Special Student Relief
Special Student Relief (SSR) is a benefit that allow DHS to suspend or alter rules regarding duration of status, full course of study, and employment eligibility, for specific groups of students from parts of the world that are experiencing emergent circumstances.
- Natural disasters
- Wars and military conflicts
- National or international financial disasters
Students must discuss with a Designated School Official (DSO) if interested in applying. Please schedule an appointment with an OISS advisor.
SSR Eligibility
OISS must first ascertain whether the student meets the basic eligibility requirements as specified in the applicable SSR Federal Register notice. Generally, a student must:
- Be a citizen of the country that is the subject of the SSR notice (or an individual having no nationality who last habitually resided in the SSR country), regardless of country of birth;
- Note: In the case of the Hong Kong notice, a student must be a resident of Hong Kong
- Have been lawfully present in the United States in F-1 nonimmigrant status on the "eligibility date" specified in the relevant SSR notice;
- Be enrolled in an institution certified by SEVP for the enrollment of F-1 students;
- Be currently maintaining F-1 status; and
- Be "experiencing severe economic hardship as a direct result of" the specific condition referenced in the SSR notice for the country of which the student is a citizen. The specific conditions are described in the SSR notices. The SSR notices state that "the F-1 nonimmigrant student must demonstrate to the OISS advisor that the employment is necessary to avoid severe economic hardship directly resulting from" the specific condition referenced in the applicable SSR notice. The student should provide suitable supporting documentation to the OISS advisor.
SSR Benefits
- Reduced course load
- Undergraduate students who receive SSR must remain registered for a minimum of six (6) units
- Graduate students who receive SSR must remain registered for a minimum of three (3) units
- On-campus employment authorization
- Students may work up to 20 hours on-campus per week*
*This is the same as the on-campus employment authorization policy - Off-campus employment authorization
- Students may work off-campus for more than 20 hours per week once they file Form I-765 and receive an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
How To Apply
Once I-20 is issued for SSR, the student must then file a Form I-765 application for employment authorization with USCIS. Applications for SSR EADs cannot be filed online via MyUSCIS. They must be filed by mail on paper forms. The application should include the materials specified in the SSR federal notice, which may look like:
- Completed Form I-765 [category code: (c)(3)(iii)]
- USCIS filing fee (some students may be eligible for a fee waiver)
- Copy of properly executed Form I-20 reflecting DSO's SSR off-campus employment recommendation and student's signature
- Two US passport style photos (no more than 30 days old)
The student should also include this additional supporting documentation:
- Form G-1145 to request E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance (optional, but recommended)
- Copy of latest I-94 entry record
- Copy of passport biographical page
- Copy of F-1 visa page (except citizens of Canada and Bermuda) or I-797 (approval of change of status to F-1), if applicable
- Copies of the student's previous I-20(s)
- Transcript
- Previous EADs (if any)
Check the SSR notice for mailing instructions like "Send the application in an envelope that is clearly marked on the front of the envelope, bottom right-hand side, with the phrase "SPECIAL STUDENT RELIEF." The student must wait for the EAD in order to begin SSR employment and SSR reduced course load.
SSR Resources
Detailed information can be found in DHS Study in the States and ICE F-1 SSR.