What is On Campus at Off Campus Authorization?

Federal regulations allow that under certain conditions, F-1 students may work at an off-campus location while still being considered as working “on-campus”. In order for students to be considered working on campus but performing the work at an off campus location, the student must the satisfy the following requirements:  

• The employment MUST be associated with the school's established curriculum OR related to contractually funded research projects at the graduate level.
• The research must be an integral part of the educational program and be commensurate with the level of study.
• Whether paid or unpaid, the student must obtain authorization to conduct research at the off-campus location.
• The student must register full-time while school is in session.
• The student may not be compensated for more than 20 hours of work per week.
• The student may work full-time during Texas A&M vacation periods if the student is eligible for a vacation.

How to Apply

You will need:

• Contact information for a department recommender (academic advisor, graduate advisor, etc.)
  
• Employer letter written on official letterhead. The letter should state the following:
  • The job title;
  • That the student will not be compensated for more than 20 hours per week of employment, except during school vacation periods for which the student is eligible;
  • The exact dates of the employment;
  • How the employer is educationally affiliated with Texas A&M and that the educational affiliation is associated with an established curriculum OR how the work is related to a contractually-funded project at the graduate level;
  • The salary and benefits.

ISSS will review the requests and provide the student with an authorization letter that includes the specific dates and physical location of employment. The student may not work at the off-campus site of employment until ISSS has approved and provided the written authorization for the student. The student will be responsible for requesting renewal of the on-campus/off-campus work authorization (authorizations are issued with a maximum duration of one year).