Employment

Rules and Regulations
These are the basic rules and regulations that international students need to know regarding employment:

• International students are limited to working a maximum of 20 hours per week during the fall and spring semesters.
• International students can work up to a maximum of 40 hours per week during the summer and winter breaks.
• International students are limited to working only on campus at Cal State Fullerton.
• International students can work off campus only if they are on curricular/optional practical training, academic training, or have an economic hardship work permit. Please see below for further details.
• International students must be in F-1/J-1 status for at least one academic year before they can apply for curricular/optional practical training, academic training, or an economic hardship work permit.

Social Security Card
Important note: A social security card is no longer issued for the following situations:

• Obtaining a driver's license - please refer to: http://www.dmv.ca.gov/
• Opening a bank account
• Applying for a credit card account
• Applying to rent an apartment or home
• Requesting a permanent student identity number
• Filing federal or state taxes

To Campus Employers of F-1 or J-1 visa students:
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has updated procedures for issuing SSN's to F-1 and J-1 visa students:

• they are requiring specific details regarding the nature of the campus employment offered to international students in the form of a letter written on department letterhead (see sample letter on the reverse side)
• they will not process an SSN application if it is more than 30 days in advance of the scheduled employment start date

In an effort to streamline our business practices and procedures and assist both campus employers with the hiring of F-1/J-1 students, the IEE and the Tax Compliance Offices have drafted the following guidelines and a sample letter to be used by campus employers.

When you offer campus employment to an F-1 or J-1 visa student, please follow these steps:
1. Draft a letter on department stationery providing the details as indicated in the sample letter:

• Name of student
• Student's Job Title (e.g. Clerical Assistant)
• A brief description of student's job (e.g. answering phones, typing letters, waiting tables in the cafeteria, stocking shelves in the library, etc)
• Start date of proposed employment & number of work hours per week (FYI: visa students may not work more than 20 hours per week during the semester)
• Appropriate Employer Tax Identification Number (see "Note" on the bottom of the sample letter)
• Employer Telephone Number (i.e. the immediate supervisor's or departmental office phone number)

2. Print your letter on department letterhead and give the original copy to the student
3. Send a copy of the signed letter to Greg Sweet, Tax Compliance Manager (CP-392) via intercampus mail
4. Instruct the student to bring the signed letter to the Office of International Education & Exchange (IEE) in UH-244 together with the "On-campus Employment Verification and Statement of Agreement" for final approval from an IEE Advisor

To F-1 / J-1 students and scholars:
You must follow these instructions in order to apply for a social security number. Do NOT begin on campus employment until the following steps are completed:

1. Obtain a letter from your on-campus employer (For sample letter, Click here).
2. Complete and sign the "On-Campus Employment Verification and Statement of Agreement" (available from the Office of International Education & Exchange, UH-244.
3. Attach the letter from "On-campus employer to Statement of Agreement" and submit to the IEE office for final approval.
4. Submit the completed forms to the Social Security Office together with these documents:

• SEVIS I-20 or DS-2019
• Valid I-94
• Valid passport

* For map and directions to the Brea branch of the Social Security Administration, Please (Click here)
For more information about Social Security Card, please visit the Social Security website: http://www.ssa.gov/

Working On Campus
International students are limited to working a maximum of 20 hours per week on campus during the fall and spring semesters, and 40 hours per week during the summer and winter breaks. There are a lot of locations you could work at, including offices, food court, library, bookstore, etc. (the Marriott Hotel is not considered on-campus). You will need to fill out the On-Campus Employment Verification Form and submit it to our office before you can begin working.

Working Off Campus
International students can work off campus only if they are on curricular/optional practical training (F-1 students), academic training (J-1 students), or have an economic hardship work permit (F-1 students).

Internships for J-1 Students or Academic Training
Click here for information on internships for J-1 students.

Internships for F-1 Students or Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
Click here for information on internships for F-1 students.

Optional Practical Training (OPT)
If you are graduating at the end of Spring 2008 and would like to apply for OPT, you must attend two OPT sessions. You can attend Part 2 only AFTER you have attended Part 1. Follow the links to sign up for Part 1 and Part 2. The OPT sessions are held at the IEE Office. Click here for information on OPT for F-1 students.

OPT Changes
On April 8, 2008, US Dept of Homeland Security released an Interim Final Rule on OPT, which announced changes to current OPT rules effective April 8, 2008. To see an overview of the OPT changes, please view the powerpoint slides that were presented at two workshops held on May 8 & 9, 2008. If you have any questions regarding these OPT changes, contact the IEE Office.

OPT 17-Month Extension for STEM Majors Only (STEM majors at CSUF)
Click on the link above to see the list of items required when applying for the 17-month OPT extension for STEM majors only. Before making an appointment to see an IEE Advisor regarding an OPT STEM extension, please be sure that you have all the items listed on the checklist, with the exception of the SEVIS OPT Extension I-20 form. For OPT STEM students who are not in the Southern California area, we welcome phone appointments.

Economic Hardship Work Permit
Click here for information on obtaining an economic hardship work permit.

Taxes
Click here for information on paying taxes.

What Employers Should Know About Hiring International Students
Click here for more information on this topic.