On-Campus Employment
On-campus employment allows F-1 international students to work on campus, and is most often used for students working at a UTEP department or office. The employment does not need to relate to the student’s degree.
On-campus employment is approved directly through OIP as long as it complies with DHS regulations.
HOURS PER WEEK
Students may work on campus up to 20 hours per week while classes are in session, but UTEP limits most student employment to 19 hours per week.
SUMMER WORK
Students may work full time during vacation periods and over the summer, if it is permitted by their employing department. Students are not required to enroll in classes during the summer in order to work on campus during summer, unless required by the employing department and/or Human Resources.
MULTIPLE POSITIONS
Students may work in multiple positions on campus concurrently as long as their employing departments/supervisors do not object, and the student does not exceed the maximum weekly hours.
NEW, TRANSFER, AND CHANGE OF LEVEL STUDENTS
New (Initial) students may begin to work on campus up to 30 days before their I-20 program start date (first day of classes). However, students are only permitted to enter the U.S. in F-1 status 30 days before their I-20 program start date, and then must complete hiring and Social Security Number (SSN) paperwork. Therefore, new students typically do not begin work until after classes begin. Initial students with a job offer (typically a TA or RA position) are encouraged to enter the U.S. as early as possible, but no more than 30 days, before classes begin in order to start the hiring and SSN process.
Transfer students may only work on campus at the school that has their SEVIS record.
Change of Education Level students may work on campus during the gap between academic programs once they receive their I-20 for the new program.
PART-TIME BORDER COMMUTER RESTRICTIONS
Part-Time Border Commuters are not permitted to work through on-campus employment. They may accept part-time positions directly related to their academic major through Curricular Practical Training (CPT) only.
If you are not sure if this applies to you, please contact oip@utep.edu.
HOW TO APPLY
Students must have a job offer in order to apply for on-campus work authorization. First, find a job through . The UTEP Career Center can help you create/revise your resume and look for job openings. Please note that international students are not eligible for Work Study positons.
Once you have a job offer letter, submit the “On Campus Work Authorization” request through . If you do not yet have a Social Security Number, also submit the “Social Security Letter” request (see Social Security Number tab for more information).
CHANGING JOBS
You do not need to obtain a new On Campus Work Authorization letter from OIP if you start a new job on campus. If Human Resources asks you for an updated letter to complete or extend your hiring paperwork, you can submit the “On Campus Work Authorization” request through .