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J-1 students are permitted to work in the US only if they are maintaining valid J-1 status and have the written permission of their J-1 sponsor. There are two different types of employment for J-1 students: J-1 student employment and Academic Training. For information about each type of employment, and the procedures for obtaining authorization, see the sections below.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are a J-1 student and your J-1 sponsor is an external organization instead of Tufts University (e.g., IIE, AMIDEAST), your sponsor must directly authorize you for employment and assist you with obtaining documents needed for Social Security applications. Please contact your sponsor for their directions / instructions.

J-1 Student Employment

Student employment is permitted only while you are pursuing your J-1 program objective. There are three types of student employment:

  • Employment based on a fellowship, assistantship, or grant (such as a teaching or research assistantship)
  • Employment that takes place on the premises of the campus (on-campus employment)
    • On-campus employment may be with any Tufts department or office, but cannot be any job that requires US federal work study (FWS) financial aid approval as a condition of employment
  • Off-campus employment authorized due to serious, urgent, and unforeseen economic circumstance

Academic Training

J-1 Academic Training is training that is related to your major field of study as indicated on your Form DS-2019. Academic Training may take place either during studies (pre-completion Academic Training) or immediately after completion of studies (post-completion Academic Training). The primary purpose of Academic Training should not be financial in nature, but to gain practical opportunities that complement your J-1 program and studies in a particular field or major. Training experiences can take the form of paid employment, internships, or practicum experiences.