Student Employment

Special Student Relief (SSR)




Lebanon
Somolia
Yemen
Benefits of SSR
How to Apply for SSR
Frequently Asked Questions
TPS & DED

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Special Student Relief (SSR) for F-1 students who are citizens of the below countries.  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. Please come to advising to discuss the application process. This relief is being phased out so it will not be available for very long.

For eligibility criteria see below:

Lebanon

Effective November 27, 2024 until May 27, 2026
(November 27, 2024).

To be eligible, an F-1 student must:

  • Be a citizens of Lebanon regardless of country or birth (or individuals having no nationality who last habitually resided in Lebanon);
  • Have been lawfully present in the United States in an F-1 nonimmigrant status on November 27, 2024;
  • Be enrolled in a Student Exchange and Visitor Program (SEVP)-Certified School;
  • Be currently maintaining F-1 nonimmigrant status; and
  • Be experiencing severe economic hardship as a direct result of the current humanitarian crisis in Lebanon.

Somolia

Effective September 18, 2024 until March 17, 2026
(July 22, 2024).

To be eligible, an F-1 student must:

  • Be a citizens of Somolia, regardless of country of birth;
  • Have been lawfully present in the United States in F-1 nonimmigrant status on July 22, 2024;
  • Be enrolled in an Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified school;
  • Be currently maintaining F-1 nonimmigrant status; and
  • Be experiencing severe economic hardship as a direct result of the current crisis in Somalia.

Yemen

Effective September 4, 2024 until March 3, 2026
(July 10, 2024).

To be eligible, an F-1 student must:

  • Be a citizen of Yemen, regardless of country of birth;
  • Have been lawfully present in the United States in F-1 nonimmigrant status on July 10, 2024;
  • Be currently maintaining F-1 nonimmigrant status;
  • Be enrolled in an SEVP-certified academic institution; and
  • Be experiencing severe economic hardship as a direct result of the current crisis in Yemen.

Benefits of SSR

  • Ability to reduce course load in Fall & Spring semesters
  • Ability to work on-campus over 20 hours per week during Fall and Spring OR apply for off-campus work permission.

How to apply for ssr

To apply please speak to an advisor at OIS. The application is necessary to receive the I-20 to either gain permission to reduce your course load (6 hours for undergraduates and 3 hours for graduates) for the coming academic year and work over 20 hours in an on-campus job OR to reduce your course load and apply for special off-campus work permission with USCIS.  The process is outlined in the E-Form. You do not need a job to apply.

Frequently Asked Question's for SSR & TPS

List of FAQ's

TPS & DED

Students can also read more information about TPS & DED below. Please note that while the Office of International Services can help you with the SSR process we suggest speaking with an immigration attorney regarding the below processes.