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You may be entitled to work part time as an international student in the USA. Check with the school and program for which you have been accepted about the details and rules. Here is some basic information (modified from the original available at the US government site):

If you hold a student visa of type F-1, J-1, or M-1, your school may ask you for a Social Security number. Some colleges and schools use Social Security numbers as student identification numbers. If you do not have a Social Security number, the college or school should be able to give you another identification number. Social Security will not assign you a number just to enroll in a college or school.

(For more information on student visas in the US, read the Immigration & Visa Issues lesson in the Studying in the USA community.)

Social Security numbers are generally assigned to people who are authorized to work in the United States. They are used to report your wages to the government and to determine eligibility for Social Security benefits. 

What Do I Have to Do to Work in the United States?

How Do I Apply For a Social Security Number?

To apply for a Social Security number:

• Complete an Application For A Social Security Card (see the downloadable form on the left side of this page); and
• Show us original documents proving your:
• Immigration status;
• Work eligibility;
• Age; and
• Identity.
• Take your completed application and original documents to your local Social Security office.

Immigration Status

To prove your immigration status, you must show us the current U.S. immigration document, I-94, Arrival/Departure Record, issued to you when you arrived in the United States. If you are an F-1 or M-1 student, you also must show us your I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status. If you are a J-1 exchange visitor, you must show us your DS-2019, Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status.

Work Eligibility

If you are an F-1 student and eligible to work on campus, you must provide a letter from your designated school official that:

• Identifies you;
• Confirms your current school status; and
• Identifies your employer and the type of work you are, or will be, doing.

We also need to see evidence of that employment, such as a recent pay slip or a letter from your employer. Your supervisor must sign and date the employment letter. This letter must describe:

• Your job;
• Your employment start date;
• The number of hours you are, or will be, working; and
• Your supervisor’s name and telephone number.

If you are an F-1 student authorized to work in curricular practical training (CPT), you must provide us your Form I-20 with the employment page (page 3) completed and signed by your school’s designated official.

If you are an F-1 or M-1 student and have an Employment Authorization Document (EAD Form I-766 or I-688B) from DHS, you must present it.

If you are a J-1 student, you must provide a letter from your sponsor. The letter should be on sponsor letterhead with an original signature that authorizes your employment.

We cannot process your application if:

• Your on-campus or CPT work begins more than 30 days from your application date; or
• The employment start date on your EAD Form I-766 or I-688B is a future date.

Age

You must present your birth certificate if you have it or can easily obtain it. If not, we can consider other documents, such as your passport or a document issued by DHS, to prove your age.

Identity

We can accept only certain documents as proof of identity. An acceptable document must be current (not expired) and show your name, identifying information and preferably a recent photograph. Social Security will ask to see your current U.S. immigration documents. Acceptable immigration documents include your:

• Form I-551 (includes machine-readable immigrant visa with your unexpired foreign passport);
• I-94 with your unexpired foreign passport; or
• Work permit card from DHS (I-766 or I-688B).

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