Hourly limits and work rules
Immigration Regulations for Hourly Limits for F-1/J-1 Students
F-1/J-1 students are allowed to work on-campus for a limited number of hours per week.
| Term | Number of hours per week (immigration regulation)* |
|---|---|
| Fall/Spring | 20 hours per week |
| Summer semester/Winter break/Spring break | 40 hours per week (F-1 students may only work up to 20 hours per week if summer is their first or final semester) |
- You are not allowed to work more than 20 hours per week during the fall and spring semesters.
- Please see the Weekly Hourly Limit for On-Campus Employment for F-1/J-1 Students chart below for specific dates for when you can work 20 hours per week and 40 hours per week.
Note: F-1/J-1 students are limited to working on-campus 20 hours per week in summer in the following situations:- Your I-20 has a program start date for summer.
- This includes students who finalized their degree program at the end of spring semester and will begin a new degree program in summer.
- Summer is the final semester of your degree program.
- Your I-20 has a program start date for summer.
The work week should be calculated starting Monday and ending Sunday.
If you work for Aramark, whose work schedules differ from ASU, you must still calculate your weekly work hours from Monday to Sunday. It is important that you do not exceed this hourly limit.- You cannot average hours worked over the ASU two-week pay period. You are only allowed to work up to 20 hours each week.
For example, you cannot work 18 hours one week and then 22 hours the next. - If you have more than one employer, you are only allowed to work for a total of 20 hours per week combined during the semester and 40 hours per week combined during the summer semester/winter or spring break.
If you hold both a stipend position and an hourly position, you are responsible for tracking the hours you work for your stipend role. When combining those hours with the time worked in your hourly position, your total work hours must not exceed the established hourly limits. - You may not average more than 25 hours per week for the year. This includes all positions (hourly or stipend). This is an ASU policy not an immigration regulation.
For more information about F-1 and J-1 regulations, please visit the ISSC website.
Weekly Hourly Limit for On-Campus Employment for F-1/J-1 Students
This chart shows when F-1 and J-1 students must follow hourly limits for on-campus employment.
| Up to 20 hours per week | Up to 40 hours per week | Last day of employment for students graduating in a specific semester | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Break 2025-2026 | December 15, 2025 - January 11, 2026 | ||
| Spring 2026 | January 12, 2026 - May 10, 2026 | March 9 - March 15, 2026 (Spring break) | May 11 2026 Or on student's designated program completion date |
| Summer 2026 | May 11 - August 16, 2026 if graduating in the summer. | May 11 - August 16, 2026 if continuing into fall 2026 | Session A: June 26, 2026 Session C: July 10, 2026 Session B: August 11, 2026 *Depends on student's last day of course enrollment. |
| Fall 2026 | August 17, 2026 - December 13, 2026 | December 14, 2026 Or on student's designated program completion date | |
| Winter Break 2026-2027 | December 14, 2026 - January 10, 2027 | ||
| Spring 2027 | January 11, 2027 - May 09, 2027 | March 8 - March 14, 2027 (Spring break) | May 10, 2027 Or on student's designated program completion date |
| Summer 2027 | May 17 - August 19, 2027 if graduating in the summer | May 17 - August 19, 2027 if continuing into fall 2027 | Session A: June 25, 2027 |
| Fall 2027 | August 19, 2027 - December 12, 2027 | December 13, 2027 Or on student's designated program completion date |
Exceeding the hourly limit will result in the loss of your F-1/J-1 immigration status, which requires departure from the U.S. and re-entry to gain a new immigration status.