International Student Volunteering Guidelines 

International students and scholars with F or J visas have extremely strict regulations about employment, which can include volunteering. If you are an international student or scholar interested in volunteering in the community, please review the FAQs below.

F-1 and F-2 Visa Holders

I have an F-1 visa, can I volunteer while in the U.S.?

Yes, with some restrictions. Please read carefully.

• You can freely volunteer for charitable or philanthropic purposes, with some restrictions:
• You cannot participate in any fundraising activities, such as selling art or food.
• You cannot volunteer within your academic field of study (e.g., computer science majors cannot volunteer with a software company).
• You cannot volunteer in any other ways unless you have valid work/training authorization from the UF International Center and/or U.S. government.
• The work/training authorization is not You must obtain and physically possess the authorization documents before you start any activity:
• An updated I-20 from UF ISS with authorization printed on page 2 and/or
• An approved Employment Authorization Document (EAD) from USCIS.
• You must obtain authorization even if the activity is required by your degree program.
• If you might list an activity to your resume, you likely need work/training authorization before you participate.

If you violate these regulations, even accidentally, you may lose your F-1 visa status or face other serious immigration penalties.

For more information, see the UFIC F student employment page.  If you have any questions after reviewing this page (and each page linked within), contact your ISS advisor.

I have an F-2 visa, can I volunteer while in the U.S.?

Yes, with some restrictions.  Please read carefully.

• You can freely volunteer for charitable or philanthropic purposes, with some restrictions:
• You cannot participate in any fundraising activities, such as selling art or food.
• You cannot volunteer in any other ways and are ineligible for work authorization.

If you violate these regulations, even accidentally, you may lose your F-2 visa status or face other serious immigration penalties.

For more information, see the UFIC F student employment page.  If you have any questions after reviewing this page (and each page linked within), contact your ISS advisor.

J-1 and J-2 Visa Holders

I have a J-1 visa, can I volunteer while in the U.S.?

Yes, with some restrictions.  Please read carefully.

• You can freely volunteer for charitable or philanthropic purposes, with some restrictions:
• You cannot participate in any fundraising activities, such as selling art or food.
• You cannot volunteer within your professional expertise under almost any circumstance (e.g., veterinarians cannot volunteer to care for animals).
• You cannot volunteer in any other ways unless you have valid work authorization from the UF International Center and/or U.S. government.
• The work authorization is not You must obtain and physically possess the authorization documents before you start any activity:
• An updated DS-2019 from UF EVS with authorization printed in Section 5 and/or
• An approved Employment Authorization Document (EAD) from USCIS.
• You must obtain authorization even if the activity is required by your degree or your program.
• You must consult your EVS advisor before you begin any volunteer that may fall within your professional expertise, even for charitable purposes.
• If you might list an activity on your resume, consult your EVS advisor.
• If you are unsure if something qualifies, consult your EVS advisor.

If you violate these regulations, even accidentally, you may lose your J-1 visa status or face other serious immigration penalties.

For more information, see the UFIC J scholar employment page / J student employment page, or contact your EVS advisor.

I have a J-2 visa, can I volunteer while in the U.S.?

Yes, with some restrictions.  Please read carefully.

• You can freely volunteer for charitable or philanthropic purposes.
• You cannot participate in any fundraising activities, such as selling art or food, unless you have valid work authorization from the U.S. government.
• You must obtain and physically possess authorization before starting any activity.
• You cannot volunteer in any other ways unless you have valid work authorization from the UF International Center and/or U.S. government.
• The work authorization is not You must obtain and physically possess the authorization documents before you start any activity:

• An approved Employment Authorization Document (EAD) from USCIS.

If you violate these regulations, even accidentally, you may lose your J-2 visa status or face other serious immigration penalties.

For more information, see the UFIC J scholar employment page / J student employment page, or contact your EVS advisor.