UMD: A Globally Connected University

Incidental Employment

All J-1 scholars must engage only in the approved activities and at the specific location for which your DS-2019 was issued. To work for any employer other than the school named on your Form DS-2019, you must first obtain approval in writing from your J-1 Responsible Officer. Please refer to the following conditions and procedures below for guidance on obtaining this approval.

CONDITIONS
The proposed employment:

  • Must be directly related to the objectives of your Exchange Visitor program;
  • Must be incidental to your primary program activities; and
  • Must not delay the completion of your Exchange Visitor program.

PROCEDURES
To obtain authorization for incidental employment, you should present the following to your J-1 Responsible Officer:
1. A letter of offer from the prospective employer detailing the following information:

  • Terms and conditions of the employment
  • Duration (start and end dates)
  • Number of hours
  • Field or subject
  • Amount of compensation
  • Describing the activity for which you are being hired

2. A letter from your department head or supervisor:

  • Referring to the letter from the prospective employer;
  • Confirming that the employment is directly related to your principal activity, is indeed incidental, and will not delay completion of your program; and
  • Requesting approval of the employment.

3. Meet with your J-1 Responsible Officer.

  • The J-1 Responsible Officer must evaluate the proposed employment in terms of your program objectives and your individual circumstances, and then decide whether it would be appropriate or not.
  • If your J-1 Responsible Officer approves the employment, you will be an independent contractor and your authorization will take the form of a letter to you from your J-1 Responsible Officer.