Immigration
On-Campus Work
Please note that in all cases, international students who hold an RA or TA cannot have any other employment on-campus or off-campus.
An International Visiting Student may receive compensation only for work done for the host research group. They are not allowed to have any other employment, on-campus or off-campus, under Federal regulations.
F-1 On-Campus Work Information
| Kind of Work | Part-time/ Full-time |
Authorization granted by: | Impact on Practical Training | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment by MIT | RA, TA, UROP, any work paid by MIT | Part-time (up to 20 hours per week) when school is in session. Full-time during annual vacations. |
No authorization required, employment incident to status. | None | Full Research and Teaching Assistantships cover the 20 hours per week of work allowed by USCIS while school is in session. No other on-campus or off-campus job can be held at the same time if a student has an RA or TA |
| Employment on MIT premises | Work with stores in the Student Center | Part-time (up to 20 hours per week) when school is in session. Full-time during annual vacations. |
International Student Advisor if needed by employer. | None | Students holding full RAs or TAs cannot have other jobs on-campus or off-campus. |
| Off-campus work as on-campus work | Work must fulfill all the following three conditions: (1) Location must be contractually affiliated with MIT (2)Work must be part of the graduate program curriculum or related to a graduate research project.(3)The employment must be an important part of the student's program of study. | Part-time when school is in session. Full-time during annual vacations. |
Authorization by an International Student Advisor at MIT ISO | None | Only Graduate Students are eligible. Students must submit to the International Student Advisor a letter from their academic advisor giving detailed information about the work. |
J-1 On-Campus Work Information
| Kind of Work | Part-time/ Full-time |
Authorization granted by: | Impact on Academic Training | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment by MIT | Research and Teaching Assistantships from MIT | Part-time (up to 20 hrs. per week) when school is in session. Full-time during vacations. |
No further authorization is required, if assistantship is included on DS-2019s. | None | Full RAs and TAs cover the 20 hrs. per week of work allowed by USCIS. |
| Employment on MIT premises | Work for offices or departments on MIT campus and paid by MIT. | Part-time (up to 20 hrs. per week) when school is in session. Full-time during vacations. |
Written authorization from Visa Sponsor (International Student Advisor if DS-2019 was issued by MIT). | None | Students holding full RAs and TAs cannot have other on-campus or off-campus work. |
Notes:
- Only students who are full-time students and maintaining J-2 status are eligible for on-campus work.
- The ISO must authorize each on-campus job separately for J-1 students. The ISO must re-authorize employment once per year if you are continuing employment with the same department.
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