Work Authorization For International Students

The information below is intended to help international students navigate the work authorization process.

New OR Returning International Students need all of the following:

1. To obtain a Social Security Number.  New international students cannot apply for a Social Security Number (and card) until they are hired on campus.  You can obtain a letter from the Financial Aid Office that is required to apply for a social security number.  The letter must be printed out on department letterhead by the hiring department, filled out by the supervisor, and returned to the Director of International Student Services to be completed. You must have the Social Security Number (but not necessarily the card) in order to complete the rest of the work authorization process. Click here to download this letter.
2. On-Campus Employment Authorization Letter from the Director of International Student Services (ISS). ISS can be reached by phone at 617-349-8542, or by email at iss@lesley.edu. Please allow 3 business days for your request to be processed.
3. Completed Work Authorization Form.
4. W-4 Form. This form should have special instructions for international students at the top.
5. I-9 Form. See below for detailed instructions to help you complete the I-9 form.

*The Work Authorization Form, W-4 form, and I-9 form can all be obtained at the Financial Aid Office.

Instructions for Completing the I-9 Form

These instructions are for students with F-1 student visas. The process may vary for students with other visa types.

Section 1

1. The citizenship box labeled "An alien authorized to work until..." should be checked off.
2. The date you are authorized to work until can be found in section 5 on the first page of the I-20 form, after the words "complete studies not later than..."
3. The Admission number is the 11 digit number in the upper left corner of the I-94 card (the white card stapled into your passport).

Section 2

List A

Documents on List A prove both identity and authorization to work in the United States. A student may show any document on List A to satisfy this requirement. The combination of documents suggested below generally works well for F-1 students:

One of the List A documents is "Unexpired foreign passport, with I-551 stamp or attached Form I-94, indicating unexpired employment authorization." The challenge is that I-94 cards for F-1 students are not marked with an expiration date, they are marked "DS" or "D/S," which means Duration of Status. In order to see how long your status lasts, you must look at the I-20 form. Therefore in order to satisfy this item of List A, you would need to present all three of the following documents:

1. Unexpired foreign passport – The Financial Aid representative should copy as many pages as necessary to have a record of the following information:

a. Photo of the student

b. The student's name

c. The student's DOB and birthplace

d. Issuing Authority

e. Document Number

f. Expiration Date

2. I-94 Card. This is a white card stapled into the passport.

3. I-20 Form. This is a 3-page document on letter sized paper.

List B

International students may have a variety of List B items (generally photo IDs), for example Lesley ID or Canadian Drivers' License. To satisfy List B, you will also have to show a valid List C item.

List C

F-1 students do not generally have the items on List C, however they may have the last item, the EAD card that students receive when they are completing Optional Practical Training (a work experience usually done after a student graduates).

Please Note: An international student's Social Security Card is not an adequate List C item, because the cards say "Valid for work only with DHS Authorization." If you have this type of card, you would still have to show other documentation to verify DHS Authorization.