On-Campus Employment

Students who receive an I-20 from Kennesaw State University and are maintaining F-1 status at our school are eligible to work on-campus with approval from the ISSS Office.

In general, there are two kinds of on-campus jobs:

  1. Kennesaw State University (graduate assistantships, student assistantships, school library, etc.)
  2. Private Vendors / Companies who provide on-campus services to students, such as the bookstore and the cafeteria.

If you have questions about any type of employment on campus, or if you are changing status to F1, or if you have lost your F1 status, ask the ISSS Office first before accepting employment.

  • Submit a Social Security Support Letter request in iStart, found under F-1 Student Services. Graduate Assistants will need to upload a copy of their fully executed assistantship contract. Students with student assistant or staff positions will need to provide the contact information for their supervisor; the supervisor will be contacted for details about the employment that we will use for the support letter.

    Once you receive the support letter, you can visit the local Social Security Office with your passport, visa, I-20, I-94, and the support letter to apply for an SSN.

  • You are eligible for on-campus employment from your first semester. IMPORTANT! Before starting any employment, you must complete the F-1 Student Check In in iStart.  

  • You need to stop employment immediately if:

    • You have completed your program of study, or
    • You have transferred to another school, or
    • You have failed to maintain your legal F-1 status, or
    • You have let your I-20 expire, or you have changed your immigration status to a status that does not allow this type of employment.
  • F-1 students at Kennesaw State can work part time (up to 20 hours/week) while school is in session and full time (more than 20 hours/week) during the summer and during holidays/breaks.
  • We recommend that you discuss this with an International Student Advisor. 
  •  Yes, RA positions are considered on-campus employment. Based on historical precedent at KSU, the ISSS Office considers RA positions to involve 12 work hours per week.
  • Yes, students may hold multiple on-campus positions. However, the hours worked per week cannot exceed 20 in the aggregate.
  • An F-1 student may participate in on-campus employment and CPT but may not exceed 20 hours of each employment type per week. The F-1 student may work full-time during those periods when school is not in session or during the student’s annual break. The F-1 student must remember that the primary purpose for being in the United States and way of maintaining status is enrollment in an SEVP-certified school. An F-1 student may not participate in OPT and on-campus employment. 

Off-Campus Employment

You are eligible for on-campus employment and certain approved off-campus employment.

Important Note for F-1 Students Seeking Employment
  • Never accept or work off-campus employment without authorization through the ISSS Office in advance.
  • TPS (Temporary Protected Status) work authorization may be seen as a violation of nonimmigrant status. Advising on TPS should be handled by an experienced immigration attorney.
  • International students should not plan to meet their educational or personal living expenses through employment wages in the U.S.  As an F-1 or J-1 student, you were required to demonstrate sufficient financial resources at the time of application for admission to cover your expenses.
Employment Workshops

Employment workshops are strongly suggested for all international students interested in off-campus employment authorization. There is no cost for the workshops.

  • We have separate workshops for CPT and OPT.
  • We send out emails advertising the workshops usually 1-3 weeks in advance of the workshop
  • If you would like to attend a CPT or OPT workshop but are not sure about the dates, please contact the ISSS Office via email at isss@kennesaw.edu