New Guidelines for F-1 Visa Students Experiencing Severe Economic Hardship

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is clarifying policy guidance on the period of time that F-1 visa students are authorized to work under the Special Student Relief (SRR) provisions. On February 22, 2023, USCIS issued new guidance for F-1 students who are experiencing severe economic hardship due to emergent circumstances and who are work authorized under the SSR provisions. Under the updated guidelines, USCIS said:

“in cases of severe economic hardship due to emergent circumstances, we may grant off-campus SSR employment authorization to an F-1 nonimmigrant student for the duration of the Federal Register notice validity period. This employment authorization may not extend past the student’s academic program end date. This update notes that we may issue employment authorization documents for the duration of the Federal Register notice, which is typically an 18-month validity period, as permitted by the relevant SSR Federal Register notice.

Emergent circumstances are events that affect F-1 nonimmigrant students from a particular region and create severe economic hardship. These events may include, but are not limited to, natural disasters, financial crises, and military conflicts.“

The new F-1 SRR policy is effective immediately.

Guidelines For Off-campus Employment

The qualifications for SRR include:

• You have been in F-1 status for one full academic year
• You are in good academic standing and are taking a full course load
• Employment will not interfere with your studies
• You can demonstrate that employment is necessary to avoid severe economic hardship. And this hardship is due to unforeseen economic circumstances beyond your control

F-1 Student Visa

F-1 visas are non-immigrant student visas that allow international students to pursue grammar school, high school, college and other educational and training programs in the United States. These students must maintain a full course of study to maintain eligibility.

Many international F-1 visa students want to gain U.S. work experience to help them get jobs in the United States after graduation.

Contact an Experienced  Cook or DuPage County Student Visa Attorney

It can be confusing for international students to apply for and receive their student visas in a timely manner to attend their course of study. Mario Godoy and the other experienced immigration attorneys at the Godoy Law Office can assess your situation and advise you on your best options to apply for a student visa. Call today at 630-912-0322.