{"id":33324,"date":"2024-09-23T15:11:50","date_gmt":"2024-09-23T19:11:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/academics\/?page_id=33324"},"modified":"2024-09-23T15:11:50","modified_gmt":"2024-09-23T19:11:50","slug":"special-student-relief","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/academics\/center-global-engagement\/international-student-services\/current-students\/employment\/off-campus-employment\/special-student-relief\/","title":{"rendered":"Special Student Relief"},"content":{"rendered":"
Regulations allow the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to suspend or alter rules regarding duration of status, full course of study, and employment eligibility, for specific groups of F-1 students from parts of the world that are experiencing emergent circumstances. This collection of benefits is known as “Special Student Relief<\/strong>” (SSR).<\/p>\n The benefits can be understood as a “package” consisting of on- or off-campus work authorization, and the authorization to reduce course load. The reduced course load benefit is only available to students who acquire work authorization through the SSR notice, and is not available separately. The regulatory provisions are generic, and are activated only when DHS makes a finding of emergent circumstances, and publishes a notice in the\u00a0Federal Register<\/a>\u00a0to define the specifics of what is to be suspended, and for whom, and the procedures for how to apply for any benefits that result from the suspension. SSR benefits do not begin for an individual student until the procedures described in the notices have been properly completed and granted.<\/p>\n DHS issues a\u00a0Federal Register (FR)<\/a><\/u>\u00a0notice\u00a0when the DHS Secretary declares that an event constitutes emergent circumstances. You may be eligible for SSR if you:<\/p>\n Step 1:<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0Meet with an ISSS Advisor<\/a>\u00a0to confirm your eligibility and to review the conditions and procedures for applying.<\/p>\n Step 2:<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0Write a letter to Marymount University to explain how employment is necessary to avoid severe economic hardship that is a direct result of the current crisis in your country. Submit this letter through a\u00a0Document Upload\u00a0<\/strong>request on Tab 4 of the ISSS Portal.<\/p>\n Step 3:<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0If it is determined that you are eligible for SSR, the ISSS advisor will issue you an updated I-20 with a notation in the Remarks section to certify SSR eligibility<\/em>, in accordance with the Federal Registrar Notice.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Step 1:<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0\u00a0Meet with an ISSS Advisor<\/a>\u00a0to confirm your eligibility and to review the conditions and procedures for applying.<\/p>\n Step 2:<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0If you are eligible to apply for SSR, log in to the ISSS Portal, proceed to Tab 4, and submit an\u00a0Off-Campus Employment <\/strong>request. An ISSS Advisor will review your request, and if eligible, you will be issued an updated I-20 with a recommendation<\/em> for SSR in the Remarks and on Page 2 of the I-20.<\/p>\n Step 3:<\/strong><\/em> After the ISSS Advisor recommends your request for Off Campus Employment on your I-20, gather the following documents for your application to USCIS:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Once you have prepared all the items listed above, make a complete copy of the application for your records.<\/p>\n Step 4:<\/i><\/b>\u00a0Mail your application and supporting documents to USCIS Chicago Lockbox:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n For U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Deliveries: \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n USCIS For Express mail & courier deliveries:<\/strong><\/p>\n USCIS Within a few weeks of mailing your application, USCIS will mail you a receipt notification. The receipt and final decision will be sent to the address you wrote on USCIS Form I-765. Please note that USCIS processing usually takes 30-60 days and may take up to 90 days. You may not begin employment before you receive your Employment Authorization Document (EAD) card. Working prior to receiving authorization from USCIS constitutes illegal employment that renders you illegally present in the U.S.<\/p>\n Students who have been granted SSR on-campus employment authorization or SSR off-campus employment authorization\u00a0will be considered to be pursuing a full course of study and maintaining duration of status as long as they are registered for the minimum number of credit hours specified in the special student relief suspension notice:<\/p>\n Students who have not received SSR employment authorization are not eligible for a reduction in full time course load.<\/p>\n To obtain SSR benefits, you must still apply to ISSS for SSR approval and an updated Form I-20 will be issued to you. However, if you already have a valid EAD you do not need to apply for a separate EAD through SSR. Note: The interaction between SSR and concurrent non-student benefits like Temporary Protected Status (TPS) can be complicated. Students eligible for both TPS and SSR should thoroughly discuss their options with an experienced\u00a0immigration attorney<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n SSR and TPS are different<\/strong>. TPS may be offered to various visa classifications, when applicable, including F-1 students. However, SSR, when applicable, is offered\u00a0only<\/em>\u00a0to eligible F-1 students.<\/p>\n Yes, you can apply for both TPS and SSR. TPS is an added layer of protection. However, students with TPS must still follow F-1 visa rules. TPS does not grant reduced course load options. TPS does not grant permission to work more hours in an on-campus job. Students who are on TPS and want the benefits of SSR must also apply for SSR through ISSS. Note: Because TPS is complicated, ISSS recommends that students obtain legal counsel<\/a>\u00a0to go over their personal situation to select the option that will work best for them.<\/em><\/p>\n No, F-2s are not authorized to work in the U.S. and SSR does not grant employment benefits to them.<\/p>\n No, SSR does not waive any requirement pertaining to general Marymount University requirements, including scholarships, athletics, and graduate assistantships.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Overview Regulations allow the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to suspend or alter rules regarding duration of status, full course of study, and employment eligibility, for specific groups of F-1 students from parts of the world that are experiencing emergent circumstances. This collection of benefits is known as “Special Student Relief” (SSR). The benefits […]<\/p>\nEligibility<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
Application Process for SSR Employment Options<\/strong><\/h3>\n
On-Campus Employment Increase in Hours<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Off-Campus Employment Authorization<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\n
\nAttn: I-765 C03
\nP.O. Box 805373
\nChicago, IL 60680-5374<\/p>\n
\nAttn: I-765 C03 (Box 805373)
\n131 South Dearborn – 3rd Floor
\nChicago, IL 60603-5517<\/p>\nDuration of Status and Full Course of Study<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Frequently Asked Questions<\/strong><\/h3>\n
If I already have on-campus employment or an EAD based on severe economic difficulty or TPS, do I need to apply for a separate EAD through SSR?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Are Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Special Student Relief (SSR) the same thing?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Can I apply for both TPS and SSR?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Can F-2 dependents apply for work authorization under SSR?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Does SSR approval waive the full-time enrollment requirements for scholarships and Graduate Assistantships?<\/strong><\/h4>\n