Tips for Navigating On-Campus Employment for International Students 

Students who attend the school that issues their valid I-20/DS-2019 while maintaining F-1/J-1 status. 

Students who receive a paycheck from Swarthmore or other forms of compensation, such as room and board, from Swarthmore.

Total hours worked on campus cannot exceed more than 20 hours per week. Students can only work more than 20 hours per week in the following situations: 

1. During school breaks (ex: Spring and Winter break)
2. During Vacation Periods (ex: Summer)

There are many limitations for international students to work off-site, including working remotely 

for non-swarthmore entities.* If you are considering working off-site, reach out to a member of the ISC team. 

*This includes Swatworks

If you are doing SwatWorks in the U.S, you need work authorization.

If you are doing SwatWorks outside the U.S, you do NOT need work authorization.

1. Exploring JobX

JobX is the platform for Swarthmore students to search for job opportunities on campus. You can access JobX by clicking here: https://swarthmore.studentemployment.ngwebsolutions.com/ and logging in with your Swarthmore credentials. While you can apply to a job without filling all your paperwork, you must have all of them done when accepting the position. 

2. What documents do I need? 

You will need to have your I-94* and Social Security number* in hand to fill out the required forms. These include Pennsylvania-specific forms and other documentations. You will see a checklist on your ‘Student Record Details’ section in the ‘My Dashboard’ tab. Please refer to our Social Security Number blog for more information. 

*Before you get your SSN, you can put in all zeros where it is required, and then update with SEO/payroll once you receive your SSN card.

*You can access your most recent I-94 here: https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/home

3. Finding and accepting a job on JobX

To find a job, you go to the Employees tab on the top left corner and click on ‘Find a Job.’ You can search jobs using advanced search or browse around by clicking ‘Show All Active Jobs.’

Once you see the list of on-campus job openings, click on one of them to check its Job Details. Here you can read the job expectation, work descriptions, and contact information of the employers. 

“Click here to apply for the job” when ready to do so.  

*Some jobs ask for your resume and/or a cover letter. If you need assistance, please contact Career Services in Parrish 135 or stop by Career Fellows Drop-In hours, Monday through Friday from 1-4:00 pm. 

Once you receive the job offer, you can log into Jobx to accept or decline it. To do so, go to the Employees drop-down arrow on the top left and go to My Dashboard. Scroll down to see the offered positions and make your decision. 

4. How do I get paid? Understanding my taxes

You can submit your worked hours through My Swarthmore once you start working. 

Missing the deadline (every other Monday at 10 AM) will postpone your pay until the next paying period. Repeated missed timesheet deadlines will impact your eligibility to work on campus.

To submit your timesheets, go to My Swarthmore and click on the Employee tab. In the Employee Dashboard, you can submit timesheets and see your deducted taxes. 

Your paycheck (accumulative wages) will be less than expected wages (hours × hourly wages) due to tax deductions applying to employed international students on campus. 

Want to learn more about taxes? Check out our Taxes blog for more information. 

Your pay will be directly deposited into your bank account every two weeks as long as you have submitted your timesheets on time.