Forum topics - F1, work

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02-Jul-2001 09:28 AM

F1, work

sara

hi,

I already got my f1 visa for study 1 year in an ESL programm,I wanted to study english for one year before going to university in NY,I'm 19,from europe, my plans are finish my studies and stay and work in NY after that. My parents can't send me much money, so i'll need to work...my question is whats the better way to do this? i mean for in the future don't have problems to get permision to live/work here...I think probably just getting a job where they pay you in cash...but i read some messages i this forum about social security number and i don't understand it quite well... I have a health insurance that i made at a travel agency...is that my security number?...

thank you

03-Jul-2001 03:11 AM

Re: F1, work

klinikl

The safest way for an F-1 student to work is to work for your school. It's legal to work 20 hours per week during a semester and full-time during vacations. Obviously it is usually hard to find an 'on-campus" job, but I think it's worth to try it first. Then you'll have an american employment history, get a Social Security number without problems, and you won't break any laws.

The next best thing is working for cash, "off the books", "under the table". In this case you should avoid paying taxes or INS will be able to find about your employment. Not paying taxes is a crime as well but it's hard to get caught.

Social Security number is a blue card you get from a social security administration. One way to get it in New York is to get a letter from your school saying you work on-campus and show it to a SSA. Even some ESL schools can give you a letter like that.

Once you get a SSN it is possible to get a "regular" job the same way an American would do it. It is illegal to do and it's illegal for employers to hire you, but many employers don't know that. They think they can hire anyone with a SSN. In this case your employer files taxes in your name to IRS (tax authority). In the future INS (immigration authority) can check the IRS records and find out you worked illegally.

There's no direct communication between INS and IRS, so it is possible to work illegally and pay taxes for many years. It is strongly recommended to avoid this if you want to stay in America.

By the way if you do use your SSN for illegal work you should pay taxes or you will get cought by IRS, which is much more efficient than INS and has a financial incentive in catching people who don't pay taxes.

03-Jul-2001 09:26 PM

Re: F1, work

Introuble

I think its better if terms like "under the table", "off the book" are explained.

Working on-campus is the recommended way although they don't pay much. For undergrad students, it is hard to work and earn the money to pay for fulltime study. how many you can work is nice nicely explained by the writer of the the first reply.

If you decide to work off-campus, which is illegal, try to get paid by cash. This is called "under the table". In that case, your illegal occupation is not documented and you are safe as long as INS does not round you up from your work place. The likelyhood of that happening is remote.

Also, you can try for student loans. Some students may be able to get student loans from banks here. This site has info about that. So try that too. Good luck.

24-Jul-2001 07:04 PM

Re: F1, work

rilawyer

F-1 students are eligible for work permission if economic circumstances necessitate such work. However, such permission is never granted during one's first year of studies. INS reasons that a student had to prove that she was economically sound before coming to the U.S. Hence, first year students are out of luck for work permits. If, however, you continue your education in the U.S., beyond the first year, there are legal ways to acquire a permit to work up to 20 hours per week, off-campus, while school is in session. I do, however, suggest that you contact an attorney before taking this route due to the several legal loopholes you'll have to go through. Although you are European, not Australian, you may want to look at www.lawmatters.org for low-cost legal services.

25-Jul-2001 12:55 AM

Re: F1, work

Brian

Just so people don't get their hopes up, getting permission to work for economic hardship is pretty hard. The hardest part is proving that there has been a signifigant change in either you or your family's income. You'll need to base your petition on your original affidavit of support and that means you'll probably need your parent's cooperation. If nothing's happened to the status of your family (i.e. loss of life, disability, financial disaster), you'll have a hard time proving hardship.

Please keep in mind that a petition, even if filed by an attorney isn't guaranteed to to be granted. Also, the legal fees may be more than you'd make if the petition is granted. Before making any agreement with an attorney you should be sure to get a second opinion.

Good luck.

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