Student Employment FAQs

On-campus employment is work performed on the Case Western Reserve University campus and compensated by the university. An on-campus employer might be an academic department or the bookstore, for example.

Students working in hourly, paid positions through the Office of Student Employment must read through the information and complete the steps provided in the Employment Verification and Social Security Number Instructions packet to work on campus.

Students who receive scholarships, fellowships or assistantships with work components are also considered to be working on campus; however, their process is managed by Graduate Student Payroll. Students paid through Graduate Student Payroll are not required to complete the same steps as those paid by Student Employment unless they need to obtain a Social Security Number (SSN). 

Work at an off-campus location that is educationally affiliated with CWRU may also be considered on-campus. This affiliation must be associated with CWRU's established curriculum or be related to a contractually funded graduate level research project which a program or department at CWRU has agreed to perform. Such employment must be an integral part of the student's program of study. Students should consult with an international student advisor about such an opportunity before commencing work to be sure that it meets the government’s definition of on-campus employment. In most cases, off-campus work authorization will be recommended for the student.

There are several steps that must be completed if you plan to work on-campus through the Office of Student Employment. Visit their website for a full explanation of the Employment Process.

Employment Verification is provided by ISS and must be taken to the Office of Student Employment for processing before you begin working. You can submit your complete Employment Verification to be processed by an ISS staff member. You will be notified by email when it is complete.

In general, Employment Verification only needs to be completed once during the time that you're enrolled at CWRU so long as your are properly maintaining your visa status; however, you will have to complete hiring/maintenance forms with Student Employment as needed.

If you are already working for your department and being paid by Graduate Payroll because you receive a scholarship, fellowship or assistantship, you may not be eligible for additional on-campus work.

Remember, you’re limited to working 20 hours per week during the academic year.

In order for ISS to determine your eligibility, a department representative will need to verify your present working commitments. An advisor in ISS will evaluate the information and advise you accordingly.

If you work on campus for more than 20 hours per week, that's a serious problem. Your visa status will be terminated in accordance with federal regulations, which only allow for 20 hours during the academic year. The only time you can work for more than 20 hours is during a university-designated break period- winter break, spring break, and summer break.

If you work on campus without proper work authorization, that's a serious problem. 

ISS has a policy outlining how we handle work authorization violations and the serious consequences of this action. 

Yes, you can work. Requesting a replacement EAD does not invalidate your current authorization dates. Be sure to make a copy of the original EAD issued to you before you send it to USCIS as part of the correction process. 

If you are currently employed, you should let your employer know about your plans to have your EAD reissued to you and provide your employer with the new EAD when it arrives.

If you are not yet employed or plan to start a new job while your EAD is being reissued, definitely discuss this with your employer and explain that you have a copy of your old EAD. Remember, your authorization to work is not being invalidated by requesting the new EAD; however, your employer needs to be comfortable with the documentation you can present to demonstrate your eligibility to work.

Definitely make a copy of your original EAD before you send it to USCIS. This card is proof your authorization to work during the specific dates printed on the card.

No, you cannot work beyond the authorization dates printed on your original card while USCIS is processing your replacement. If you do not have your new, correct EAD by the time your original one expires, you must stop working and wait for the corrected card to arrive.

ISS recommends that you send:

• a copy of your receipt notice to establish that your OPT application was received during the dates USICS identifies as eligible for a correction request
• a copy of your I-20, pages 1 and 2, to show the original duration of OPT that you requested

If you cannot provide a copy of your receipt notice, tracking information from the mail service you used would also establish the date on which your application was received.

The mailing address for the Service Center responsible for your application is printed in the lower left corner of your OPT receipt notice.

At this time, USCIS has not indicated any processing timeline for these requests. You should anticipate that it may take several weeks to receive your new card. 

USCIS has not provided information about plans to communicate with students filing for corrections. ISS recommends that you send your documentation using a delivery service that provides a tracking number. This tracking information will confirm that your request has reached USCIS. 

USCIS has not provided information about plans to communicate with students about the issuance of new EADs or how they will be mailed.

You can include your mailing address in the letter that you submit to USCIS requesting the replacement card. You should also provide the information through USCIS' website.