On-campus work authorization can be approved by the Office of International Students and Scholars and does not require that a student submit an application to the Immigration Service. On campus work permission is limited to a maximum of 20 hours per week while school is in session and can be full-time during vacation periods (including summer break). Students must be full-time and in good academic standing during the academic year in order to apply. Additionally, international students are only eligible for non work-study positions. Aside from work for Boston College, the definition of what is considered to be "on-campus" includes:
- Off campus employment which has a contract-based educational affiliation with the University, is an integral part of the student's educational program, and is conducted under the supervision of a faculty advisor (for example, research which is part of a grant which is not payable through B.C.); and
- Commercial firms on campus which provide direct services to students even if they are not owned by B.C.
Additionally, students who are transferring to another school or have graduated and will be starting a new degree program at another school, are eligible to work on campus during the summer of this transition period. They can work either at the old school or at the new school as long as they have been issued an I-20 from the new school and are intending to enroll there fulltime in the fall.
Procedures: In order to apply for on-campus work permission, you need to come in to the Office of International Students and Scholars so that we can verify that you are a full-time student in good academic standing. If you are a graduate student with an assistantship, we will need a letter from your department specifying the number of hours per week of your assistantship and giving you permission to work additional hours on campus (up to a to a total of 20).
You will also need to apply for an official Social Security number from the Social Security Office. The Office of International Students and Scholars can provide you with directions on how to do this.