J-1 Employment
On-campus employment is limited to 20 hours per week (including assistantships) during the school year and limited to full-time during summer and vacation periods. You must obtain a social security number prior to completing human resources paperwork at Georgia State.
Requirements
All J-1 student employment, including graduate assistantships and non-graduate assistantships (student assistants), must obtain employment authorization prior to beginning work on-campus. To apply, you must submit the On-Campus Authorization Form in iStart.
An original employment letter on official letterhead will be uploaded into the e-form. The employment letter must contain all of the following information:
- Employer Name
- Employer Address
- Number of work hours per week
- Beginning and end dates of employment
- Type of employment (assistantship, fellowship or other on-campus)
- Signature of supervisor
On-campus authorizations have a maximum duration of 12 months. If the on-campus employment extends beyond 12 months, the J-1 student must submit the on-campus authorization e-form again and upload an updated employment letter.
International students on a J-1 visa are eligible for up to 18 months of work authorization, known as “Academic Training (AT)”. Post-doctoral students may apply for an additional 18 months of AT.
Eligibility
- has primarily come to the U.S. to study, not to work.
- will engage in employment directly related to his / her major field of study.
- has completed all coursework required for the degree, OR
- will work only during vacation periods, OR
- will only work part-time (20 hours/week) if still enrolled in course work
- will maintain health insurance coverage while working
- will obtain Academic Training authorization in writing from their Responsible Officer (RO)
Definition: AT is defined as work experience for J-1 students directly related to their academic program at Georgia State.
Application Timeline: Students must submit the completed AT application at least two (2) weeks prior to their program end date or their current AT end date.
Duration of Academic Training: Time limits are cumulative, so any AT used prior to completion of the study will be deducted from the remaining allowable time available after completion of a degree.
Non-Degree seeking students:
Degree-seeking students
Ph.D. students
Part-time/Full-time
- graduate students who have completed all coursework for the degree and plan to conduct AT that will assist them in the development of their thesis/dissertation
- undergraduate students who conduct internships that are required of their program or for which they will receive credit
Application Procedures:
1. Employer Letter
- Job title
- Name of supervisor
- Location of employment
- Proposed start and end dates of employment
- Number of hours per week
- Salary (If the work is unpaid, then you will also need to submit financial documents showing that you or your sponsor can cover the cost of living expenses for the period of extension for Academic Training)
2. Request Academic Training
3. Provide Secondary Approver
For Exchange Students only:
- You must apply for AT at least two (2) weeks prior to the end date of your DS-2019. You will be ineligible to apply for AT if you fail to apply prior to your DS-2019 end date. ISSS recommends you apply at least 1 week prior to the expiration of your DS-2019 to allow processing of your request. Remember that you may only be authorized a period of AT equivalent to the period of your exchange program at Georgia State.
- You must also submit a letter from your home university confirming that the proposed job is related to your field of studies, and recommending that you be allowed to accept this opportunity.
4. Complete Evaluation
Social Security Number (SSN)
Important
- Never accept or work off-campus employment without authorization from ISSS in advance.
- International students should not plan to meet their educational or personal living expenses through employment wages in the U.S. As a J-1 student, you were required to demonstrate sufficient financial resources at the time of application for admission to cover your expenses.
- Temporary Protected Status (TPS) work authorization could be a violation of nonimmigrant status. Work with an experienced immigration attorney to find out more.
Academic Training Evaluation (To Be Done at End)
Contact Us
ISSS is committed to maintaining support and services to you during this time and will continue to operate under normal operating procedures for the remainder of the semester, just from a remote and online platform. This means you can call us directly or email us to request information and/or telephone/web appointments for advisement during our regular advisement hours.
For the Atlanta campuses, please call 404-413-2070 or email isss@gsu.edu.
For Perimeter campuses, please call 678-891-3235 or email issspc@gsu.edu.
Location:
Sparks Hall - Room 252
ISSS, Georgia State University
33 Gilmer St. SE
Atlanta, GA 30303
Telephone: 404-413-2070
Fax: 404-413-2072
Email: isss@gsu.edu
Mailing Address (please use our physical address above for express mail):
International Student and Scholar Services
Georgia State University
P.O. Box 3987
Atlanta, GA 30302-3987
USA
Georgia State-sponsored H-1B, TN, O-1, J-1 Scholar and Permanent Residency Petitions
Any advising for employment-based visas, green cards or hosting a J-1 Scholar (Research Scholar, Professor, Short-Term Scholar, Student Intern, Specialist) which are sponsored by Georgia State needs to be set up by appointment after the hiring department has requested the immigration process they wish to sponsor.
Office Hours:
8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday
Advising Hours (F-1 & J-1 Students) are as follow:
Monday: 1-4 p.m.
Tuesday: 9 a.m.-noon
Wednesday: 1-4 p.m.
Thursday: 1-4 p.m.
Friday: 1-4 p.m.
ISSS is committed to serving you in the safest and most efficient way possible.
Beginning Spring 2022: F-1 and J-1 students wishing to speak with an ISSS advisor at the Atlanta Campus over the phone or in-person must access the QLESS system in order to get into our virtual queue. Once in the virtual queue you will receive instructions regarding a call back from one of our available advisors or instructions on when to come into the ISSS lobby to meet an advisor.
If you wish to speak with an ISSS advisor, please click the QLESS link below during advising hours and get into the virtual queue.
Clarkston Campus
Location & Mailing Address:
Building CN 2230 (Student Center)
ISSS, Perimeter College, Clarkston Campus
555 N. Indian Creek Dr.
Clarkson, GA 30021
Telephone: 678-891-3235
Fax: 678-891-3068
Email: issspc@gsu.edu
Dunwoody Campus
Location & Mailing Address:
Building NB
Room 1200
ISSS, Perimeter College, Dunwoody Campus
2101 Womack Rd.
Dunwoody, GA 30338
Telephone: 770-274-5570
Fax: 770-274-5253
Email: issspc@gsu.edu
Office Hours:
8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday
Walk-in Advising Hours (F-1 & J-1 Students):
9-11:30 a.m., Monday and Wednesday
1:30-4 p.m., Monday through Friday
Occasionally it may be necessary to make emergency cancellations of advising times last minute. We apologize for any inconvenience.