J-1 Scholar Employment

As a J-1 scholar (Professor, Research Scholar, Short-Term Scholar or Specialist), your employment in the U.S. is limited to the position described on your DS-2019 form. Occasional lectures or short-term consultations are allowed but require prior written approval. Your J-1 Alternate/Responsible Officer, who represents your J-1 sponsor and issues your DS-2019 forms, must grant this approval.

Request for permission

A request to accept incidental employment will be considered if the activity is directly related to your J-1 scholar program objectives. It must also be secondary to your primary program activities and must not delay your program completion.

To obtain authorization for incidental employment, you must present the following to your J-1 Alternate/Responsible Officer:

1. A letter of offer from the prospective employer must outline the terms and conditions of the proposed employment. This includes the duration, number of hours, field or subject, compensation amount and a description of the activity for which you are being hired.
2. You must provide a letter from your department head or supervisor recommending the activity. It should explain how the activity relates to your principal work and enhances your J-1 scholar program.

All scholars must receive permission for incidental employment prior to participation. ISSC cannot retroactively approve a past activity.

Authorization to work

Your authorization to engage in the incidental employment activity will be in the form of a letter to you from your J-1 Alternative/Responsible Officer. You should give a copy of this letter to your employer and keep the original for your permanent records.

As a J-1 scholar your options for incidental employment are limited. Please remember that employment without proper authorization is a serious violation of your status. Before starting any employment, you must consult your J-1 Alternate/Responsible Officer. Their written approval is required before you engage in incidental employment.

If you are invited to provide short-term services, such as earning an honorarium, from another academic institution or organization, you must get permission from ISSC before accepting. The work must be directly related to your program objective. To request approval, submit a letter from the external institution describing the work and a letter from your ASU supervisor explaining how it benefits you. Accepting payment without prior approval from your program sponsor will violate your immigration status.