Severe Economic Hardship
According to the Department of Homeland Security, the following circumstances qualify for
unforeseen
economic need: loss of financial aid, scholarship or fellowship; loss of on-campus job; large increase in tuition or living expenses; unexpected changes in student’s financial support; large medical bills or a significant devaluation of your home currency. There is no restriction on the type of work. Renewals are possible, but the same procedure must be followed for each renewal.
The following are answers to frequently asked questions regarding off-campus work based on economic necessity.
Am I eligible to apply for off-campus employment?
You are eligible to apply if you meet the following criteria:
- You must have been enrolled full-time for at least one full academic year (nine consecutive months).
- You must be in good academic standing (not on probation)
- You must be able to demonstrate and document unforeseen financial need due to circumstances beyond your control.
- You must have attempted to find a job on campus.
- Your employment must not interfere with your full-time study.
How can I apply for off-campus employment?
To apply, you must set up an appointment with your International Student Advisor to verify your eligibility.
If approved, your International Student Advisor will issue you a new I-20 with a recommendation on page 2 for the Severe Economic Hardship and give you instructions for how to apply to USCIS.
Carefully read and complete the application as instructed.
Once approved, regulations include the following:
- You may not begin employment until you have received the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) from DHS and the authorization will be for one year only.
- Work is limited to 20 hours per week during the academic year, but may be full time in the summer.
- You may work in any job, it does not have to be related to your course of study
- You must remain a full-time student (each fall and spring semester)
- You must reapply to USCIS each year to renew this work authorization. For uninterrupted work authorization, you must apply early enough so that the EAD is received before the expiration date of the prior one, since continued employment past the prior expiration date during the pendency of an EAD extension request is not authorized. If you want to renew, USCIS recommends that you re-apply "at least ninety days - and not more than six months - before their current authorization expires"
- Please note that transferring your SEVIS record to a new school would automatically cancel this employment authorization
- This type of work permission is often hard to obtain. If DHS denies your request, you will be told why but you may not appeal the decision.
- You are required to report your employer, the employer’s address, and the start and end date of any employment to the Office of International Programs so it may be entered in SEVIS. You must also report that you are actively seeking employment if not employed by the start date on your EAD card.
- You must provide the Office of International Programs a copy of your EAD card upon receiving it.
- You are required to always have your local address on file with the Office of International Programs and must notify them anytime you move or change your address. This must be reported to SEVIS within 10 days of the change.
- You may begin to search for employment prior to receiving off campus employment authorization, but you may not begin work until you receive your EAD card.
Special Student Relief (SSR)
Special Student Relief (SSR) is the suspension of certain regulatory requirements by the secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for an F‑1 student from parts of the world that are experiencing emergent circumstances. Regulatory requirements that may be suspended or altered for an F-1 student include: full course of study and on- and off-campus employment eligibility.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Special Student Relief (SSR) for F-1 students who are citizens of Myanmar (Burma), Somalia, Syria, Venezuela, Yemen and Haiti. Students from these countries who are experiencing severe economic hardship as a result of the current crisis in their home country can apply for permission to reduce their course load and to work over 20 hours in on-campus positions or apply for an EAD card to work off-campus.
BENEFITS OF SSR
- Ability to reduce course load (RCL) in during the Fall and Spring semesters for the duration of the notice for your country
1. The RCL benefit is optional, but the reduced course load benefit is only available to students who apply for SSR and obtain work authorization through the notice, and is not available separately
2. Students approved for the RCL benefit through SSR must remain in enrolled in at least 6 credits for undergraduates or 3 credits for graduate students each Fall and Spring semester for the duration of the SSR benefits
- Ability to work on-campus over 20 hours per week (up to 24 hours per week) during Fall and Spring semesters for the duration of the notice for your country, OR apply for off-campus work permission
- Students must apply and receive a special I-20 that shows permission for these benefits
HOW TO APPLY FOR SSR
On-Campus Employment:
Eligible students who have secured on-campus employment and been approved by their work department to work more than 20 hours per week (up to 24 hours per week), must request Special Student Relief by submitting the following to IPO:
- Special Student Relief (SSR) request via your online profile in the Request & Document Center.
As a part of the online application, you will be required to attach copies of the following documents.
- Personal Statement in the form of a letter to UT explaining how employment is necessary to avoid severe economic hardship is a direct result of the current humanitarian crisis in your country
- Passport, most recent
- F-1 Visa, most recent, OR I-797 Approval Notice for change of status (if applicable)
- I-94 Record, most recent. Obtain your most recent I-94 online on the CBP website: https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/home
- Form I-20, most recent, copy of all 3 pages in one PDF file
- Unofficial transcript copy, downloaded PDF from Workday (instructions here)
Students cannot work beyond 20 hours per week while school is in session until they have been authorized in their SEVIS record by IPO.
Off-Campus Employment
Eligible students seeking off-campus employment authorization must apply to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service for authorization. Applications for Special Student Relief employment authorization must first be submitted to and processed by IPO. Please see attached the list of required documents to prepare a complete application. Students do not need a job to apply for off-campus authorization through SSR.
Off-Campus Employment authorization based on Special Student Relief allow students to work off-campus in any position for any number of hours per week based on the suspension of off-campus employment regulations stated above. Employment may not begin until you have received the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) from USCIS. Employment is authorized for until your graduation date or the expiration of the notice for your country, whichever is sooner.
Employment authorization is contingent upon maintaining your F-1 status. If at any time during your authorized period of employment, you fall out of status (for example by failing to complete a full-time course load) your authorization is immediately cancelled. Transferring to another school will also cancel your employment authorization even if your card has not yet expired.
The application for special student relief off-campus employment authorization must submit the following documents to IPO for review:
- Special Student Relief (SSR) request via your online profile in the Request & Document Center.
- As a part of the online application, you will be required to attach copies of the following documents
- Form I-765 (completed and signed), with eligibility category (c)(3)(iii)
§ Note: Special Student Relief cannot be applied for online through USCIS, you must submit the paper application
§ Go to the I-765 website and download the most recent version of the PDF form
§ Type in the PDF, do not handwrite
o USCIS fee, check, money order, or cashier's check made payable to: "U.S. Department of Homeland Security"
§ NOTE: Spell out U.S. Department of Homeland Security, DO NOT use initials USDHS or DHS
§ DO NOT sign the back of the check or money order
§ See I-765 website to see the current fee amount
§ *An applicant who is unable to pay the fee may submit a completed Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver, along with the Form I-765 Application for Employment Authorization. See www.uscis.gov/ feewaiver. The submission must include an explanation of why USCIS should grant the fee waiver and the reason(s) for the inability to pay, and any evidence to support the reason(s).
o Form G-1145, to request an email/text message notification from USCIS.
§ Type in the PDF, do not handwrite
o Personal Statement in the form of a letter to USCIS explaining how employment is necessary to avoid severe economic hardship is a direct result of the current humanitarian crisis in your country
o I-94 Record, most recent. Obtain your most recent I-94 online on the CBP website: https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/home
o F-1 visa, copy (if you applied for the F-1 visa abroad), OR a copy of the I-797 Change of Status to F-1 approval notice form (if you changed visa status in the U.S.)
o Passport, most recent
o Two 2x2 immigration-style/passport photos - face forward, looking directly at the camera
§ Make sure it meets US government requirements of the paper photo here
§ Very lightly write your name & SEVIS ID number on back of each photo.
§ We recommend using a professional U.S. passport photography service to ensure photos are correct
o Form I-20(s) with previously endorsed OPT, CPT, or economic hardship, if applicable, all 3 pages in one PDF file
o Unofficial transcript copy, downloaded PDF from Workday (instructions here)
o Previous EAD card, copy (if applicable)
To apply for Special Student Relief (SSR) off-campus work authorization, please submit the above documents to the IPO office. A new Form I-20 will be issued to you, and then you can send the application to USCIS. Do NOT submit anything to USCIS without first obtaining the new Form I-20 endorsed for SSR from IPO.
Applications take an average of 2-3 months to process. Approximately 2-4 weeks after you send in the application you will receive a receipt in the mail from USCIS stating they have begun processing your application. Your International Student Advisor will provide you with the mailing address when you apply.
IMPORTANT: Send the application to USCIS in an envelope which is clearly marked on the front of the envelope, bottom right-hand side, with the phrase “SPECIAL STUDENT RELIEF.” Failure to include this notation may result in significant processing delays.
For more information and how to apply please contact:
The Office of International Programs
Grand Center 103
(813) 258-7433
Or visit Severe Economic Hardship or Special Student Relief
