F-1 Employment

Severe Economic Hardship Employment

If you are suffering a severe economic hardship due to unforeseen financial circumstances beyond your control, you may apply to USCIS for authorization to work off-campus. You must have been in F-1 status for one academic year, be in good academic standing, and document that on-campus employment opportunities are not available to you or insufficient to meet your financial needs. Examples of unforeseen circumstances include loss of financial aid or on-campus employment, substantial fluctuations in the value of currency or exchange rate, inordinate increases in tuition and/or living costs, unexpected changes in the financial condition of you source of support, or other substantial and unexpected expenses.

If you would like to apply for Severe Economic Hardship Employment, review the information below, gather together and fill out the application materials as best you can, and contact International Programs & Exchanges if you have questions. Once you have all the materials together, make an appointment with the Advisor for final review of the application.

The application may take two to four months to be adjudicated. If approved, USCIS will issue you an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) on which is noted the beginning and ending dates of the employment authorization. Do not begin employment until you receive the EAD. If approved, you may work for any employer up to 20 hours per week while enrolled in a full course of study and full-time during quarter breaks and your annual vacation quarter. Employment authorization is automatically terminated if you fail to maintain status or transfer to another school.