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Academic Training for J-1 Students

Definition of Employment

Employment is defined as any type of work performed or services provided in exchange for money, tuition, fees, books, supplies, room, food, or any other benefit.

A Note of Caution

Do not assume that you are automatically eligible to work in the U.S. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS, formerly known as INS) considers unauthorized employment to be the most serious violation of your J-1 status. Please consult with the Office of Visa Services before accepting any employment.

Although USCIS regulations allow J-1 students to apply for off-campus work permission in a number of circumstances, since most graduate students receive full support for their studies, students at Princeton are limited in their off-campus work options.

What is Academic Training?

Academic Training is a type of employment directly related to your major area of study that is authorized by your J-1 Responsible Officer who issues your DS-2019 Form.

Who May Engage in Academic Training?

All J-1 students in degree programs may apply for Academic Training either during the course of study or after completion of studies. Students may work part-time while school is in session and full-time during the summer and winter breaks.

Your J-1 Responsible Officer

To qualify for Academic Training, you must first obtain approval in writing from your J-1 Responsible Officer, who represents your J-1 sponsor and issues your Forms DS-2019. She must evaluate the proposed employment in terms of your program of study and your individual circumstances, and then decide whether it would be appropriate or not. If Princeton University is your sponsor, then your J-1 Responsible Officers are at the Office of Visa Services (OVS). If your J-1 sponsor is an agency, and if you are uncertain how to reach your J-1 Responsible Officer, the staff at the OVS can help you find out, but has no authority to grant employment permission.

Eligibility

You must be in good academic standing at the school named on your Form DS-2019.
The proposed employment must be directly related to your major field of study.
Throughout your Academic Training you must maintain permission to stay in the United States, in J-1 student status, and apply for extensions as necessary.
You must maintain health insurance coverage for yourself and any J-2 dependents throughout your Academic Training.

Duration of Academic Training

Your employment may be authorized for the length of time necessary to complete the goals and objectives of the training, provided that the amount of time is approved by both your academic advisor and your Responsible Officer. It may not exceed the amount of time it took for you to complete your full course of study, or 18 months, whichever is shorter. If you receive a Ph.D., however, your post-doctoral training may last as long as 36 months, provided you have a position commensurate with your level of education.

Part-time employment for Academic Training counts against the 18 or 36 month-limit the same as full-time employment.

You may have only one opportunity for Academic Training regardless how many degrees you receive.

Academic Training before completion of studies will be deducted from the total 18 or 36 months

How to Apply

You must apply for Academic Training before the ending date on your DS-2019 (you must obtain a written offer of appropriate employment no later than 30 days after your program or you will lose eligibility).

A job offer letter from your prospective employer that includes:

job title,
a brief description of the "goals and objectives" of your "training program" (your employment),
the dates and location of the employment, the number of hours per week, salary,
the name and address of your "training supervisor" (the quotations come from the regulations).
Make sure that your employer's letter includes all of these details. (See the sample letter.)

Academic advisors recommendation. Give a copy of your employer's letter to your academic advisor for use in writing to your J-1 Responsible Officer recommending the Academic Training. According to the J-1 regulations, your advisor's recommendation must include the following:

The goals and objectives of the specific training program;
A description of the training program, including its location, the name and address of the training supervisor, number of hours per week, and dates of the training;
How the training relates to the student's major field of study; and
Why it is an integral or critical part of the academic program of the exchange visitor student

The OVS has a form that your advisor can use for the required letter of recommendation.

Princeton-sponsored J-1 students can use this form.

When your academic advisor's recommendation is ready, bring it to the OVS, with a copy of the employer's letter attached.

Your J-1 Responsible Officer must evaluate the Academic Training program and decide whether it is warranted and appropriate. If so, she will write you a letter of approval. To authorize post-doctoral training your J-1 Responsible Officer may also issue you a new Form DS-2019, for no more than 18 months at a time.

Authorization to Work

A Social Security Number: To put you on the payroll, your employer will need your Social Security number, which you can obtain by applying for a Social Security card. Take your passport (if you are Canadian you may use another form of photo-bearing identification), I-94 Departure Record card, Form DS-2019, and a letter at the OVS to an office of the Social Security Administration.

Form I-9: Employment Eligibility Verification. When you begin work, you and your employer must complete Form I-9, which requires you to document your identity and work authorization according to directions on the back of the Form. Of the various items acceptable as documentation, you may find that the most convenient combination is your passport (or other photo-bearing identification if you are Canadian), I-94 Departure Record card, the Form DS-2019, and your J-1 Responsible Officer's written work authorization. Your employer, who keeps Form I-9, will make copies of the documents you submit, and return the originals to you. Form I-9 must be updated any time that you receive a renewal of your permission for Academic Training.

Social Security and Other Taxes

Social Security taxes. In general, as a J-1 student, you will be exempt from Social Security (F.I.C.A.) taxes for your first five years in the United States, as long as you continue to declare non-resident status for tax purposes. See Internal Revenue Service Publication 519, "U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens."

Federal, state, and local taxes. Unless you qualify under a tax treaty between the United States and your home government, your earnings as a J-1 will be subject to applicable federal, state, and local taxes, and employers are required by law to withhold those taxes from your paychecks. By April 15 of each year you must file a federal income tax return covering the prior calendar year to determine whether you owe more taxes or have a refund coming.

A Note of Caution

As a J-1 student, you may be eligible for employment opportunities in the United States, but employment without proper authorization is a serious violation of your status. Remember that before you start any kind of employment, you must first consult your J-1 Responsible Officer, whose written approval is necessary in advance.

Link to Sample Employer Letter.

Link to Advisor's Recommendation Form.