You can volunteer 20 hours or more per week on or off campus without approval; please make certain that this is strictly volunteer work and that you are not receiving payment. Receiving payment without prior authorization and an employment card is in direct violation of F-1 Visa regulations and you will fall out of status. You will need to provide documentation of your volunteer work for your visa file. Please see me before you begin any volunteer work to ensure it falls under the permitted guidelines and does not violate Federal and Connecticut labor laws. In addition, you are strongly advised to volunteer for no more than 20 hours per week.