As an international student, there are some steps you need to take in order to work on the EWU campus.
Eligibility
Not all international students are eligible for employment. If you have an F1 Visa, you are eligible to work on campus. Those with J-1 Visas are eligible only by permission from their program sponsor. All international students must be in valid status and meet the requirements of the Office of Global Initiatives (OGI). OGI must then approve you for employment prior to working.
OGI is located in room 103 on the first floor of Hargreaves Hall on the Cheney campus. Please visit https://global.ewu.edu/globalhttps://global.ewu.edu/ for more information.
International Students without a Social Security Number
Every employee on the EWU campus, including International Students, must have a Social Security Number before they begin working. In order to apply for your Social Security Number, you must first get a job offer. After you receive a job offer and your Social Security Number, contact Student Employment. Student Employment will give clearance to your work-site supervisor and let them know that you may begin working at your on-campus job.
Canadian Students
Students coming from Canada seeking employment need to enter as a student and have an I-20. If you enter as a tourist visiting the US and start working on-campus this will violate your status.
Employment Process
Step 1: Meet the OGI requirements referenced above.
Step 2: Set up your Handshake account and apply for jobs.
Handshake is EWU's Career Management Platform.
- Go to ewu.joinhandshake.com and log in with SSO or your @ewu.edu email address and password.
- Complete your Handshake profile to personalize your experience and to ensure that you are seeing all the jobs you are qualified for.
- For assistance with creating a resume, make an appointment with the Career Center. Appointments can be made online in Handshake under the "Career Center" drop-down menu.
- For instructions for uploading a resume, click here.
- Search for jobs in Handshake by clicking on "Jobs" in the top navigation bar and use the filters on the left to narrow your search results.
- Apply for jobs on campus.
Need more help with Handshake? Visit support.joinhandshake.com or contact the Career Center.
Step 3: Visit the Student Employment office.
Once you've received a job offer, visit the Student Employment Office in Showalter Hall 300. You must bring the following items to complete your hiring paperwork.
- A completed Non-Work Study Employment Authorization Form. This form can be located on the Hiring Documents page of this website.
- A valid passport, I-20 and I-94/DS-2019 or other Valid Employment Authorization document as listed on EAD/1-766 (List A document).
Step 4: Meet with OGI and apply for your Social Security Number.
Once hired, obtain a job offer letter from your work site supervisor. Make an appointment with OGI and bring your job offer letter. OGI will assist you in preparing additional paperwork needed to apply for your Social Security Number. On average, it takes 7-21 days to get your Social Security Card after applying for it. If you go back to the Social Security Administration Office after 10 days (optional) they can sometimes give you the number before you've received the card.
Social Security Administration Office:
Suite 100
714 N. Ironbridge Way
Spokane, WA 99202
Phone: 1.800.772.1213
Step 5: Contact the Student Employment office.
Call or visit the Student Employment Office as soon as you have your Social Security Number to finalize your hiring paperwork so you can begin working.
Tax Information
International students in non-immigrant status (i.e. F-1, J-1, etc.) and their dependents ARE REQUIRED to file a tax form with the U.S. government for each tax year they are in the U.S. regardless of whether they earned any income. Please visit the OGI website for details: global.ewu.edu/students/taxes.
