J-1 student visa holders enrolled full-time are allowed to work up to 20 hours per week on-campus at Georgia Tech during fall and spring semester. J students may work full time (more than 20 hours per week) on-campus at Georgia Tech during school breaks and vacation semesters.
On-campus employment is employment that is paid by Georgia Tech or employment with a vendor that is contracted to provide services to students, such as a food store in the Student Center or GA Tech's bookstore on Georgia Tech's campus. Please note that Knack is an off-campus entity and J-1 student visa holders are ineligible to work for Knack and engaging in employment with Knack will result in a violation of J-1 student visa status and termination of the J-1 SEVIS record.
J students are eligible to begin on-campus employment once it has been approved by a Responsible Officer in the Office of International Education. The on-campus work authorization is valid for one year. J students must complete the e-form every year prior to the previous year's authorization expires to renew the work permission.
On-Campus Employment Limits:
Fall/Spring academic semesters: Maximum of 20 hours of on-campus employment per week.
Semester breaks, Official school/Summer Vacation: Full-time on-campus employment is allowed. Full-time work is considered to be 20 or more hours per week. (Exception: if a student is required to register for the summer, such as a GRA/GTA, then only 20 hours per week maximum is permitted due to Georgia Tech policies).
Employment between programs (BS to MS, or MS to PhD): On-campus employment is not permitted after program completion, unless the student has a new I-20 and plans to enroll the following semester.
Procedure:
1. Obtain employment details including:
- type of employment (assistantship, fellowship, scholarship or hourly student assistant position)
- employer name and email address
- name of hiring department
- employer's address
2. Login to iStart and complete the On-Campus Work Authorization e-form.
3. You will be emailed once the request has been approved by your hiring department and OIE. If approved, you may begin employment
4. Apply for a Social Security Number (SSN). If you do not have a SSN, you will need to apply for one. For information more information visit OIE's SSN website.
Please note that Knack is an off-campus entity and F-1 student visa holders are ineligible to work for Knack and engaging in employment with Knack will result in a violation of F-1 student visa status and termination of the F-1 SEVIS record.