Employment and Social Security Number

May I work on campus?

If you are an F-1 student, you may work up to 20 hours a week while school is in session. You may work up to 40 hours a week when school is not in session or during an annual vacation approved by the Language and Culture Center (LCC).

May I work off campus?

If you are an F-1 student enrolled in the LCC, you may not work off campus unless you have received permission from the Department of Homeland Security to do so.

How can I find jobs?

Visit employers and ask for job information.
Log in to your AccessUH account at uh.edu and search jobs via the Cougar Pathway app.

Where can I find help?

Visit University Career Services for services including:

career counseling
on-campus interviews
vocational assessments
internship services
career fairs
career workshops
mock interviews

How do I get a Social Security number?

If you an international student, you must have received a job offer before you may apply for a Social Security number. Once you have a job, prepare all items below and apply for a Social Security number and card at the Social Security Administration (SSA). According to SSA, all documents must be either originals or copies certified by the issuing agency. The SSA cannot accept photocopies or notarized copies of documents. Refer to Resources for further information.

Application for Social Security Card, available at ssa.gov
Birth certificate or passport
Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status, if you are an F-1 student
Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record, or admission stamp in an unexpired foreign passport.
A letter from a Designated School Official in the LCC, which does all of the following:
- identifies you
- confirms your current school status
- identifies your employer and the type of work you are, or will be, doing
Evidence of employment, such as a letter from your employer, describing all of the following:
your job
your employment start date
the number of hours you are, or will be, working
your supervisor’s name and telephone number