The U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security has the ability to suspend certain F-1 requirements if it is determined the country is experiencing severe hardship that is impacting F-1 students in the U.S. These affected 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 non-immigrant student status.
Permission must be granted either by ISSS and/or USCIS before a student can utilize the SSR provisions. Under this permission, students can request one of the following permissions:
- ON-CAMPUS work permission over 20 hours per week and a reduction of the minimum credit enrollment (minimum 6 credits for undergraduates; minimum 3 credits for graduate).
- OFF-CAMPUS work permission over 20 hours per week in any field, and a reduction of minimum credit enrollment (minimum 6 credits for undergraduates; minimum 3 credits for graduate).
The SSR authorization is issued for a period of one year or to the expiration date of the notice (see below) - whichever comes sooner. Students with SSR permission are required to enroll at least half-time. The SSR authorization ends if a student graduates or transfers to a different school.
PLEASE NOTE: Some programs, scholarships, or on-campus jobs (for example, TA or RA) may require full-time enrollment. Receiving SSR authorization does not waive this requirement, so students will need to communicate with the appropriate office about their situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the eligibility criteria for SSR?
A student must be:
- A citizen of an appropriate country who was lawfully present within the United States on an F-1 visa on the designated start date (review the table below for country-specific criteria)
- Have an I-20 from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus
- Currently maintaining F-1 status
- Enrolled at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
- Able to document that they are experiencing severe economic hardship as a direct result of the current crisis in their country of citizenship.
| Country of Citizenship (regardless of country of birth) | Have been lawfully present in the United States in F-1 status on this date | Be experiencing severe economic hardship as a direct result of... | SSR Designation expires on this date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burma (Myanmar) | Redesignated March 22, 2024 | The current armed conflict and humanitarian crisis in Burma | November 25, 2025 |
| Ethiopia | Redesignated April 12, 2024 | current armed conflict and humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia | December 12, 2025 |
| Haiti | Redesignated June 28, 2024 | the current crisis in Haiti | February 3, 2026 |
| Lebanon | November 27, 2024 | the current crisis in Lebanon | May 27, 2026 |
| Somalia | Redesignated July 22, 2024 | the current crisis in Somalia | March 17, 2026 |
| Syria | Redesignated January 29, 2024 | the current armed conflict and humanitarian crisis | September 30, 2025 |
| Yemen | Redesegnated July 10, 2024 | the crisis in Yemen | March 3, 2026 |
What is the difference between on-campus vs. off-campus work?
Students applying for SSR must decide whether they wish to work on or off campus. There are differences in the application process and timing of approval.
Full-time, On-campus Work Permission
If ISSS determines you meet the eligibility criteria, we will authorize full-time on-campus work permission and a reduction of your course load on a new I-20. We will send an approval letter and a new I-20 to you.
- You can immediately reduce your credits until the end date on the approval letter. Undergraduate students must enroll in a minimum of 6 credits, and graduate students must enroll in a minimum of 3 credits.
- You will need to show your UMN work supervisor ISSS's approval letter to increase your on-campus work hours above 20.
- The permission is only for working on the UMN-Twin Cities campus.
Full-time, Off-campus Work Recommendation
If ISSS determines you meet the eligibility criteria, we will recommend off-campus work permission and a reduction of your course load on a new I-20. We will send a recommendation letter and a new I-20 to you.
- After getting ISSS's recommendation, you must submit your application to USCIS. You are responsible for doing this and paying the fee.
- USCIS can take several months to review your application.
- A recommendation by ISSS is not an approval, and it does not guarantee USCIS approval. Students cannot begin off-campus employment or reduce their credit hours until they receive approval from USCIS in form of an Employment Authorization Document (EAD).
Directions to Apply
Directions to apply for on-campus work authorization
To request ON-CAMPUS work permission over 20 hours per week and a reduction of the minimum credit hours:
- Meet the eligibility criteria listed above
- Complete a budget worksheet (available through ISSS Forms)
- Gather supporting evidence about the crisis in your country of citizenship. All documentation should be in English or have an English translation, and you should gather more than one example. Examples of supporting evidence include but are not limited to"
- An article describing the disaster in your country that negatively affected your parent’s business,
- An article or report about the decreased value of your country’s currency,
- A letter from your scholarship provider saying that they are going out of business and can no longer support you, etc.
- Write a statement to explain the unforeseen change(s) in your financial circumstances which arose as a result of the crisis in your country of citizenship. Be specific. Refer to your evidence.
- Brief introduction about the crisis in your country
- Detail why parents, family, or other sponsors are unable to give you the previously promised support.
- Your economic hardship as a result of the crisis and how the funding on your I-20 has changed as a result of the crisis
- Your academic and living expenses
- If your sponsor(s) are withdrawing support, obtain a letter from them which explains the situation. If you are not able to get this letter, please explain why in your statement.
- Submit the worksheet, documentation, and statement to an ISSS advisor (or [email protected] if you are not already working with an advisor).
- An ISSS advisor will review your documents and contact you for an appointment to discuss your case. Upon review of the application, ISSS will make a final eligibility determination. If ISSS determines you are eligible, we will authorize full time on-campus work permission and a reduction of your course load on a new I-20.
Directions to apply for off-campus work authorization
To request OFF-CAMPUS work permission over 20 hours per week in any field and a reduction of the minimum credit hours, students must:
- Meet the eligibility criteria listed above
- Complete a budget worksheet (available through ISSS Forms)
- Gather supporting evidence about the crisis in your country of citizenship. You should gather more than one example, and all documents must be in English or have an English translation. Examples of supporting evidence include but are not limited to:
- An article describing the disaster in your country that negatively affected your parent’s business,
- An article or report about the decreased value of your country’s currency,
- A letter from your scholarship provider saying that they are going out of business and can no longer support you, etc.
- Write a statement to explain the unforeseen change(s) in your financial circumstances which arose as a result of the crisis in your country of citizenship. Be specific. Refer to your evidence.
- Brief introduction about the crisis in your country
- Detail why parents, family, or other sponsors are unable to give you the previously promised support
- Your economic hardship as a result of the crisis and how the funding on your I-20 has changed as a result of the crisis
- Your academic and living expenses
- If your sponsor(s) are withdrawing support, obtain a letter from them which explains the situation. If you are not able to get this letter, please explain why in your statement.
- Complete Form I-765 (available here)
- Submit the worksheet, documentation, statement, and I-765 to an ISSS advisor (or [email protected] if you are not already working with an advisor).
An ISSS advisor will review your documents and contact you for an appointment to discuss your case.
NOTE: If ISSS recommends you for SSR and off-campus work permission, you will need to pay an application fee to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Students may request that the fee be waived, however, USCIS rarely approves such requests.
Upon review of the application, ISSS will make an eligibility determination. If ISSS determines you meet the eligibility criteria, we will recommend off-campus work permission and a reduction of your course load on a new I-20.
After you receive the I-20 from ISSS, mail your application to the address identified on the USCIS website. On the envelope, bottom right side, write SPECIAL STUDENT RELIEF.
