Employment Authorization for F-1 Nonimmigrant Students Experiencing Severe Economic Hardship as a Direct Result of Emergent Circumstances in Hong Kong

On November 24th, 2021, the Department of Homeland Security released a Federal Register Notice suspending certain requirements for F-1 students who are Hong Kong residents and are experiencing severe economic hardship as a result of current circumstances in Hong Kong.  Specifically, the notice provides Special Student Relief (SSR) and suspends on-campus and off-campus employment regulations for certain Hong Kong residents. 

This notice announces that the Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) is suspending certain regulatory requirements for F-1 nonimmigrant students who are Hong Kong residents (regardless of country of birth) and who are experiencing severe economic hardship as a direct result of the emergent circumstances in Hong Kong. The Secretary is taking action to provide relief to Hong Kong residents who are lawful F-1 nonimmigrant students so the students 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. DHS will deem an F-1 nonimmigrant student who receives employment authorization by means of this notice to be engaged in a “full course of study” for the duration of the employment authorization, if the nonimmigrant student satisfies the minimum course load requirement described in this notice.

The notice defines a Hong Kong resident as an individual of any nationality, or without nationality, who has met the requirements for, and been granted, a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Passport, a British National Overseas Passport, a British Overseas Citizen Passport, a Hong Kong Permanent Identity card, or a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Document of Identity for Visa Purposes.