J-1 Student Employment

J-1 Student Employment

If you encounter an E-Form access issue and have tried accessing the E-form in multiple web browsers, please email iss[at]umass[dot]edu. 

Students holding J-1 visa status may work in the United States, both on and off-campus, but may only do so with prior authorization from their visa sponsor. The following information describes policies and procedures for individuals who have J-1 visa sponsorship from the University of Massachusetts Amherst (the DS-2019 must have been issued by UMass). If your visa sponsor is not UMass - for example IIE - you must obtain authorization directly from that sponsor. Our office cannot authorize employment for any student not sponsored by UMass.

Dependents (spouse, children 15-21) of J-1 holders are eligible to work with special permission. The IPO cannot advise on J-2 applications as they are personal application. More information is available here.

On-Campus

Students may work anywhere on the UMass campus and must report assistantships, fellowships, scholarships, and on-campus employment. Employment is limited to 20 hours per week (including assistantships) while school is in session, 40 hours a week during vacation periods (Winter Break, Spring Break, and Summer). Employment at one of the other Five Colleges requires Academic Training approval.

Authorization is employer and date specific. For example, 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. Resubmit the J-1 Student Employment Authorization Form for additional authorization.

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 2021 and was approved for fall 2021 and spring 2022, you do not need to submit a new E-Form in spring 2022.

To apply, submit the J-1 Student Employment Authorization E-Form.

Please note that it will take 10 to 12 business days to process your application.

Off-Campus

Please note that it will take 10 to 12 business days to process your application. Academic Training (AT) is off-campus training related to a J-1 student's field of study at UMass.

Academic Training is designed to provide J-1 students with employment experience to complement their programs of study in the United States. Therefore, the work done during Academic Training must be directly related to the student's field of study, and it must be commensurate with their level of education. Students may engage in Academic Training during their academic program and/or after the completion of the program as long as the total amount of training does not exceed the prescribed time limitations indicated below. Please note that Academic Training cannot be authorized for permanent employment.

AT Workshops: You can find our AT Workshops on our events page. Please refer to our AT Presentation along with the information below for more information. If you have any additional questions, please email your IPO advisor.

J-1 Student Employment

Eligibility
  • You are primarily in the U.S. to study
  • Your DS-2019 was issued by UMass Amherst and has not expired
  • Your proposed Academic Training is related to your field of study
  • You are in good academic standing
  • You have received authorization from the IPO
  • You have not already used the maximum amount of Academic Training allowed
Considerations
  • May be paid or unpaid
    • For AT after program completion, personal funding must be shown if unpaid.
  • You may have several training opportunities
  • You may have multiple academic training authorizations at one time or back to back
  • Authorization is employer and time specific—you CANNOT conduct training outside of your approval dates or with a different employer. Each AT segment needs its own authorization.
  • Employment at one of the other Five Colleges requires Academic Training approval

  • AT may be utilized during or after your program of study (or both). If after, employment must begin within 30 days of completion of studies (which may or may not correspond to the program ending date on your DS-2019). Your completion of studies is determined by your requirements begin fulfilled by your graduate program, or last day of finals. Please keep in mind there is no grace period after your completion of studies to apply for Academic Training.

​​​Time Limitations

Generally authorized for a maximum of 18 months or a period equal to the program of study, whichever is less.

  • Doctoral Students exception: doctoral students who plan to pursue post-doctoral training are permitted a maximum period of 36 months.
  • Time limits are cumulative
    • Any AT conducted prior to the completion of study will be deducted from the allowable time and only the months remaining may be used following the completion of a degree.

Academic Training may only be conducted:

  • School year = part-time (no more than 20 hours)
  • Vacation periods (Thanksgiving, Winter Break, Spring Break, Summer) = full-time
  • Full Time allowed following program completion

Exceptions to part time include:

  • Graduate students who have completed all coursework for the degree and plan to conduct research while on pre-completion AT that will assist them in the development of their thesis/dissertation. Time is limited to 18 months unless program has completed.
  • Undergraduate students who conduct internships that are required in their program or for which they will receive credit

Medical Coverage Requirement

The Exchange Visitor regulations require all J-1 and J-2 visa holders to maintain medical coverage throughout their stay in the U.S. The medical coverage guidelines can be found here. Your student health insurance will end if you are graduating from UMass Amherst and you will need to find additional coverage to start as soon as it has ended. For questions regarding the end date of your coverage, please contact UHS. If your employer does not offer health insurance, you can find alternative coverage here.

Pre-completion Academic Training

NOTE: The application process for Pre-completion Academic Training does not start with the IPO. Steps 1-4 can be completed simultaneously, but you must ensure all approvals are done before beginning Steps 5-7.

After receiving a training offer, ensure your offer letter meets the following requirements:

Step 1: Offer letter on company letterhead (with complete mailing address) that contains ALL the following information:

  • Job title
  • A brief description of your job duties
  • Number of hours you will work per week
  • An exact employment start and end date
  • Location where you will be working
  • Your salary and related compensation

Step 2: You must meet one of the following requirements to gain AT authorization.

  1. Training is formally required for your degree program completion. An internship, practicum, etc. that is required for degree program completion and enrollment in a course. Your department typically requires enrollment in a specific course each term you need AT.
  2. Training is part of an Undergraduate Cooperative Education Experience* (Co-op must be approved by the Career Development Hub. *Undergraduate students ONLY.
  3. Training is credit-earning (internship or independent study). Your Career Advisor or Academic/Faculty Advisor should determine which course best suits your program’s needs. The IPO and Career Development Hub do not determine this.
  4. Training is on an approved Graduate School Externship. The Externship must be approved by the Graduate School to acquire the required paperwork. *Graduate Students ONLY.

Step 3: If your offer letter meets the requirements above and you believe your internship meets one of the options above, consult with your academic advisor or your college’s Career Services office to ensure your proposed training is integral to your degree and get enrolled in at least one credit for that semester.

Each College has different AT procedures for awarding credit and completing the required paperwork. Please review your college below. If your college is not listed and you are unsure of who your advisor is, please reach out to the Career Development Hub for assistance.    

Acquire the appropriate paperwork and get enrolled in the appropriate course or complete co-op paperwork (undergraduate students only).

If your proposed AT overlaps more than one term, then you will need to be enrolled in one credit in each term unless part of an approved co-op.* (For example, your training occurs in the last 3-weeks of the summer term and all the fall semester term. You are required to be enrolled in the appropriate course in the summer term and the fall semester term.)

AT will only be approved for the registered terms.  If you cannot register for a specific term because the registration period has not opened yet, you will need to wait to submit an additional AT request once the registration period opens and you have been enrolled.

*Undergraduate Co-op Students will be coded as a Co-op in SPIRE and do not need to enroll in any credits but should provide their Department Permission Form with all needed terms marked as approved.

Graduate Students: 999 Continuous Enrollment cannot be used for AT purposes. If you are in a 999 course, you must enroll in a credit-bearing course of at least 1 credit before AT will be issued.  This can include Thesis (699) or Dissertation (899) credit if the internship is related to your research. Check with your GPD for the appropriate course number.

You must remain enrolled in this course for the duration of your AT. Withdrawal may be considered a violation that could jeopardize your immigration status.

Step 4: Complete the Handshake Contract with the Career Development Hub. You may begin your Handshake Contract before you have been enrolled in credit.  Upload your offer letter and a signed Field Experience Acknowledgment Form (for an onsite internship) to the Handshake Contract. The IPO does not oversee the Handshake portal and cannot advise on it. Please contact internships[at]umass[dot]edu if you have any questions. All students needing pre-completion AT must complete this step. The Handshake Contract can take at least 5 business days to be processed and approved. Do not submit your AT request with the IPO until Steps 1-4 are complete.

Step 5: Once you have completed Steps 1-4 and have received the necessary documents, proceed to the AT Request E-Form and upload your job offer letter, approved Handshake contract(s), and a screen shot(s) of your course enrollment/your co-op/externship paperwork for the term(s) you are requesting AT:

Full list of documents required to be uploaded:

  1. Job Offer Letter that meets all requirements noted in Step 1.
    • You may upload an addendum to the offer letter, job description, or additional email confirmation to meet the requirements as long as you have an official job offer letter.
  2.  Proof of Course Enrollment(s)/Co-op/Externship Permission Form. To get the correct course enrollment screenshot, go to SPIRE>Manage Classes>View My Classes>Printable page. Save this as a .pdf or .jpeg to upload to the E-Form. Co-op and externship students need to upload their approval paperwork.
    • You must remain enrolled in this course for the duration of your AT. Withdrawal may be considered a violation that could jeopardize your immigration status.
  3. Your approved Handshake contract(s) from the Career Development Hub.
  4. Proof of Medical Insurance is required for the duration of your J-1 program per the Department of State.

If you are missing any of the items above, your AT request will be delayed. You may not begin working until your AT is approved and your AT DS-2019 has been issued. The IPO processes AT requests in the order received and cannot expedite requests.

Submit your Academic Training Request Form here

Post-Completion Academic Training

If you are applying for AT following the completion of your degree, you must apply BEFORE completing your program. We cannot add AT to DS-2019s that have already expired.

Prior to submitting your J-1 Academic Training Authorization Form, ensure your offer letter includes the following:

  • the employer’s letterhead
  • name and complete address of the employer
  • a brief job description
  • exact dates of proposed employment
  • salary
  • signature of the supervisor, department head, HR representative or appropriate representative of the employer

The Academic Advisor listed on your E-form will be contacted to confirm the academic nature of your proposed training.  Even students who have graduated 1+ years prior to their post-completion AT request need their UMass Advisor's confirmation. If they are not available, a suitable substitute in your department (such as a Graduate Program Director) is acceptable.

Submit your Academic Training Request Form here.

For Exchange Students Only

You must apply for your AT before the last day of final exams; you may only be authorized a period of AT equivalent to the period of your exchange program at UMass; and you must present 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.

See more information at Application Process.

Reporting Requirements

Failure to comply with the Academic Training rules and reporting requirements may constitute a status violation; such violations may have negative consequences for your current immigration status or result in delays and denials of future immigration benefits. Your Academic Training authorization is based off the job offer you presented to the IPO. If you leave that employer, start with a new employer, or leave the U.S. and will no longer use AT, you must notify the IPO.

The IPO will extend your access to UMass Amherst systems for 1-3 years after graduation. This will permit you to access UMass VIP to report your employment, apply for extensions, etc. If you have any issues or need to reset your NetID passport, please see the UMass IT website guides.

It is important that you do not begin any employment until you have received a new DS-2019 Form from the IPO and the start date is current.

Reporting Residential Address Changes

You must report to the IPO your current residential addresses, and any future changes of address within 10 days of the change by keeping SPIRE (add SPIRE link) up to date. You will continue to have access while on your AT.

Work Authorization while on AT

Each AT authorization you receive from the IPO is specific to one employer and one position only.

If you work for multiple employers simultaneously, you must apply for AT authorization for each position.

If you change employers, you must submit an evaluation for the employment that is ending, then apply for AT authorization for your new employer.

If you are extending an AT authorization, you must submit an updated AT application to the IPO before the end date of your current AT authorization. Please keep in mind that we cannot extend if requests are submitted after the current AT end date.

Evaluation

Each time you end a position while on AT, you must submit an Evaluation eForm to the IPO. “The sponsor must evaluate the effectiveness and appropriateness of the academic training in achieving the stated goals and objectives in order to ensure the quality of the academic training program.” [22 CFR 62.23(f)(6)]

Reporting Changes to Your Visa Status

If you are changing your status from an F-1, J-1, etc. to an H-1b, Permanent Resident, etc. please submit this information using the Change of Status E-Form. The IPO will update SPIRE and your SEVIS record as needed.

Bars and Limitations
  • 12 Month Bar: Please keep in mind that students in J-1 categories of Student Bachelors, Student Masters, Student Doctorate, Student Non-Degree (whose stay exceeds 6 months) will have a 12 month bar on participation in a J-1 status of Research Scholar or Professor. There is no waiver for this. Please update the IPO if you do leave your employment early and depart the U.S. as the end date will need to be updated and will allow the 12-month bar to begin.
  • Two-Year Home Country Residency Requirement [INA 212(e)]: You will become subject if your J-1 program is funded by either your government or the US government, involves specialized knowledge or skills deemed necessary by your home country, or if you come to the US for graduate medical training. If this requirement applies to you, you must return to your home country for a cumulative total of two years at the end of your J-1 program. You are not prohibited from traveling to the US but you may not benefit from certain employment-based or family-based visas until the requirement is satisfied. This requirement currently applies to all dependents in J-2 status under the J-1. To verify if you are subject, please confirm by looking at your J-1 visa stamp and/or the consulate signature section on your original DS-2019.
Student Employment FAQ

Q: I’m ending my current employment before the requested Academic Training date, however I don’t have another employer lined up yet. Is there unemployment time available?

A: No. If you are currently on AT during your program, you will need to update IPO so we can shorten your AT in SEVIS. Please contact your IPO advisor as soon as possible.

If you are on AT after you have completed your program, you will need to find another Academic Training opportunity to follow the end of your current. There is no “unemployment” and there can be no gap in your Academic Training dates.

Q: My university medical insurance is ending, and my employer does not offer medical coverage. Do I still need to have this?

A: Yes! Under J-1 regulations all J-1 holders are required to meet the mandatory medical coverage at all times. There cannot be a gap in your coverage. Please see 1(f) on the second page of your J-1 DS-2019 for current information. You can also find information on our website here

Q: I have J-2 dependents, are they required to have medical coverage while I am on Academic Training?

A. Yes! All J visa holders in the U.S. must comply with the medical coverage requirement.

Q: I’m currently on a postdoctoral appointment and reaching the 36-month limit of my AT. My employer has offered to extend my Postdoc appointment. Can I switch to another J-1 category, such as Research Scholar?

A: No. After the completion date of your J-1 in your category, you will be required to observe a 12-month bar before you are eligible for a J-1 in Research Scholar or Professor categories. There are no waivers for this.

Q: Do I need anything specific to travel?

A: You will need to have your most up to date J-1 DS-2019 with valid travel signature. Please also carry proof of your affiliation with the employer listed on the DS-2019. You may also need to renew your visa stamp if it has expired for international travel.

Q: Can I do more than 20 hours of AT while I’m currently enrolled in my program?

A: Although all AT is considered Full Time, current students are still subject to the 20-hour minimum. Exceptions would include school breaks.

Q: Can I be self-employed while on AT?

A: We do not recommend this. Department of State has not explicitly stated this is not allowed. However, it is highly unlikely it can be shown there is a ‘training supervisor’ if you are self-employed.