Office of International Programs

International students are eligible to work on campus while maintaining active F-1 status.

• You must be registered full-time during fall and spring semesters.
• You may not work after graduation or after your I-20 program end date.
• Students who have terminated SEVIS records are not eligible for employment.
• Children and spouses of international students in F-2 dependent visa status are not permitted to accept employment under any circumstances.

Warning: While immigration regulations provide some opportunities for students to be employed as an F-1 student, working without authorization, or exceeding authorized work hours, is a serious violation of status. It is your responsibility to comply with all immigration and employment regulations that apply to F-1 students. Failure to comply with these regulations could result in serious consequences, including visa termination.

• You can search for on-campus jobs on the Minot State Human Resources website.
• Scroll to the middle of the page to Student Employment Openings
•  F-1 students are not eligible for "work-study" positions. If you have questions about the distinction between work-study and hard cash jobs, please speak to the Financial Aid Office. 
• You must follow these directions to apply for a Social Security Number after being hired for your first on-campus job if you have not already been assigned an Social Security Number.
• Sodexo the Barnes & Noble College Bookstore located in the Student Center and Magic City Daycare located in Dakota Hall are considered on-campus employers because they provide services for Minot State students on campus. International students are NOT allowed to work at the Barnes & Noble bookstore at the mall or at the Magic City Daycare branch located off-campus.
  
• Warning: Other off-campus contractors cannot hire F-1 students. For example, you cannot work for an outside fitness company to provide swimming lessons to local children even though it occurs in Minot State's swimming pool. You also cannot work for the Minot Symphony Orchestra. These jobs are not "on-campus" jobs even though they physically occur on Minot State property.

On-campus work limits during Fall and Spring Semester:

• You are limited to 18-hours of on-campus work per week while classes are in session in Fall and Spring semesters. While Federal regulations limit on-campus work to 20 hours a week for all F-1 students, MSU's institutional limit is 18 hours a week during the academic year. Exceeding the weekly work limit is a violation of your F-1 visa status.
• A work week is defined by Minot State Human Resources as Sunday through Saturday.
  • Example: If you work 8 hours on Sunday, you only have 10 hours left to work until midnight on Saturday evening.
• If you have more than one on-campus job, count your hours very carefully. The 18-hour-per-week limit on employment applies all of your on-campus jobs combined.
  • Example: If you work 12 hours a week as an RA, that student can only work an additional 6 hours during that week at another on-campus job.
• 18 hours per week is a strict limit, not an average. You may not work 10 hours one week and then 26 hours the following week. You can never go over 18 hours in all of your on-campus jobs combined during the fall or spring semester. Your recorded hours must always reflect your actual work hours. 
• Graduate Assistantships are normal on-campus jobs and students must abide by all of the above rules. Graduate students with a half-time assistantship cannot accept any other on-campus employment as their assistantship is equivalent to 18 hours per week of on campus employment. Graduate students with a quarter-time assistantship are eligible to seek additional on-campus employment for 8 hours per week, as their assistantship is equivalent to 10 hours per week of on campus work.

On-campus work limits during Summer, Spring Break and Winter Break:

• During Summer Semester, Spring Break, and Winter Break you may work up to 38 hours on campus per week (Sunday through Saturday). This exception only applies to vacation weeks that contain no fall or spring classes. 
  • Example: You may work 38 hours on campus the full week before fall classes start. However, you are limited to 18 hours starting Sunday at 12:00 am the week fall class begin because fall semester begins Monday night. 
• For Summer Semester, you must be enrolled in 5 or fewer credits to be allowed to work up to 38 hours per week. If you enroll in 6 or more credits for Summer Semester, you will be limited to 18 hours of on campus work per week while summer classes are in session.