F-1 Special Employment Authorizations
Overview
If an F-1 student experiences unexpected financial difficulties beyond their control, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) may authorize them to work off campus while remaining enrolled full-time. This is called Severe Economic Hardship (SEH) authorization.
F-1 students from certain countries or regions may be eligible to apply for Special Student Relief for F-1 students (SSR) when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security determines that emergent circumstances such as war, natural disaster, or financial crisis are creating significant financial hardship.
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is available for individuals that are citizens or last resided in a certain country or region when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security determines that emergent circumstances such as war, natural disaster, or financial crisis are creating conditions that prevent the country’s or region’s nationals from returning.
Jump to: Severe Economic Hardship (SEH) | Special Student Relief (SSR) | Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
Severe Economic Hardship (SEH)
F-1 students experiencing severe economic hardship due to unforeseen circumstances beyond their control may apply to obtain authorization to work off campus if on-campus employment options are insufficient. This authorization is typically very difficult to receive, and thorough documentation of financial hardship and insufficiency of other employment options is required.
Eligibility
To be eligible to apply for SEH, you must:
- have been in valid F-1 status for at least two consecutive semesters,
- be in good academic standing,
- be able to document that this authorization is necessary due to severe economic hardship caused by unforeseen circumstances beyond your control, and
- be able to document that other employment options (e.g., on-campus employment) are insufficient or not available.
Authorization Details
- During required academic terms: Maximum of 20 hours of work per week
- During University breaks: No maximum number of hours of work per week
- Employment is not required to be related to your Georgetown studies.
- Authorization is granted for a maximum of one year at a time and becomes invalid if you transfer, end your program of study, or fail to maintain F-1 status.
- An offer of employment is not required for the authorization application.
- Employment must not interfere with your full-time course of study unless you otherwise qualify for and are authorized for a Reduced Courseload (RCL).
- SEH authorization period(s) do not detract from total available time for Optional Practical Training (OPT).
- You must not begin SEH employment until you have the Employment Authorization Document (EAD card) in hand and the EAD start date occurs.
Application
- Make a Zoom advising appointment with your International Student (IS) Advisor to discuss your eligibility and questions after reviewing this page.
- Email personal statement and supporting documentation to internationalservices@georgetown.edu explaining how the authorization is necessary to avoid or mitigate severe economic hardship, the circumstances from which the severe economic hardship stem, and why on-campus work options are insufficient.
- Eligibility is only about meeting your own tuition and living expenses; make no reference to earning funds to help another person.
- Concretely identify which expenses you would use the additional funds to cover. Include as a simple table a personal budget to show precisely where the shortfall is.
- Attach supporting materials that attest to the unforeseen nature of the economic hardship (e.g., a list of assets, income, and expenses; newspaper articles describing a recent disaster or currency devaluation in your home country and documentation of how this affects your family or sponsor specifically; medical bills; a letter from your sponsor; affidavits; etc.).
- OGS will issue follow-up guidance or a Form I-20 with an SEH recommendation.
- Compile and mail the following to the USCIS Lockbox within 30 days of the new Form I-20 issuance date. Do not submit the online I-765.
We recommend making a copy of your complete application packet before mailing, and we recommend mailing with a tracking service for confirmation of delivery.- 2 passport photos taken within the past 30 days
- Write your name and SEVIS ID in pencil on the back of each photo.
- Personal check (see OGS’s Sample Check (PDF)), money order, credit card, or fee waiver. Review the current I-765 paper filing fee amount
- Form G-1450: If paying by credit card, you need to include the Form G-1450 with you application. The credit card you use must be issued by a U.S. company. Refer to the USCIS Instructions for Form G-1450 and the USCIS Pay With a Credit Card website. Form I-912: If applying for fee waiver, you must submit the Form I-912. Refer to the USCIS Instructions for Form I-912. If fee waiver is denied, you will need to pay fee and application will be delayed.
- Form I-765
- Be sure to review USCIS’s Instructions for Form I-765.
- Copy of the Form I-20 with SEH recommendation
- Keep the original in your own records.
- Copy of the biographic page of your passport
- Copy of F-1 visa
- Printed copy of your most recent I-94 proof of status
- Personal statement with your ink signature
- Copies of supporting materials
- Form G-1145: Recommended for text/email notification of application receipt
- 2 passport photos taken within the past 30 days
If USCIS approves your application, they will mail you your EAD card. You may begin working when you have the EAD card in hand and the EAD start date occurs.
Special Student Relief (SSR)
Special Student Relief (SSR) “is a 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.” (Study in the States) To support F-1 international students impacted by natural disasters, wars and military conflicts, and national and international financial crises, DHS can and does temporarily suspend full-time enrollment requirements and allows for off-campus employment. DHS issues a Federal Register Notice for each country or region affected.
Eligibility
To be eligible for SSR, you must:
- be a citizen of a country or region specified in a Federal Register Notice,
- be physically present in the United States on the effective start date of the SSR for your country or region of citizenship or last legal permanent residence,
- be maintaining valid F-1 status and enrolled as a student (i.e., not on OPT/STEM OPT) at the time SSR benefits become effective for your country or region of citizenship or last legal permanent residence, and
- be experiencing severe economic hardship as a direct result of the emergent circumstances in your country or region of citizenship or last legal permanent residence.
SSR eligibility ends as soon as any of the following occurs: you complete your academic program (Form I-20 program end date), you end your studies early, or the SSR program for your country or region of citizenship or last legal permanent residence ends.
As of November 26, 2024, SSR is available for the following countries or regions for eligible F-1 students; they are listed on the DHS website:
If you think you qualify and are interested in applying, please schedule a Zoom advising appointment with your IS Advisor to discuss after carefully reviewing this webpage.
Authorization Details
- On-campus employment:
- DHS permission to work more than 20 hours per week
- At Georgetown, student employment above 20 hours per week requires additional permissions, which are rarely granted (see Special Considerations below).
- Eligible students in their first year of study may apply for severe economic hardship work authorization to be able to work off-campus in position(s) related or unrelated to their major field of study.
- With SSR on-campus or off-campus employment authorization, a drop to half-time enrollment is permitted.
- Half-time enrollment for undergraduates: 6 credits
- Half-time enrollment for graduate students: Half the normative load for program of study
- See Special Considerations below.
Special Considerations
- Georgetown enrollment policies:
- Undergraduates: Academic Resource Center (ARC) permission is required for less than full-time enrollment if living on campus.
- Graduate students must continue to meet enrollment requirements for assistantships.
- Undergraduates and Graduates: SSR does not waive the Georgetown minimum credit requirements for on-campus employment or university scholarships.
- USCIS approval is required for off-campus employment (severe economic hardship) work authorization.
- A recommendation by OGS for SSR is not a guarantee that your severe economic hardship work authorization application will be approved by USCIS.
- To start working off-campus, you must wait to receive your Employment Authorization Document (EAD) from USCIS.
- Some countries approved for SSR also have active Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations; however, SSR and TPS are different.
Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
The Secretary of Homeland Security may designate a country or region for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) due to temporary circumstances such as ongoing armed conflict, environmental disaster, epidemic, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions. For more information about TPS and currently eligible countries and regions, please review the USCIS website on TPS.
For questions and help applying for TPS, please reach out to Catholic Charities or an experienced immigration attorney. For questions about how TPS may affect your F-1/J-1 status, please schedule a Zoom advising appointment with your IS Advisor.