On-Campus Employment and Taxes
Guidelines for F-1 Students
**J-1 Scholars must consult with ISS staff before commencing on or off-campus employment.**
International students are permitted by their visa status to work up to 20 hours per week on-campus. However St. Lawrence has a policy that only allows students to work 15 hours per week. You have to abide by this policy. You also cannot start working on campus earlier than 30 days before classes start.
Off-campus employment (volunteer, intern, job) is not allowed without proper authorization. See section on Practical Training for more information.
Student employment is coordinated by the Financial Aid Office in Payson Hall. International students are encouraged to use the services provided by the office in securing on-campus employment. Please find more information about on-campus employment here.
Which departments hire student workers?
Arts Center (Noble Center)
Augsbury Physical Education Center
Brewer Bookstore
Brush Art Gallery
Career Services
Center for Student Achievement
Community-Based Learning
Dining Services: Dana, Northstar Café, Canaras, etc.
Global Studies
Gunnison Memorial Chapel
Information Technology (IT)
Launders Science Library
Laurentian Engagement Office
Modern Languages Department
Music library
Outdoor Program
Owen D. Young Library (ODY)
Residence Life
Student Activities and many more
Before starting work, students must fill out some forms.
1. Fill out the personnel action form and notice of pay form that your on campus employer gives you.
2. Go to the Business Office in Vilas Hall to complete an I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification) and W-4 (Employee Withholding Allowance Certificate) form. The I-9 form requires proof of identification and citizenship such as an unexpired passport so students should bring their documents with them. The W-4 form is used to determine how much income tax must be withheld from a student’s pay. International Students must claim Single, may claim 0 (maximum tax will be taken) or 1 withholdings, and must write “NRA” (for Non-resident Alien) above the dotted line on line 6 .
Tax Documents
International Students who receive income from the University will receive one or both of the following tax documents in January or February of each year. Please make sure you retain these documents for the purpose of filing your taxes.
W-2 forms
All students who worked during the previous calendar year receive a W-2 statement from the Business Office at the end of January which states the wages earned and taxes withheld on the earnings. The only exception is for students whose wages are exempt from tax because they have applied for tax treaty benefits. These wages are reported on the 1042-S form described below.
1042-S forms
All students who receive scholarships and or fellowships for expenses other than tuition receive a 1042-S which states the amount of the scholarship or fellowship and taxes paid on the scholarship. Any wages paid without being subject to tax due to a treaty exemption are also reported on the 1042-S. Students will receive the 1042-S from the Business Office at the end of February.
Tax Treaties
The U.S. has tax treaties in effect with many countries that exempt students’ wages and/or scholarships from taxes while in the U.S. Students may submit a request to receive treaty benefits by completing certain required documents in the Business Office. The Business Office will contact students who are eligible for these benefits.
Tax ID
If you work on campus, you have to apply for a social security number. You can use that as your tax ID.
Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITIN): International students who do not receive wages, but who do receive income in the form of grants in aid or scholarships that exceed the cost of tuition alone can instead apply for an ITIN. You should apply for your ITIN 2-3 months before the first time you file your taxes. Information on ITIN numbers from the Internal Revenue Service can be found here. Students who need an ITIN should contact Tsewang Lama.
Every international student is required to file annual tax returns (1040NR-EZ or 1040NR and/or 8843) by each April 15th for the preceding calendar year regardless of whether or not they have earned income. Which form(s) you complete depends on whether or not you received income during the previous calendar year and the type(s) of income you received. If you received income (wages, scholarships, grants, fellowships) you are required to file either the 1040NR-EZ or 1040-NR and 8843. F-1 and J-1 international students who received no income during the previous year still must file form 8843.
In order to assist international students with the process of filing taxes, tax sessions are held on campus. Students should bring the following documents to the sessions:
- Passport
- Form DS-2019 or Form I-20
- Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (if you have been assigned one)
- Address Information (Current U.S. Address and Foreign Address)
- U.S. Entry and Exit Dates for current and all past visits to the U.S.
- Forms W-2, 1042-S and/or 1099 (if you received any)
- A copy of your previous year federal income tax return (Form 1040NR or 1040NR-EZ), if you filed one in the previous year
- The routing number and account number for the account where you might like any refund direct deposited.
Tax forms and/or access to SPRINTAX, a tax preparation system specifically for international students will be provided at the tax workshops.
Resources:
IRS: Foreign Students and Scholars
New York State tax: Filing Information for Non-Resident Aliens
Once you have secured on-campus employment, you must apply for a Social Security Number (SSN) from the US government. This is an identification number used for taxation and benefit purposes. An identification number from another country can not be used in place of a US Social Security Number. Any student who receives wages must obtain a SSN. Once you have secured campus employment, the procedure for obtaining a social security number is as follows. Please note that new students have to wait until they have been registered in SEVIS to apply for SSN. Students are registered in SEVIS within a month of classes starting.
Obtain a Letter of Employment by completing the Letter of Employment Request Form. Once you submit the form, you will receive an e-mail when the letter is ready to be picked up. Please allow 2-3 days for your request to be processed.
Have your Letter of Employment signed by the supervisor listed on the letter.
Complete Form SS-5. If you need help filling out this form, please see someone in International Student Services.
Sign-up for a trip to the SS office or make arrangements to go there on your own. If you are interested in going on your own, you must call the SSN Office in Ogdensburg at (866) 572-8369 to make an appointment.
Bring the following documents to the Social Security Office in Ogdensburg, NY.
Completed Form SS-5 , Letter of Employment, I-20 or DS-2019, Passport w/Visa and I-94 Card. You might have a paper version stapled to your passport or stamped on your passport. Here is how you can access it online:
Go to the website https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/home
After you file your application, you should receive your Social Security Card in the mail in approximately 3-6 weeks or earlier. When you receive the card, please bring it to the Business Office in Vilas Hall so they have a copy on file for processing your tax forms. Please make sure your SS document has no errors and keep your SSN documentation in a safe place. You will need it to complete your tax forms.