J-1 students may work in the United States, both on and off-campus, but may only do so with prior authorization from UMass Amherst. If your visa sponsor is not UMass Amherst (for example IIE (Fulbright) is your sponsor) you must obtain authorization directly from that sponsor. ISSS cannot authorize employment for a J-1 student not sponsored by UMass.
Dependents (spouse, children between the ages of 15-21) of J-1 holders are eligible to work with permission. The ISSS cannot legally advise on J-2 work permit applications as they are personal application.
Students may work anywhere on the UMass Amherst campus and must report assistantships, fellowships, scholarships, and on-campus employment to ISSS. Employment is limited to 20 hours/week (including assistantships) during the Fall/Spring semesters, and +20 hours/week during vacation periods (Winter Break, Spring Break, and Summer).
Employment Authorization:
- Is employer and date specific
- If you are authorized to work at Dining Services for August 27-December 13, you cannot work for another employer or outside those dates without additional authorization
- You may have multiple employers as long as you remain under the hour limits
- Submit another E-form
- You may extend employment
- Submit another E-form
- We will not back date employment authorizations to prior terms. Authorization requests must be submitted in the same term you are working.
- Employment at one of the Five Colleges requires separate Academic Training approval
Please note that it will take 10 business days to process your application.
*If you have already requested a full year authorization for your assistantship in the fall term, you do not need to submit a request again for the same assistantship in the following spring term. For example, you requested authorization for your teaching assistantship in fall semester and it was already approved for both fall and spring semesters, you do not need to submit a new E-Form in the spring.