Volunteering

What is Volunteering?

 

Volunteering is working for an individual or an organization in an unpaid position for humanitarian, public service, or religious reasons with no expectation of remuneration or compensation.

According to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), individuals must be paid for service that is normally considered paid employment and may not volunteer services to for-profit private sector employers. Volunteering in what is normally a paid position -- or will be a paid position -- is not permissible.
 
Even though payment (money) may not be exchanged, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) views some types of activity as employment, not volunteer labor. They explain, "the receipt of non-monetary compensation in exchange for services also constitutes employment. A classic example is a student who provides childcare or domestic services in exchange for free room and board. No money is exchanged in this instance, yet DHS would view this activity as employment.” (NAFSA Adviser’s Manual – with permission from NAFSA.)
 
 Examples of true volunteer work would be:

  • Serving in The United Way's "Day of Caring" event

  • Participating in Parent/Teacher Organizations (PTO) 

  • Working at schools (K-12) by cleaning, painting, etc.

  • Helping any charitable organizations with their needs

 
Unless the following activities are performed for a charitable organization, they would be viewed as true employment:  

  • Running experiments in a laboratory

  • Washing test tubes in a laboratory

  • Performing clerical duties

  • Providing computer programming and data analysis

There are two issues to consider:

  1. Can the non-citizen/non-permanent resident be employed? Depending on the situation, both the international student and the employer must determine the eligibility. 

  2. Must the activity be paid? Depending on the situation, the employer could risk violating the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Note: If there is a question, it is sometimes safer to seek employment authorization than to participate. Please seek counsel from an international student adviser.