J-1 Student Off Campus Employment for Urgent Financial Need

J-1 students may be authorized to work off-campus if you have a serious and urgent financial need that was not foreseen when you became a J-1 student or when you enrolled at Vanderbilt.

Eligibility

To be eligible, you must be:

In valid J-1 status in the student sub-category
Registered and studying full-time except during school breaks or a vacation period
In good academic standing at Vanderbilt
Approved in SEVIS for the specific employment in advance by ISSS
Able to demonstrate serious, urgent, and unforeseen financial need

Application Process

Complete the J Student Employment Application.

Attach a letter explaining your situation and specifically indicating how the financial need is urgent and was unforeseen.
Students are encouraged to submit the form 2 weeks in advance of your employment start date.

Students with DS-2019’s issued by a sponsor other than Vanderbilt, such as IIE, should contact their J-1 Responsible Officer for assistance.

Limitations

On-campus employment is limited to no more than 20 hours per week while school is in session. Full-time employment (working more than 20 hours a week) is acceptable only during official school breaks such as Winter break, Spring break and Summer.

Authorization is valid for up to 12 months at a time. Students who wish to renew their authorization should submit the application with enough time to avoid gaps in employment.