If you have questions regarding your employment eligibility or just general questions about jobs on campus, contact the International Students and Scholars Office. Iowa State offers its students many employment opportunities. All jobs can be found on the Student Job Board, which can be viewed on AccessPlus.

The jobs are categorized by area, location and category. For instance, if you want a job in the College of Design, all you have to do is click on “Jobs by Area,” and then click on “College of Design.”

Once a student finds a job he or she is interested in pursuing, that student must apply for the job. Each job listing will specify how a person can apply for the position.

When a student obtains a job, he or she must complete employment eligibility verification by filling out Form I-9 before starting work. A student born in the United States must have two forms of identification to complete the form. The process for international students is slightly different.

The International Students and Scholars Office assists international students in preparing Form I-9. It essentially helps international students complete whatever documentation they’ll need to work legally in the United States.

“We prepare internal work permission forms once they find a job, and help them get a Social Security number,” said Deborah Vance, assistant director in the International Students and Scholars Office. To be eligible to work on campus, international students must be full-time students and have the proper immigration status.

Vance said most international students have student status, which makes students eligible to work on campus.

Vance said an international student is permitted to work on-campus 20 hours a week with no additional permission from immigration services. International students are also required to work only on-campus jobs.

“During their program of study, international students can’t work off campus without special permission and they cannot drop out and work for semester, unless it’s back in their home country,” Vance said. “Immigration regulations prevent it.”

Work-study is not available to international students.

“The federal government funds part of the work-study program,” Vance said. “International students are not eligible for any federal financial aid.”

When students graduate from Iowa State, they are eligible for academic training or optional practical training, Vance said.

“A student with J-1 status can get academic training, but we have very few with J-1 status,” Vance said. “Most of our students hold F-1 status and can apply for optional practical training.”

Vance said that this training helps international students gain experience in their fields of study.

If you have any questions regarding your employment eligibility or just general questions about jobs on campus, visit the International Students and Scholars Office website at www.isso.iastate.edu or use that website to sign up for a practical training workshop or schedule a meeting with an International Student and Scholar adviser.