Students on F-1 and J-1 student visas, here are a few quick reminders about what employment is allowed under the student visa.
On-Campus Employment is allowed up to a maximum of 20 hours per week during the fall and spring semesters. On-Campus Employment means that the employment takes place on the UA campus and also serves UA students, faculty, and staff. Employment can be for a UA department or for an employer such as Bama Dining which is located on the UA Campus.
On-Campus Employment may exceed 20 hours per week during official university breaks (Summer break, Winter break, and Spring break). This means that students can work more than 20 hours per week on-campus after exam week.
To be clear, as an international student visa holder, there are a number of restrictions against employment. Some common employment that is NOT ALLOWED without special authorization by ISSS and the Department of Homeland Security:
Freelancing for non-UA entities;
Tutoring for anyone other than UA for pay;
Gig economy jobs such as driving for UBER, LYFT or delivery for SHIPT or other online companies (these are jobs, and count as employment, even if you are not an employee in the traditional sense);
Waiting tables at a restaurant off-campus, even if only for tips.
Please be aware that there are a high volume of tax and immigration scams this time of year. Most of these types of scams will spoof a government agency phone number or email address in order to look official.
Please note, the IRS, DHS, and other government agencies will never contact you by phone or email.
Signs of a Scam Phone Call:
Caller requests you to pay a fine using Western Union, PayPal, Green Dot, MoneyGram or some other wire transfer service
Caller threatens your arrest or deportation for failure to act within a very short period of time.
Caller will try to prevent you from hanging up, asking you to visit a retail store to transfer funds while remaining on the phone.
Enrollment Requirements Registration for summer and fall begins: March 25th, 2019
Students holding student (F-1/J-1) visas are required to be full-time students and maintain "full-time status" while they are in the United States.
Undergraduate students must be enrolled for a minimum of 12 credit hours during the fall and spring semesters to be considered full-time students.
Graduate students must be enrolled for a minimum of 9 credit hours during the fall and spring semester to be considered full-time students. Some graduate programs may require more than 9 credit hours of enrollment to be considered full-time (e.g. Law and MBA programs).
ELI students must be enrolled in 18 clock hours per week of core classes (if you are unsure of your visa status or of how many classes you should take, please ask in the ELI office).
Students may pick up and drop off documents but there will be no advisors in the office.
International coffee hour is held every Friday in 121 BB Comer Hall. There will be a special coffee hour on March 29th in 105 BB Comer featuring international organizations. Come enjoy free coffee and food while you learn about different international organizations on campus & how you can get involved!
We will gather as a supportive interfaith community on Wednesday, March 20, from12:00 – 1:50 pm in the Ferguson Center Great Hall to make blankets for localnon-profits to distribute and to enjoy lunch together and then join the Campus Dialogues to focus on building stronger interfaith cooperation and relations on campus.
The first 15 students to sign-up via this link below will receive our Spring 2019 SERVE Better Together t-shirt.
March 26 | 6 PM | Intercultural Diversity Center
Experience Caribbean culture at The Caribbean Students' Association's The Wave! There will be food, games, music and fun at the Intercultural Diversity Center.
The Wave will be held on March 26th and April 22nd at 6 p.m. Central Standard Time.
Everyone is welcome!
Japanese Cherry Blossom/Sakura Festival
Mar. 23 | 9 AM - 12 PM | Tuscaloosa River Market
The Capstone International Center, along with local sponsors, organizes the annual Cherry Blossom / Sakura Festival. This yearly event is a way for the Tuscaloosa community to learn about the longstanding relationship our city has with Japan, especially with our sister city, Narashino.
Attendees can observe taiko drumming, hear a Japanese guitarist, learn to eat with chopsticks, play popular Japanese children’s games, and more. Stop by the Tuscaloosa Sister Cities booth and pick up an uchiwa (traditional Japanese fan) to keep cool during the day.
Free Chairs available - Limit 4 per Student/Scholar
A local church has 80 chairs available for free. The maximum number of chairs available to each student or scholar is 4 chairs. Available on a first-come basis. You must be able to pick up and transport the chair(s) yourself.
Please contact Maggie Raburn at maggie_raburn@yahoo.com to claim chairs and to get directions for pick-up.
DESIGN FOR AMERICA
All International Students! Design for America has been working on a project to help improve the International Student experience on campus. Help us out!! Please take time to fill out this survey and tell us the change YOU want to see on campus! Go to dfaua.org for more information on Design for America!
March 25th, 2019: Registration for Summer and Fall 2019 begin
March 27th, 2019: Last day to drop a course with a "W"
April 5th, 2019: Honors Day (classes dismissed)
April 11th, 2019: No Advising
