Employment & Internships

If you are an international student who doesn’t have F-1 or J-1 status, then you do NOT need permission from ISSS to work. However, you may need to apply for authorization from the U.S. government to work.

Quick Links

F-1 and J-1 students follow different rules to work in the U.S. Please check the section below that applies to your situation.

F-1 Employment
J-1 Employment
Social Security Number
Finding a Job

The following videos were created prior to the launch of the ISSS Portal, so they still mention our past software Terra Dotta. Please note that all application processes with ISSS are now done through the new ISSS Portal and not through Terra Dotta.

F-1 Employment Overview Video

J-1 Employment Overview Video

F-1 Employment

On-Campus Work: Most F-1 students can start working on campus no earlier than 30 days prior to the first day of classes. Click the "F-1 Steps to Work On-Campus" button below for more information.

Off-Campus Work: If you need to work off-campus, you must get work authorization first.

CPT: Used for internships, co-ops, and other off-campus work performed during your studies.
OPT: Mainly used for work after graduation. Thesis and dissertation students may be eligible to start their post-grad work a early.

F-1 Steps to Work On-Campus

Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

Optional Practical Training (OPT)

J-1 Employment Information

J-1 students are required to get work authorization before doing ANY employment in the U.S. If you work without authorization, you will violate your status.

Note: If your DS-2019 was issued by Fulbright or another non-TAMU sponsor, then you need to talk to your J-1 program sponsor to get work authorization. ISSS cannot authorize anything for you if we did not issue your DS-2019.

J-1 On-Campus Work

J-1 Internships & Post-Grad Work

Social Security Number

All workers in the U.S. need a Social Security Number (SSN). This is a number assigned by the Social Security Administration (an office within the U.S. federal government). You will only receive one SSN and it’s valid for life. If you don’t have an SSN yet, then you can apply for one after you arrive in the U.S. and after your ISSS Check-In is complete. You will not have access to the SSN request in the ISSS Portal until after your New F-1/J-1 Student Check-In has been fully processed by ISSS.

F-1 students: Must have completed ISSS Check-In and must have a job offer to apply for an SSN.
J-1 students: Must have completed ISSS Check-In but do not have to have a job offer to apply for an SSN.
If you have applied for F-1 CPT or J-1 Academic Training, you do not need to submit a separate application for an ISSS SSN letter. ISSS can give you the endorsement letter with your request for work authorization.

Steps to Apply for an SSN

Complete required ISSS Check-In
Get a Job Offer Letter (if required). If you require a job offer letter, the start date listed must be within 30 days of the SSN application.

Job Letter Requirements

A job offer letter needs to include the following:

Student Name (as it is listed on the student's passport, including any middle names, if applicable)
Hiring Department
Position/Title
Start Date
Number of hours per week the student will work
Rate of pay
Supervisor's name and telephone number
Must be on Texas A&M University letterhead
Must have an original signature with the signer's title
Must include the date the letter was issued

***If you need an SSN for OPT employment, see the Students Applying for OPT section below***

Apply for ISSS SSN Endorsement Letter
- You can submit an SSN request in the Internships & Employment section of the ISSS Portal. New students will not have access to this category of the ISSS Portal until after their Check-In has been processed by ISSS.
  - If you need an SSN for an off-campus internship, you can request one as part of your CPT (F-1) or Academic Training (J-1) request with ISSS. You do not need to submit a separate request for an SSN endorsement letter.
- After the request is done, ISSS will issue an SSN endorsement letter and original, paper I-20 or DS-2019 for you to use at the SSA.

Social Security Administration (SSA) Application Process and Appointment Guidelines
- Complete Online Application and Schedule Appointment: Within 30 days of receiving the letter from ISSS, you need to submit the online SSN application using this website and make an appointment at a local Social Security Administration office. See the SSA (Social Security Administration) Officessection below for further details.
  - After you finish the online request, you must then visit a nearby Social Security office or card center with your documentation within 45 calendar days.
- Confirmation and Rescheduling: After you submit your application and schedule an appointment, you will receive an email confirmation to the email address you provided in your application. You have the option to reschedule or cancel the appointment as required.
- Before Your Appointment: Arrive early for your scheduled appointment and bring all necessary documents for your verification.
- Check-in and Ticket Number: You should receive an automated text message about 30 minutes before your appointment (using the phone number from your application). Upon arrival to the SSA office, you will need to check in using the link provided in the text message. You with then receive a ticket number. This number will be used by the office to direct you to an appropriate representative at the window.
- Verification and Receipt: After successful verification, you will receive a receipt from the SSA staff member at the window. This receipt will confirm the address that you entered on your application form. Please ensure this address is accurate, as it is where you will receive your card within next 7 to 10 business days.

You are allowed to start working while you wait for your SSN to be processed. You can submit the SSN receipt to your employer as proof of the application.

Students Applying for OPT

OPT applicants can request an SSN through their Form I-765 application.

See the I-765 Filing Guides for more information on filling out the Form I-765.
After you submit the Form I-765, you will receive a receipt that indicates you've requested an SSN.
- This receipt can be used as verification of the SSN request when visiting benefit granting agencies.
- SSA staff should advise applicants to use this receipt instead of applying for a non-work SSN.
If USCIS approves your OPT request, they will electronically transmit the SSN data to the Social Security Administration (SSA).
- After receiving the data, SSA's enumeration system automatically assigns original SSNs or issues replacement SSN cards as appropriate.
- SSN Cards for EAD applicants using Form I-765 will include the legend “VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH DHS AUTHORIZATION”.
- SSA mails the card to the mailing address provided on the USCIS application.

Social Security Administration (SSA) Offices

It is highly recommended to schedule an online appointment after completing your application before visiting the office. Please note that there have been instances where walk-ins were not accommodated.

Bryan SSA office Contact Information

Address: 2120 West Briargate Dr., Bryan, TX 77802
Phone Numbers: 1-866-568-9428 (Primary), 1-866-568-9428 (Alternate), and 1-800-325-0778 (TTY)

If you find yourself in an emergency situation and need an earlier appointment, consider scheduling at the Brenham SSA office, which may have more immediate availability.

Brenham SSA office Contact information

Address: 2901 Victory Ln, Brenham, TX 77833
Phone Numbers: 1-800-772-1213 (Primary) and 1-855-287-4792 (Alternate)

Please prefer using the link: http://www.ssa.gov/

SSN Application Tips

SAVE Verification

The Social Security Administration (SSA) must verify your immigration status before they process your application. Your port of entry data may take 12-15 days to be entered into the verification system.
If you apply too early and the SSA cannot verify your status, then they will forward your application to the Dept. Of Homeland Security for verification. This will add 2-6 weeks onto the normal SSN processing.
If the name on your I-20 or DS-2019 doesn’t match the name on your I-94, you may have SAVE verification issues. Any name corrections for the I-94 must be addressed by CBP Deferred Inspection.
- Click here for more information about I-94 Issues.
You can see if your immigration status has been verified on SAVE CaseCheck.

Guidelines for Name on Social Security Number (SSN) card
These guidelines help ensure that your SSN card is processed correctly and matches your legal identification, which is crucial for all official and legal purposes.

Name Consistency: The first and last names on your SSN card must match exactly with those on the document you submit as proof of identity or your legal name. Please note that middle names or suffixes (such as Jr., Sr., III) are not considered part of your legal name for SSN purposes. It does not affect the validity of your SSN card if your middle name or suffix is included, omitted, or shown incorrectly.
- If your first name (given name) or last name (family name) is not listed on your passport, it will show as "unknown" on the SSN card
  - FNU(First Name Unknown) / LNU (Last Name Unknown).
- A single name is acceptable for SSN applications.
- A middle name is recorded but not considered part of your legal name for SSN purposes.
Card Format: The SSN card contains two lines, each with space for 26 characters:
- The first line is reserved for your first and middle names.
- The second line is for your last name and any suffix, if applicable.
Character Limits: Ensure that your first and last names are not shortened unless they exceed the 26-character limit per line. If including middle initials or suffixes causes these names to be shortened, it's better to omit them to allow as many characters as possible for your first and last names.
- If the name exceeds the allowed length, the SSN card will have an asterisk which indicates the name is longer than printed on the card.

Other Tips

Employment letters cannot be signed electronically for the SSN application.
Make sure you provide the correct U.S. mailing address. Incorrect addresses will cause your SSN card to be returned to the SSA office.
Going to the SSA office to check the status of your application will not make your application go faster. You need to wait at least 2 weeks before you contact the SSA to check the status.
- Generally, the card is received in 7-10 business days after SSA approval.
Sponsored students: You should contact your program sponsor to make sure your work doesn’t violate the rules of your sponsorship. Failure to get consent from your sponsor may impact your funding.

FINDING A JOB

The Career Center has specific pages (linked below) to help international students find jobs:

Please be aware of potentially fraudulent employers. You can also review other information about scams here.

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