What is Special Student Relief?
Special Student Relief (SSR) is the suspension by means of a notice in the Federal Register of certain regulatory requirements for F-1 students due to emergent circumstances as determined by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). SSR suspends restrictions related to on- and off-campus employment and alters full course of study requirements for eligible F-1 students.
This Fact Sheet provides general information only. Refer to the applicable SSR notice in the Federal Register for specific details regarding eligibility for SSR. For a list of countries that are currently designated for SSR, visit the Student and Exchange Visitor Program’s (SEVP) What’s New page.
Frequently Asked Questions
In general, an SSR notice applies to F-1 students who meet all of the following conditions:
- Are impacted by the emergent circumstances, as specified in the applicable SSR notice by being part of the identified country, region, territory, or group
- Were lawfully present in the United States in F-1 nonimmigrant status on the date specified in the applicable SSR notice.
- Are enrolled in an academic institution that is certified by SEVP to enroll F-1 nonimmigrant students.
- Are currently maintaining F-1 nonimmigrant status.
- Are experiencing severe economic hardship as a direct result of the emergent circumstances specified in the applicable SSR notice.
Eligible F-1 students who are experiencing severe economic hardship as a direct result of the emergent circumstances specified in the applicable SSR notice may request employment authorization, work an increased number of hours while school is in session and reduce their course load while continuing to maintain F-1 nonimmigrant student status.
Yes. All eligible F-1 students, regardless of educational level, may receive SSR.
No. F-2 dependents are not authorized to work in the United States and, therefore, may not accept employment under an SSR notice.
No. SSR only applies to eligible F-1 students.
No. SSR only applies to F-1 students who were lawfully present in the United States in F-1 nonimmigrant status on the date specified in the notice. F-1 students should refer to the applicable SSR notice in the Federal Register for the specified date and additional details regarding their eligibility to obtain SSR.
Yes. F-1 students may continue to be eligible for SSR if their designated school official has properly notated the student’s eligibility in their Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) record. This notation will then appear on the F-1 student’s Form I-20, “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status.”
Yes. F-1 students should refer to the applicable SSR notice in the Federal Register for details regarding their eligibility to apply for and maintain both TPS1 and SSR concurrently. If eligible, students who receive an Employment Authorization Document for TPS and wish to benefit under the applicable SSR notice must first receive approval from their designated school official who must then update the Form I-20, “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status” certifying their eligibility.
Yes. F-1 students should refer to the applicable SSR notice in the Federal Register for details regarding their ability to apply for and maintain both employment authorization under DED2 and SSR concurrently. If eligible, students who receive an Employment Authorization Document for DED and wish to benefit under the applicable SSR notice must first receive approval from their designated school official, who must then update the Form I-20, “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status” certifying their eligibility.
Eligible F-1 students must provide evidence to their designated school official (DSO) that they are experiencing severe economic hardship as a direct result of the emergent circumstances identified in the applicable SSR notice and that they were lawfully present in the United States in F-1 status on the date specified in the SSR notice and request that the DSO update their Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) record and issue a new Form I-20, “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status,” certifying their eligibility.
Note: To work off-campus, the student must obtain a recommendation from their DSO and apply for an employment authorization document with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). F-1 students should refer to the applicable SSR notice in the Federal Register for additional requirements regarding their eligibility to obtain SSR.
The DSO must update the student’s Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) record and issue a new Form I-20, “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status.” See the table below for details on what needs to be included in the Remarks section of the Form I-20.
| F-1 student scenario | Form I-20 must include the following text in the Remarks section: |
|---|---|
| Engaging in on-campus employment | Approved for more than 20 hours per week of on-campus employment and reduced course load under the Special Student Relief authorization from [DSO must insert the beginning date of the notice or the beginning date of the student’s employment, whichever date is later] until [DSO must insert the student's program end date or the end date of the notice, whichever date comes first]. |
| Currently holding a valid off-campus Employment Authorization Document (EAD) for severe economic hardship | Approved for more than 20 hours per week of off-campus employment authorization and reduced course load under the Special Student Relief authorization from [DSO must insert the beginning date of the notice or the beginning date of the student’s employment, whichever date is later] until [DSO must insert the student's program end date, the current EAD expiration date (or the end date of the notice, whichever date comes first]. |
Applying for off-campus employment authorization under an SSR notice Note: The DSO must also submit an off-campus employment recommendation in SEVIS. Please refer to Study in the States for instructions on how to recommend off-campus employment for SSR. | Recommended for off-campus employment authorization in excess of 20 hours per week and reduced course load under the Special Student Relief authorization from the date of the USCIS authorization noted on the Form I-765 until [DSO must insert the program end date, the current EAD expiration, the end date of the notice, whichever date comes first]. |
| Currently holding a valid EAD for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) | Approved for more than 20 hours per week of employment authorization and reduced course load under the Special Student Relief authorization from [DSO must insert the beginning date of the notice or the beginning date of the student’s employment, whichever date is later] until [DSO must insert the student's program end date, the current EAD expiration, or the end date of the notice, whichever date comes first]. |
An eligible F-1 student may apply for SSR on or after publication of the SSR Notice in the Federal Register and may utilize SSR on or after the effective date of the Notice.
Yes. F-1 students who receive employment authorization under an SSR are considered to be engaged in a full course of study for the duration of their employment authorization, as long as they satisfy the minimum course load requirement stated in the SSR notice.
Note: SSR does not prevent school officials of an academic institution from requiring an F-1 student to meet the institution’s minimum course load requirement for continued enrollment.
No. F-1 students eligible for a reduced course load under an SSR notice must notify their designated school official and obtain SSR authorization prior to reducing their course load. Failure to do so may result in a violation of their nonimmigrant status.
The minimum number of required credit hours for F-1 students at different education levels is outlined in the following table.
| F-1 Student Educational Level | Minimum Required Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate | A minimum of six semester or quarter hours of instruction per academic term. Students enrolled in a term of different duration must register for at least one half of the credit hours normally required under a full course of study. May count up to the equivalent of one class or three credits per session, term, semester, trimester or quarter of online or distance education toward satisfying this minimum course load requirement. |
| Graduate | A minimum of three semester or quarter hours of instruction per academic term. May count up to the equivalent of one class or three credits per session, term, semester, trimester or quarter of online or distance education toward satisfying this minimum course load requirement. |
| Elementary, middle and high school | The minimum number of hours of class attendance per week prescribed by the academic institution for normal progress toward graduation. |
| English language training or similar post-secondary programs that measure course completion in clock hours or a combination of clock and credit hours | The minimum number of clock or credit hours needed to constitute at least one-half of the hours normally required under a full course of study (for example, an F-1 student enrolled in a program of study that is normally 22 clock hours per week must be enrolled in a minimum of 11 clock hours per week while carrying a reduced course load to maintain their nonimmigrant status). May not count any online or distance education courses toward satisfying this minimum course load requirement if enrolled in an English language training program. |
Yes. Upon transferring to the new SEVP-certified academic institution, students should obtain a new Form I-20, “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status,” that notates their eligibility for SSR in the Remarks section of the form.
If the student has a valid off-campus employment authorization for SSR, the designated school official of the transfer-in school can request a data fix from the SEVP Response Center (SRC) to have the off-campus employment authorization applied to the student’s current SEVIS record.
If SSR is extended, the designated school official must update eligible students’ Forms I-20, “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status,” to notate approval and certify eligibility for the new period of SSR. In some cases, students may need to submit a Form I-765, “Application for Employment Authorization” to renew their employment authorization to work off campus.
SSR-related employment authorization expires when the SSR notice expires or at the time of the student’s program end date, whichever occurs first. However, if the SSR notice expires in the middle of the student’s academic term, the student can continue working and engaging in a reduced course load until the end of that term. A student may have to renew their Employment Authorization Document (EAD) to cover the gap between the expiration of the current EAD and the end of their current term.
Yes. If the SSR notice expires in the middle of the student’s academic term, the student can continue working for more than 20 hours per week until the end of that term.
Yes. If the SSR notice expires in the middle of the student’s academic term, the student can continue working off-campus for more than 20 hours per week until the end of that term. However, the student must submit a Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to obtain a new Employment Authorization Document (EAD) to cover the gap between the expiration of their current EAD (generally tied to the expiration of the SSR notice) and the end of their academic term.
Yes. If the SSR notice expires in the middle of the student’s academic term, the student can engage in a reduced course load until the end of that term.
No. F-1 students who receive employment authorization under an SSR notice and comply with the requirements of that authorization are considered to be engaged in a full course of study for the duration of the authorization, provided they remain registered for the required minimum of semester, quarter or clock hours of instruction per academic term.
No. Receiving an EAD for TPS or DED does not alter any rules limiting employment for F-1 students. F-1 students who have been granted TPS or DED but not SSR must still comply with all requirements for maintaining their F-1 status, including enrolling in a full course of study.
Yes. Certain noncitizens whose F-1 status has lapsed may apply for reinstatement. Please refer to the applicable SSR notice in the Federal Register for specific details regarding eligibility.