# Exchange Student Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 25, 2002, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exchange-student-question/110836 "2002-05-25T21:46:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2002, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exchange-student-question/110836/1 "2002-05-25T21:46:19Z")
If an exchange student from Germany (high-school age) wanted to stay (or come back) to the US to attend one of our colleges, would she need a green card? If the answer is no, and she wanted to take a part-time job to help with expenses,would she need one **then**? Need kind of a quick answer on this one, sorry! Thanks Quasi ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2002, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exchange-student-question/110836/2 "2002-05-25T22:20:52Z")
i can’t answer for germany… but i can say that an indian student would need a student visa to attend college in the u.s. and probably (i’m not sure, but i think it’s correct) a work permit to work part- or full- time. i don’t see the need for a green card in these circumstances… ---
**Author:** ![chula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a4c791/32.png) [@chula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chula)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2002, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exchange-student-question/110836/3 "2002-05-25T23:15:42Z")
She needs a student visa to attend school here. Holders of student visas are forbidden from working. She would need a green card or some other type of work permit in order to work legally. However, it is inconceivable that she would qualify for one. To get a work permit you generally need to have some sort of special skills and a college degree. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2002, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exchange-student-question/110836/4 "2002-05-25T23:47:20Z")
That can’t be totally true, **chula**. Foreign University Students routinely hold campus jobs–there must be some exception or permit or something that lets them hold student work-study positions. I do know that they lose their jobs if they withdrawl from classes. ---
**Author:** ![chula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a4c791/32.png) [@chula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chula)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2002, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exchange-student-question/110836/5 "2002-05-26T00:28:22Z")
Thanks, Manda JO - I missed an exception. The INS can grant a waiver of the prohibition on employment for on-campus jobs, after one year. That’s applies to F-1 visas, which is what I assume she would be applying for. An F-1 is for studying at universities and other academic institutions, and an M-1 is for non-academic institutions and does not allow the student to work under any circumstance. Keep in mind that they’re cracking down on student visas holders post-9/11, so they might be more strict about enforcing the requirements. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2002, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exchange-student-question/110836/6 "2002-05-26T09:04:17Z")
I held a job, actually a paid internship, when i studied in Chicago. I was only there for a school year. The problem was that the internship I got paid minimum wages. Some union thing there. So, I had to battle with INS, and got a stamp in my passport, that said that “Work permit granted to complete education.” I paid taxes, that I’ll never see again… So, yes, there are some loopholes.