USCIS Issues Clarifying Guidance for Individuals Authorized to Work Under Special Student Relief Provisions

On February 22, 2023, USCIS issued an update in policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to clarify the validity period of employment authorization for F-1 nonimmigrant students who are work authorized under the SSR provisions of 8 CFR (or students experiencing severe economic hardship due to emergent circumstances, also known as special student relief (SSR)). 

The update clarifies that in cases of severe economic hardship due to emergent circumstances, USCIS may grant off-campus SSR employment authorization to an F-1 nonimmigrant student for the duration of the Federal Register notice validity period. This employment authorization may not extend past the student’s academic program end date. This update notes that USCIS may issue employment authorization documents for the duration of the Federal Register notice, which is typically an 18-month validity period, as permitted by the relevant SSR Federal Register notice.

USCIS’s Policy Update can be found here.