On-Campus Employment

The information on this page pertains to international students in F-1 or J-1 status only. ISSS cannot advise on on-campus employment eligibility for other visa statuses.

On-campus employment refers to employment where a student is hired by a unit or department of the University of Colorado Boulder campus (CU Boulder) and paid by CU Boulder.

Search for on-campus jobs on CU Boulder’s employment platform Handshake.

  • To begin searching, you will have to create a free account.
  • Make sure that you filter your search to only include on-campus (hourly) positions.

If the employer is a private company that is physically located on the CU Boulder campus but provides direct services for students (e.g., Subway in the UMC), such employment would qualify as on-campus employment.

In some circumstances, on-campus employment can be located at an off-campus location when there is a documented affiliation with CU Boulder. ISSS needs to review each case before employment begins.

Some positions listed as on-campus jobs are for organizations that are NOT on-campus employers: the Graduate School of Banking, CU Foundation, National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Students who have questions about whether a job is considered on-campus should consult ISSS.

Most international students are not eligible for on-campus jobs classified as “work study” as such positions are subsidized by federal financial aid for domestic students (U.S. citizens or permanent residents).

Eligibility

In order to be eligible for on-campus employment, international students in F-1 or J-1 status must:

  1. Be maintaining their nonimmigrant status;
  2. Be enrolled in a full-time course load or authorized equivalent in the current term or, in the case of summer or winter vacation, have not completed their degree and are enrolled full-time (or an authorized equivalent) in the next required term. 

Allowable Work Hours

International students can work on campus up to 20 hours a week while school is in session during the fall and spring semester. 

  • If a student has multiple on campus jobs, the total hours worked for all jobs cannot exceed 20 hours a week while school is in session.
  • It is the student’s responsibility to track their hours to make sure not to exceed 20 hours a week.
  • For Student Employment hour (sum) calculation purposes: Student Employment considers work at other University of Colorado campuses (e.g., University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Colorado Denver, University of Colorado Anschutz, System Administration offices) as on-campus employment. Note: ISSS considers this off-campus employment for immigration/work authorization purposes.

The CU Boulder work week begins at 12:00 a.m. on Sunday and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Saturday.

No. Under no circumstances should an international student in F-1 or J-1 status exceed 20 hours a week while school is in session.

International students can work on campus full-time (more than 20 hours) during official school breaks (fall break, winter break, spring break) with approval from the university.

Note: During fall break, winter break, and spring break, if a student’s employing department would like the international student in F-1 or J-1 status to work more than 50 hours in a bi-weekly pay period, due to business or academic purposes, Student Employment requires the student’s supervisor to complete the Exception Request for Student Employee Work Hours. Approval will not be granted based on a student’s desire to work more hours. Please see contact Student Employment for more information.

Yes, international students can work full-time (more than 20 hours a week) during the Summer Term.

Note: The official Student Employment Summer Term does not require an Exception Request Form, but please see the Student Employment Summer calendar as Student Employment dates may differ from the academic calendar. Please consult the hiring department or Student Employment for more information.

Yes, international students can change from one on-campus employer to another without ISSS permission. Be aware that in the United States, there is an expectation of employment etiquette to make sure that you change employers appropriately and respectfully. Students should only accept a job offer if they plan to work for the offering department for at least 1 semester. Students should not accept on-campus employment offers for the sole purpose of obtaining an SSN.

Authorization

On-campus employment is a benefit of maintaining F-1 and J-1 student status. International students are responsible for making sure employment does not violate immigration regulations and that they complete all necessary steps with the University.

  • J-1 Students: Prior to beginning any on-campus position, report your on-campus employer and the number of work hours you will work each week to ISSS.
  • All International Students: Complete required steps for being added to CU Boulder payroll.

Updating the International Tax Office

Please carefully review this ISSS webpage on taxes.

All new international CU employees and students that receive a taxable stipend or scholarship must complete a Sprintax Calculus profile to document their U.S. tax residency status with the International Tax Office. You will receive an invitation from CUIntlTax-noreply@Sprintax.com to activate your profile within approximately 14 days of your hire date. Please complete your profile as soon as possible to ensure accurate taxation of your pay including any applicable tax treaty or FICA tax exemptions. 

If you haven’t received your Sprintax Calculus activation email within 21 days from your start date, please check your junk mail folder. If you still cannot locate your activation email, please contact intltax@cu.edu. 

After your initial profile has been completed, please keep your Sprintax profile up to date as your circumstances change.

Please visit the International Tax website for additional information: 

International Tax 

Students in F-1 and J-1 statuses who are also classified as nonresident aliens for tax purposes are exempt from having to participate in the mandatory Student Employee Retirement Program (SERP) and Medicare. These students are not eligible to participate in SERP or Medicare. 

Once students in this category have fulfilled their responsibility to document tax status with International Tax, their paychecks will no longer be subject to these possible withholdings and deductions.

If you are unsure if you qualify for the exemption as a nonresident alien or if you qualify for the exemption and learn that you have been contributing by mistake, please contact International Tax; they can help you process a refund.

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