F-1 DSO Letter Request Instructions

The following instructions are only for F-1 students who have on-campus jobs that are directly paid by LSU Payroll (such as a department, the library, UREC, etc.). 

  • J-1 students, please refer to the J-1 Visa Status information on Social Security Information webpage.
  • F-1 Students with a job offer from an official vendor, such as Barnes and Noble (The LSU Bookstore), Subway in Foster Hall, etc., should contact iso@lsu.edu for the Vendor Work Permit and Letter process.

Steps for F-1 students to request a Combination DSO Letter for Social Security: 

  1. You must first find and be hired for a campus job.
  2. Share the Template Letter for Combined Employment Authorization (LSU Hiring Department and IS DSO) with your LSU on-campus employer. The LSU department or office that is hiring you must complete the top portion of the letter, and the letter must be printed on LSU letterhead with an original signature.
  3. Complete the DSO Letter Request form online and bring your original Combination DSO Letter (See step above.) to International Services in 101 Hatcher Hall.
  4. Our office will review your request and process it in approximately 5-10 business days. You will receive an email if we have any questions or when the completed documents are ready for pickup.
  5. Follow the rest of the steps on our Social Security Information page under the F-1 Visa Status heading to apply for your Social Security number.

 

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