Incidental Employment for J-1 Scholars

As a J-1 scholar (professor, researcher or short-term scholar) your employment in the U.S. is limited to the position described on your DS-2019 form. Any additional employment, salary, lecturing, or consulting must be approved by the Glavin Office.

Application Procedure

A request for permission to accept incidental employment will be considered if the activity is directly related to the objectives of your Exchange Visitor program; if it is incidental to your primary program activities; and if it will not delay the completion of your Exchange Visitor program.

To obtain authorization for incidental employment, you must present the following to the Responsible Officer (RO) or Alternate Responsible Officer (ARO):

• A letter of offer from the prospective employer describing the terms and conditions of the proposed employment, including the duration, the number of hours, the field or subject, the amount of compensation, and a description of the activity for which you are being hired.
• A letter from your department head or supervisor that recommends the activity and explains how it is directly related to your principal activity and how it would enhance your Exchange Visitor program

Authorization to Work

Your authorization to engage in the incidental employment activity will be in the form of letter from your RO or ARO. You should give a copy of this letter to your “incidental” employer and keep the original for your permanent records.

As a J-1 scholar your options for incidental employment are limited. Please remember that employment without proper authorization is a serious violation of your status. Before you begin any kind of employment, you must first consult your RO or ARO, whose written approval is necessary in ADVANCE of your engaging in the incidental employment activity.