Career options for undocumented students

May 28

Why should I go to college if I can't legally work afterwards? ▾

In California, recent policies passed has provided undocumented students with more resources and opportunities than ever before. Even if you are not able to work legally after graduation, there are still excellent reasons to pursue a college education or go to trade school:

After graduation, you can pursue entrepreneurial opportunities by starting your own business or working as an independent contractor. See the sections below for more information on this.
If you are able to gain permanent residency later on in your life, earning a college education will ensure you are qualified to seek employment in your desired field.
A college education can prepare you to seek employment abroad.

What opportunities are available for me without work authorization? ▾

If you are an undocumented student without work authorization, you will not be able to be hired by a company or organization. However you have other options to generate income that doesn’t require work authorization or a Social Security Number.

Click through the options below to learn more about career alternatives.

Source: This resource guide was prepared using resources from Immigrants Rising. We encourage you to browse through their college and career-readiness resources, specifically made for undocumented students, here. We have also provided links to some of their resources below, under "Keep Learning."

Option 1: Independent contracting ▾

You provide a certain service (graphic designing, payroll specialist, translation services, just to name a few) and set your own hours and price. Clients (which can be an individual or an organization) can request your service and pay the amount you have set. You are essentially self-employed.

Independent contractors or entrepreneurs may use an ITIN (Individual Tax Information Number) or EIN (Employer Identification Number) to legally earn a living in the US as long as they pay taxes.
Learn more: 5 tips to get started as an independent contractor (Immigrants Rising)

If you are a California resident, you can apply for a driver’s license, which allows you to generate income through becoming an independent contractor for Uber, Lyft, Postmates, Instacart, etc. These are good ways to generate additional income during college or afterwards.

Option 3: Fellowships offered by your university or non-profit organizations ▾

Fellowships are short-term (6 month, 1 year, 2 year) opportunities offered by universities and other organizations that allow you to gain valuable professional and educational experience in a particular field of study. Many fellowships do not have a citizenship requirement and do not require work authorization.
Paid fellowships provide a stipend -- or sum of money -- to aid in pursuit of study, research project, or community service project. Beyond making money, fellowships are a great way to gain experience and skills that you can leverage in the future if you choose to become an independent contractor or start your own business.
The first place to check for fellowship opportunities is at your university. Go to your university’s scholarships/fellowship website and see what they have available, and be sure to speak with a staff member from the Scholarships/Fellowships Office to ask about opportunities as well.
Check out this list of fellowships open to undocumented students: Immigrants Rising's List of Undergraduate Fellowships.

Option 2: Start your own business ▾

As an undocumented professional, you can start your own business, which will allow you to expand the serves you provide.
One of the benefits of starting a business is being able to protect your identity. When you incorporate into a business, you will get an Employer Identification Number (EIN), which allows you to conduct business with others without having to share your name or personal information.
Independent contractors or entrepreneurs may use an ITIN (Individual Tax Information Number) or EIN (Employer Identification Number) to legally earn a living in the US as long as they pay taxes.

Option 4: Cooperative Ownership (Worker Cooperatives) ▾

A type of business with shared ownership -- it’s owned and governed by the workers themselves. Workers will share the profits amongst themselves.

Every member invests some amount of money to run the business collectively. Each worker gets an equal vote in the decision-making process.

Learn more about Worker Cooperatives:

What are professional licenses? Why are they important? ▾

Professional or occupation licenses allow individuals to practice in a certain professional field. For example, to be an attorney in California, you must be licensed to practice law in the state.
As an undocumented immigrant in California, you are able to attain any professional license offered in the state as long as you met all other qualifications and requirements for that license.
Attaining certain professional licenses can allow you to offer your services to others (for example, if you are licensed to practice law in California, you can start your own law firm or offer legal services to others).
Click here for a list of licenses available in California.

Main takeaway:

The key to generating income as an undocumented professional is to build a set of skills and learn how to sell it. When you are in college, think about what you are interested in, and how you can build practical skills in those areas of interest. Use fellowships and internships as opportunities to build those skills and meet the right people who can mentor you and help you start your professional journey as an independent contractor or business owner. Turn your passion into a paycheck.