)
• Have a formal offer of employment with a Mines on-campus office or vendor (i.e. Mines Market)
  • All assistantships and fellowships require on-campus work authorization to be on your J-1 SEVIS record
• Maintain the 20 hour-per-week maximum during regular academic terms
• Have evidence from the ISSS that you have been authorized for on-campus employment

On-campus employment can only be issued for a maximum of 20 hours per week total during regular academic terms. This is a combined total between all opportunities. For example, if you have an assistantship for 15 hours a week, you can only work an additional 5 hours per week in another on-campus role. 

Most campus jobs are posted on DiggerNet. To apply for on-campus jobs, you are able to create a DiggerNet account with the Mines Career Center. This database advertises both on-campus and off-campus jobs however, you can filter your search to only look for on-campus jobs. On-campus jobs are also advertised on flyers posted around campus, on office bulletin boards, in the Daily Blast and many other places.

WORK-STUDY OPPORTUNITIES

Work-study awards are part of federal financial aid packages and are only available to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. As a J-1 student, you are generally ineligible for a work-study position. Some campus jobs are designated as “work-study” positions. The job description might include a statement such as: “position open only to Mines Students who qualify for work-study awards.”

However, there are some cases where the term “work-study” might be used in a general sense and may not necessarily refer to the financial aid award described above. You can contact the office that posted the job opening to confirm whether or not you must have a federal work-study award to be eligible for the job.

To apply for on-campus work authorization, please complete the on-campus work authorization letter and submit the International Portal request for On-Campus Authorization

You will need your formal offer letter from the Mines department or vendor detailing the employment dates of the position, number of weekly hours, job title, location, and supervisor information.

After you have received formal on-campus employment authorization from the ISSS, you are eligible to work:

• Part-time (20.0 hours per week or less) during your regular academic semester
  • Exceeding 20.0 hours per week is a violation of your status and can have a negative impact on your immigration status
  • Note: Semester dates are set by the Mines academic calendar and include finals week
• Full-time (more than 20.0 hours per week) between semesters (i.e. Winter break, Summer break if not graduated)

Graduate students: if you have a Teaching or Research Assistantship, it can only be considered part-time or less during the academic year. All on-campus employment must equate to 20.0 hours per week or less. Exceeding this amount can jeopardize your immigration status.

If you have an opportunity for multiple on-campus employment opportunities, please consult an ISSS advisor prior to engaging in work. You must have authorization added to your record for each instance, duration, and difference in weekly hours. Authorization will not print on your DS-2019, but must be visible in your SEVIS record. Only the ISSS can complete this.

If you will receive any payment or taxable goods, you need to get a Social Security Number. Please review the information about “Social Security and ITIN” on the J-1 Employment page