A number of Wright State international students have been turned away from potential student employment positions because several on-campus departments are not familiar with the process of hiring international students, according to Fady Al-Banna, the student government director of international affairs.
“Students have mentioned to me that the departments assumed that if an international student does not have a social security number, they are not eligible to work in the United States,” Al-Banna said. “That’s simply not true. Once you’ve been hired, you can obtain the social security number. They get confused. Many students come to this country and want a job so they can pay for daily expenses. That’s one issue we need to tackle this semester.”
According to the University Center for International Education (UCIE), all international students are eligible to obtain a social security number if they present their passport and proper documentation. They will not be exempt from the F.I.C.A. tax, but the social security number will hold forever, and can be used on later visits to the United States.
A social security number can be acquired from a local Social Security Administration office, such as the location on W. Second Street in Dayton.
The purpose of acquiring a social security number for on-campus work is that it is impossible to file a US income tax return without a social security number. It functions as a taxpayer identification number.
Aashwin Sachdev is one such student who had an on-campus job. Like all international students, he had to obtain a social security number in order to gain employment.
“It’s really easy. UCIE helps you fill out all the forms,” Sachdev said.
A workshop was provided for students where UCIE gave instruction on how to fill out the social security number forms. However, these meetings were not scheduled for fall of 2013.
“The university is working on an alternative plan for international students because, as you know, we have record numbers of international students this fall,” UCIE employee Michelle Streeter said.
According to UCIE, all international students must obtain approval from UCIE before accepting employment.
