International Students

International students can find many opportunities to work on campus during both the academic year and the summer. 

At Bowdoin, the term international student refers to any student who is not a US citizen or permanent resident. Students on an H-4 visa are not allowed to work on campus.  

All students on campus are restricted to a maximum cumulative total of twenty hours per week during the academic year and forty hours per week during winter, spring, or summer break. If you hold more than one position on campus, you must calculate the total hours worked across all jobs to ensure that you work twenty or fewer hours per week. International student employees and their supervisors are encouraged to pay close attention to the twenty-hour weekly limit. Working more than the limit could constitute a violation of the student's visa, which could have serious ramifications.

Special Steps to Employment for International Students

Please note: Beginning employment prior to completing the steps below could result in severe consequences for you and the status of your student visa.

1. Apply for jobs on campus via Workday or by networking with on-campus employers.
   
   
2. Once you receive a job offer from an employer, please ask your supervisor to submit a completed International Student Employee Data Sheet to seo@bowdoin.edu and to Khoa Khuong (kkhuong@bowdoin.edu), the international student advisor in the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs, by email or by campus mail.
   
   This form provides us with proof of intent to hire and the terms of your eventual employment. The associate director of student employment and the international student advisor will each provide you with a letter verifying your employment on-campus. These letters are required for step 3.
   
   
3. Obtaining a Social Security Number (SSN)  Take the two letters from the Office of Student Employment and the international student advisor, your passport with your I-94 card, and your I-20 to the Social Security Administration Office in Portland. The international student advisor can help you arrange your trip to Portland. The Social Security Administration office is located at 550 Forest Avenue. (Please note: If you already have a US Social Security Number, you will be able to skip this portion and contact the Office of Student Employment for next steps)
   
   
4. After you receive your official Social Security card in the mail, which takes about one week, please email the Office of Student Employment at seo@bowdoin.edu. We will initiate the hire for your on-campus position and connect you with the Robin Saindon in the controller's office to schedule a meeting to complete all employment paperwork. 
   
   
5. Robin Saindon will reach out via email to schedule a time to complete your employment paperwork. Please plan thirty minutes for this meeting, though it may take less time. Robin will send you a link to the Glacier software program—an application that will assist you with your paperwork, and later, with filing your taxes. Important Note: You will need to have a US bank account established prior to this meeting to fill out your direct deposit form. You will also need to bring original copies of your travel documents (Passport, DS-2019, I-94, VISA sticker, etc.). After you meet with Robin and Workday onboarding is complete, you should notify your supervisor that you are ready to begin working on-campus.