• As a J-1 Research Scholar, your employment in the United States is limited to the activity described on your DS-2019 form. 

• Research Scholars should not accept any new employment without first checking with the International Office. This includes any kind of compensation (money, gift cards, etc…) for services, including clinical trials, guest lectures, and in some cases earnings from editorial work or royalties from publications. 

• Paid employment is permitted by law only if the payment is included on the Form DS-2019 issued to the J-1 Research Scholar visa holder. 

• In most cases, it is not possible for a J-1 visa holder to accept paid employment outside of Meharry Medical College.
  
  

According to the Code of Federal Regulations 8 CFR 274 (a) (f) the term employee means an individual who provides services or labor for wages or other types of remuneration. Therefore employment is work performed or services provided with the expectation that there will be compensation, either financial or other. “Volunteer work” on the other hand refers to philanthropic activity without financial gain. 

The most important employment issue that you always need to keep in mind is the issue of legal (or “authorized”) versus illegal (or “unauthorized”) employment. You must always make sure that any employment you plan to engage in is legal employment. Any unauthorized (i.e. illegal) employment – even for one day – even if you did not know it was illegal – poses a grave threat to your ability to remain in or return to the United States. 

You must always make sure that you have the necessary employment authorization before you begin work, since starting work without prior authorization–even if you receive authorization later–constitutes illegal employment.