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On-Campus Jobs

International students are eligible to begin on-campus employment immediately upon being admitted to the United States in F-1 or J-1 status.

There is no limit to how long you can work on campus. Thus:

  • You may work up to 20 hours per week (part-time) while school is in session
    • If you're required to register in summer, you're limited to 20 hours per week.    
  • You may work over 20 hours (full-time) during any official university breaks
    • UC only allows students to work on-campus a maximum of 40 hours per week during university breaks such as winter, spring, and summer breaks.
  • You may work for as many years as you are pursuing a full course of study (and not working in another employment category, such as OPT)
  • A work week is Sunday-Saturday

Types of On-Campus Jobs

On campus positions generally fall into one of three categories:

  1. On-campus, paid by UC
  2. On-campus, not paid by UC
  3. On-campus employment at an off-campus location

On-campus jobs paid by UC are positions with University of Cincinnati departments. If you have received one of these positions, learn more about the UC-paid job acceptance process.

  • Handshake
    Search portal to find on-campus student positions. You must confirm your admission to UC and have a UC email in order to use Handshake. In addition, you aren’t eligible to be onboarded (hired) at UC until you have obtained your visa and entered the U.S.
  • Campus Services
    Services to the entire campus community include housing and dining, retail, parking services, and recreation, to name but a few.
  • Learning Commons
    The Learning Commons provides centralized academic support for University of Cincinnati students.
  • Resident Education & Development (RED)
    Resident Education and Development fosters a living and working environment that is conducive to educational opportunities.
  • Enrollment Services
    Enrollment Services provides helpful resources and tips for working while in college.

These are jobs located on campus, but paid by a company other than the University of Cincinnati. If you have received one of these positions, learn more about the non-UC-paid job acceptance process.

  • Aramark (UC Dining Services)
    • Athletic Concessions
    • Center Court (CRC)
    • Classic Fare Catering
    • MarketPointe (Siddall Hall)
    • Stadium View Cafe (CRC / Nippert Stadium)
    • On the Green (Marian Spencer Hall)
  • UC Bookstores (Follett)
    Check out a map of UC bookstore locations
    • UC Bookstore (TUC)
    • College of Medicine Bookstore (MSB)
    • DAAP Bookstore (DAAP)
    • UC Blue Ash Bookstore
    • UC Clermont Bookstore
  • Mark Pi's Express & Au Bon Pain
    Mark Pi’s Express and Au Bon Pain are located in the food court/cafeteria at the UC Medical Center.
  • On Campus Dining
    • Bleecker St. (UC Blue Ash)
    • Burger King (TUC)
    • CampusView Cafe (University Hall)
    • Catskeller (TUC)
    • Chick-fil-A (TUC)
    • Campus Green Cafe (Lindner Hall)
    • DAAP Cafe (DAAP)
    • Greens to Go (TUC)
    • MainStreet Expressmart (TUC)
    • MainStreet Pizza (TUC)
    • Market on Main (CRC)
    • Bearcats Café (TUC)
    • Quick Mick's (TUC)
    • Starbucks (CCM, Langsam Library, LCB, Medical Campus)
    • Subway (CARE/Crawley, Clermont, Steger)
    • Taco Bell (TUC)
    • Teachers Cafe (Teachers College)
    • Tim Hortons (Marian Spencer Hall)
  • UC Foundation
    Specific jobs may qualify as an on-campus position. This will be reviewed by UC International Services on a case by case basis.
  • BEST Crowd Management
    BEST Crowd Management, A GardaWorld Company, provides gameday event staff / security positions for University of Cincinnati sporting and entertainment events. These positions serve as frontline ambassadors for University events including greeting guests, giving directions and other activities that lead to a premier event experience. Pay is $15 per hour.
    • Please be advised: this company also provides services at other Cincinnati sporting venues for which you would not be authorized to work. During your interview, you must tell the hiring manager that you are a UC international student and can only work events that take place on UC's campus. Working at venues not on UC's campus would be in violation of your F-1 status.

These are positions which take place at an off-campus location that is educationally affiliated with the University of Cincinnati. In the case of off-campus locations, the employment must also be associated with the school’s established curriculum or related to contractually-funded research projects at the post-graduate level.

For example, some student workers hired through UC’s Office of Innovation might work at the 1819 Innovation Hub, which is located off-campus.

If you have questions about whether or not a job would fulfil this criteria, contact us.

Application Process

After you have received an offer for an on-campus job and have accepted the position, you will need to work with UC International to complete the job acceptance process.

UC Paid Position

Your department will need approximately 1-2 weeks to process your hiring. You should not begin working during this time. After about two weeks have passed, you will receive a "Welcome to UC" email from Human Resources. This email is important, so read it thoroughly and follow the instructions.

In the "Welcome to UC" email from Human Resources, there is a link to forms you must complete. You must be in the United States and will need information from your I-20, I-94, and passport to fill out the forms.

Biographical Information
First, you will fill out biographical information, including your name, address, and phone number. If you do not have a Social Security Number (SSN), mark that you will apply for one.

  • Name: Fill in your name as it appears on your passport. If you have only one name, put it in the "Surname" field and write "N/A" in the "Given Name" field.
  • Address: A typical U.S. address is written in the following format:
    Joe Bearcat
    1234 Bearcat Way, Apt. 1
    Cincinnati, Ohio 45219

I-9 Form
You are not required to provide your email and telephone number on this form, but it will help in case someone needs to contact you. Students are commonly confused by which options to choose:

  • Select: "An alien allowed to work until [the program end date on your I-20 or DS-2019]"
  • Visa Type: [your visa type]
  • Choose: List A - Foreign passport with a Form I-94 and I-20/I-766
  • Did you need a "Preparer or Translator": No

Tax Form
Common questions and answers on this form include the following:

  • Are you married or single? [Select 'single' even if you are married]
  • Number of allowances: [We suggest you write '0']
  • Additional amount, if any, you want withheld from each paycheck: '0'
  • Are you exempt from taxes: [No, you are not exempt]

Lastly, you will review the following policies and regulations:

  • Form SSA-1945
  • Ohio Ethics Law and Related Statuses Acknowledgement
  • Acknowledgement of Receipt of Auditor of State Fraud Reporting System Information

After you've finished your online forms, login to iBearcatsGlobal to complete the employment eForm.

If you are working for a UC department (Student Affairs, NightRide, UCIT), complete the form titled "Employment Onboarding Request: Receiving a UC Paycheck."

After you have submitted your appropriate form in iBearcatsGlobal and UC International has processed your request, you will receive an email to set up an appointment with UC International. 

To set up your onboarding appointment, call 513-556-4278. Don't delay; set up an appointment as soon as possible.

Please show up to the UC International office on time! Bring the following items to your appointment:

  • I-94
  • I-20
  • Passport
  • Visa
  • SSN (if you have one)
  • Your SuccessFactors password

You also need to print and complete the following documents before your appointment:

At your appointment:

  • We will review your application for your Social Security Card
  • You will receive an authorization letter to present to the Social Security Office
  • You will receive directions to the Social Security Office
  • You will receive instructions on how to activate Direct Deposit (to get paid for your work)

Non-UC Paid Position

After you have secured a job:

  1. Log on to iBearcatsGlobal and submit the “Employment Onboarding Request: Non-UC Employee” eForm. 
  2. UC International Services will then approve the eForm and issue documents you need in order to apply for a Social Security Number (if you need one).
  3. You will receive an email when these documents are ready for pick up. 
  4. You can then start working and apply for a Social Security Number. You can begin work while the Social Security Number is pending.