International Students
On-Campus Employment
International students including Canadians under F-1 visa status are eligible to work on campus up to 20 hours per week.
On-campus positions that are open to international students include student tutor, admissions assistant, continuing education assistant, operations assistant, and media services assistant. mySCU contains a comprehensive list of positions available for student workers.
Upon being offered an on-campus position, students will need to apply for an SSN. Please connect with a university Designated School Official (DSO) to start the process.
Students can obtain more information about working in the U.S. here provided by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Study in the States.
Taxes
View the International Student Tax Requirements for 2021.
All international students must file IRS form 8843
U.S. tax forms are required to be filed before April 15 each year for the prior calendar year. If students begin studies at SCU in January yet enter the U.S. on F-1 status in December of the prior year, they must fill out form 8843 to ‘exclude days of presence’ so as to not be considered U.S. residents for tax purposes. For a printable version of IRS form 8843, please visit the IRS website. Directions for completing the form are located on the last page; typically, students will only need to fill out sections #1 and #3.
Sprintax is like TurboTax but for nonresident students and staff and can help make this process a bit easier.
If you have earned income in the U.S. in the last year, you must file a U.S. federal tax return.
Most American states also impose a state income tax. The tax imposed by the state is separate from the tax imposed by the U.S. federal government. International students who have lived in the United States for five years or less will file tax returns with both the U.S. and California as a nonresident. The proper forms for a nonresident have the letters NR at the end of the form number (ex. IRS form 1040NR). The deadline for submission is April 15 each year. Instructions and forms can be found on the Internal Revenue Service website and the State of California.
Canadian Students
For Canadian taxes, you will want to include form TL11A Tuition, Education, and Textbook Amounts Certificate – University Outside Canada.
To complete this form, you will need to visit the registrar and the business office. Students that fill out the form while off-campus may fax it to the registrar and the business office at:
- Registrar Fax Number: 503-251-5731
- Business Office Fax Number: 503-251-5723
For more information, visit the Canadian Revenue Agency website.