Severe Economic Hardship Employment for F-1 Students

An F-1 student may apply to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for off-campus employment if they are experiencing economic hardship due to unexpected circumstances outside of their control. These circumstances may include but are not limited to: 

  • Loss of financial aid or on-campus employment 
  • Substantial changes in exchange rate or value of currency on which the student depends 
  • Inordinate increases in tuition and/or living expenses 
  • Unexpected changes in the main source of financial support 
  • Medical bills 

As part of their application students must submit an I-20 with the appropriate recommendation from a Designated School Official (DSO) in OGS, and should be prepared to document the circumstances of their economic hardship, how they were unexpected and outside of their control, and present evidence to support these claims.  

Severe Economic Hardship employment authorization is granted in one year intervals and is limited to 20 hours per week while school is in session. During official school breaks/vacations, employment may exceed 20 hours per week.  

Eligibility 

To apply for employment authorization due to severe economic hardship, USCIS has established the following eligibility requirements:  

  • Must have maintained lawful F-1 status for at least one academic year (2 semesters/3 quarters)
  • Must be in good academic standing and maintain a full-time ccourse load with appropriate on-ground presence
  • Demonstrate that off-campus employment will not negatively impact your studies.
  • Demonstrate that on-campus employment is not available/sufficient to avoid experiencing economic hardship.
  • Demonstrate that off-campus employment is necessary to avoid economic hardship due to unexpected circumstances outside of your control

Application

If you believe you meet these eligibility requirements and wish to request an I-20 with the appropriate recommendation in order to submit an application to USCIS, or have additional questions about this process, please contact OGS ) by calling +1-617-373-2310 or visiting the front desk at 354 Richards Hall in Boston. 

You can find a more detailed explanation of the application process by accessing this knowledge article.  

Off-Campus Employment Based on Economic Hardship for J-1 Students

A J-1 student may be eligible for authorization to work off-campus if “serious, urgent, and unforeseen economic circumstances” have arisen since they acquired J-1 exchange visitor status. Authorization for Severe Economic Hardship employment must be granted by an Alternate Responsible Officer (ARO) in the Office of Global Services (OGS) before any employment begins.

Eligibility

J-1 students may be eligible to apply for employment based on severe economic hardship if they are in valid J-1 status and off-campus employment is necessary due to a circumstance in which the economic need is serious, urgent, and unforeseen.

Application

For more information about economic hardship, please contact OGS to schedule an appointment with a Alternate Responsible Officer (ARO) by calling +1-617-373-2310 or visiting the front desk at 354 Richards Hall in Boston.