Every day I see bloggers talking about getting a second job to help with cash flow. Most of us bloggers do not realize that it is a lot easier to say than to actually do for some people.
There really are some people who CANNOT get a second job because of their status in this country. Take for example a foreigner who comes to the US to go to school. This person has a visa that allows him or her to go to school legally. The foreign student is also allowed to work but can only work under certain restrictions as follows:
- The job must be on the campus the student is attending school.
- The job must only be for 20 hours a week or less.
Foreign students make minimum wage
Now usually the types of jobs that foreign students can get that fit these criteria are the minimum wage jobs. These students must also be going to school full time in order to remain in the country legally. Regardless of what the student is making, he or she has to pay rent, tuition and fees, get food, pay electricity….you know the drill.
Foreign students have high interest loans
This foreign student usually has a high loan to pay in his or her home country in addition to the bills while going to school. What do we say to such a person? He or she cannot get a second job because that would violate the conditions of being in the US and this means the person would risk getting deported.
Apart from reducing the expenses what would you suggest that this person do in order to survive?
Please bear in mind that the foreign students are also paying for school at a higher rate because they are not ‘residents’. They would therefore be charged the out of state costs which are significantly higher at every university.
Comments are open so let the advice begin!!!!
There are a number of other reasons why people cannot get a second job. Time considerations, children and the cost of day care, commuting times and costs. I had never considered the requirements for foreign students though.
@ Cindy:
Most people do not think of foreigners because that is a situation that is far removed from their own.
I will add in more about the other situations as time goes by.
Many foreign students do come in on specialized programs that allow them to pay much less for there tuition and sometimes they even get free living expenses or at least at good rates. But I’ve never actually thought what their job statuses or limitations would be.
@ Save Money:
Yes they might come in paying less for tuition…but they still do not get a free ride. And just to enter the country to study they have to show proof of income that US citizens do not have to show.
In many cases the foreign student has to show income to pay for 1-4 years of living, including tuition and various insurances. This is why most of them have to take out huge loans, especially if their currency is less than the US dollar.
There are many jobs that require you to be available on a moment’s notice 24/7, which prevents you from being able take on most normal 2nd jobs. There’s always the ability to do small one-time or flex-scheduled side jobs such as landscaping, house cleaning, or crafting.
The foreign student may not be able to do that kind of stuff though, and most certainly wouldn’t be able to report it…thus pushing the legality issues. Very good point.
Nice post. Foreign students definitely have their set of problems like all of us, but it’s not easy getting a second job even for who aren’t foreign students (or maybe foreign at all).
It all really depends on what you do in your “first” job and how many hours you have to dedicate to it. For me, it would be nearly impossible to get another part time job with my unpredictable hours at my current job (which is full time).
I agree, if a foreigner is in another country, he is restricted to the norms specified to him for him not to be deported.
Thank you everyone for the great comments. It is good to see some people who are understanding, instead of just immediately beginning to bash people who do not have a second job.
Is it possible for them to earn other types of income beside employment income?
Excellent article, certainly something that needs to be raised more often. I guess I wonder about specific rules, can they work more than 20 hours between classes? Like summer break, christmas break?