On-Campus Employment

Students maintaining valid F-1 or J-1 non-immigrant status are eligible for on-campus employment.  Below is an overview of eligibility:

Students:  F-1 students may work on-campus without special work authorization; however, J-1 students must obtain permission from the Responsible Officer of their Exchange Visitor Program (the person who signed their DS-2019) prior to working on campus. J-1 students must present a letter from their Responsible Officer to Human Resources as proof of their employment authorization prior to beginning work.

Dependents:  F-2 dependents are not allowed to work under any circumstances.  J-2 dependents may apply for work permission through the United States Citizenship & Immigration Service (USCIS) under limited circumstances.  Please speak with an advisor at International Students & Scholars for more information.

Semester Employment:  Employment may not exceed 20 hours per week during the Fall and Spring semesters (there is no limit to on-campus employment during summer, winter and spring official school breaks).  Students with 20-hour per week graduate assistantships (also known as a 50% appointment) are not eligible for additional on-campus employment during the Fall and Spring semesters. Weeks are defined by University of Arkansas pay periods, which begin on Sunday and end on Saturday.

School Break Employment:  On-campus employment is employment by the university (including Chartwell's and other campus restaurants). There is no weekly limit to on-campus employment hours during school breaks; however, if you are working for multiple departments on campus, you should notify all your supervisors.  Failure to do so may result in one of your hiring departments being obligated to pay you "overtime" pay if you exceed 40 hours in a given week. For employment with an organization or entity outside of the university system (even if your work is physically performed on the campus), you MUST obtain prior work authorization from ISS and/or the immigration service (USCIS) before beginning work.

Paperwork:  All required paperwork (I-9, W-4, University of Arkansas drug & alcohol policy) must be completed through the Payroll Office in the Administration Building, Room 222.  You must also apply for a Social Security card, if you do not already have one.  Note:  Employees of Chartwell's or other companies with permanent locations on campus considered to be "on campus" employers must complete paperwork as instructed by that company's human resources representatives.

Paying Taxes:  In general, F-1 students who have been in the United States for 5 years or less are exempt from Social Security (F.I.C.A. or Medicare/OASDI) tax; however, federal, state, and local income taxes should be deducted from your paychecks. International students are NOT EXEMPT from these taxes.

Please note that even if you are not working and have no U.S. income, you are still required to file a U.S. tax return for each year that you are here (even if you were not present for the entire year). You can find information and assistance regarding tax reporting through Human Resources.

 

Filing Federal Taxes

ALL non-residents for tax purposes who were in the United States in the previous year MUST file a federal tax return, whether or not you have U.S. source income. The university provides GLACIER tax prep software to complete your Federal tax return each year as long as you are a Nonresident for tax purposes. You should NOT use any other program or company to complete your tax return. University of Arkansas and UADA employees can find their W-2 forms are available in Workday. Students who are not employed by the University of Arkansas (such as Chartwells, Barnes and Nobles, or an off campus internship or OPT), but who need to file a tax return should contact Nonresident Tax Coordinator NRATax@uark.edu for the access code. GLACIER also provides free workshops to help you complete federal tax returns and to answer your questions. The University of Arkansas provides access to this software for no charge to the university community.

 

Filing State Taxes

Non-residents who have received income from any Arkansas source must file an Arkansas income tax return. Find instructions for filing in the Arkansas Income Tax Guide. You may use tax filing software Sprintax for a fee, or use a filing website of their choice (find more options in the tax guide). Please send questions to Nonresident Tax Coordinator at NRAtax@uark.edu.

 

Tips for Finding a Job On-Campus:

  1. Visit the Human Resources website
  2. Speak with faculty, staff and friends about job opportunities
  3. Or contact the offices below for possible opportunities:
    • Arkansas Union: 575-2196
    • Campus Dining Services: 575-3232
    • Chemistry Library: 575-2028
    • Computing Services: 575-2901
    • Education Library: 575-5444
    • Engineering Match Center: 575-6010
    • Experimental Farms: 575-2252
    • Fine Arts Library: 575-4708
    • HPER: 575-2842
    • Library Worker Math Tutoring: 575-3351
    • Men's Athletics: 575-6533
    • Mullins Library: 575-4101
    • Parking and Transit: 575-3500
    • Physics Library: 575-2505
    • Razorback Patrol: 575-2222
    • Residence Life: 575-3951
    • SOAR Centers: 575-7290
    • Student Support Services: 575-3546
    • Telecommunications Center: 575-5346
    • Telephone Operator: 575-2000
    • Union Book Store: 575-2155
    • Upward Bound: 575-3553
    • Veterans Upward Bound: 575-2821
    • Women's Athletics: 575-4959