ISSS

As a F-1 international student you are permitted to work on campus for up to 20 hours per week when school is in session and 40 hours during breaks, if you are pre-registered for the following quarter.

All CWU positions are posted through MyCWU:

• Use the path: MyCWU > Student Tab > Student Employment > On-Campus Jobs.
  • If a department tells you they want to hire you, you will need to apply through MyCWU.
• Career Services can help you with your resume and cover letter.
• NOTE: "Work Study" is a government financial aid program for U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents. So if a job is described as "Work Study Only", you are not eligible.

Pre-Employment Paperwork

The final pre-employment paperwork consists of verifying your I-9 and completing your profile in the Glacier Tax Database. OISP staff assist with these during a scheduled appointment. Please bring with you:

• Passport
• F-1 Visa
• I-94
• I-20
• Social Security card or receipt letter

Once your paperwork is finished, we will give you proof that you are authorized to work on-campus, allowing you to start working even if you haven't received your Social Security number yet.

If you've applied for a Social Security card, please provide ISSS with a copy when it arrives. You'll need to enter your Social Security number in Glacier so all your forms can be reprinted with the number included. Then, you'll need to sign the new paperwork from Glacier.

Once you've completed your Glacier paperwork, please remember to update it if you change your address, phone number, or visa status. Visit our office if you need assistance, and we'll help you print the necessary paperwork for you to sign. We'll then update your information in the payroll system.

For additional information, you can schedule an appointment, visit Hebeler 102, email wellsr@cwu.edu, or call 509-963-3612.

Centers Students

International students at the Des Moines, Lynnwood, Pierce, and Sammamish centers will work with their center's secretary to complete their pre-employment paperwork, using all the same documents as above.

International students must obtain work authorization to work off-campus and it must be related to your CWU major.

Internship/Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

Optional Practical Training (OPT)

If you are planning to engage in volunteer activity, you MUST check with an ISSS Advisor BEFORE starting.

Volunteering is a service without pay and usually, the service is altruistic (for example, packaging food for the homeless, tutoring children, or picking up litter in a park). While you receive no pay, you may develop useful skills such as leadership, teamwork, working with people from other cultures, and more.

The Department of Labor provides helpful information to determine if it is a volunteer role. Please carefully review their factsheets.

• For-profit organization (See The Test for Unpaid Interns and Students section)
• Non-profit organization (See Volunteers section)

WARNING: Some students think they are “volunteering” if they offer to work for a company through a class opportunity. The U.S. government does not consider employment to be “volunteering” any time you are paid. Additionally, if the volunteer experience is related to your major, you will most-likely need work authorization in order to participate.

Engaging in Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) licensing might appear as a convenient way to earn money while managing your hectic schedule. However, according to NCAA regulations, it is considered a violation of your F-1 immigration status. At present, without clear guidance from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), we are unable to provide advice or authorization for international student athletes to participate in compensated NIL arrangements within the U.S. or overseas.

International student athletes should approach NIL-related matters cautiously and consult with a knowledgeable immigration attorney before entering into an NIL agreement or engaging in compensated NIL activities.

When you find an employer that wants to hire you, your new employer must provide OISP with a letter stating that you have been offered a job (we have a template here). The employer must complete this, print it on their letterhead and sign. Bring the original employer letter to ISSS and we will make a copy and give you the original letter to keep, along with a letter from your DSO/PDSO.

You will need to bring these documents with you when you go to the Social Security office:

• Passport
• F-1 Visa
• I-94
• I-20
• Application for the social security card
• CWU connection card
• Two official letters (Employer Letter & DSO/PDSO Letter)
• Birth certificate (only if you have it with you in the U.S.)

The closest Social Security office to Ellensburg is in Yakima. Additionally, there are multiple Social Security offices in the Seattle-Tacoma area and one in Wenatchee. You can choose the office that is most convenient for you. If you plan to drive from Ellensburg to Yakima, be prepared for the journey to take approximately three hours. Public transportation is available, but it may take longer.

It's important to ensure that the Social Security office provides you with a receipt for your application. This receipt, in the form of a letter from the Social Security office, serves as proof that you have applied for your Social Security card. You will need to bring this letter back to either ISSS or your CWU Center office to complete the final pre-employment paperwork.