Students Studying in The United States Special Student Relief and Temporary Protected Status

Special Student Relief (SSR) may be available to certain F-1 students experiencing severe economic hardship due to emergent conditions (i.e. natural disasters, wars and military conflicts, national or international financial crises, or other circumstances in their country of citizenship (or in certain cases, residence)). If granted, SSR suspends certain types of restrictions on F-1 off-campus employment eligibility and may allow authorized students to reduce their course load below full-time.

• Overview of SSR
• Countries covered by SSR
• February 22, 2023 USCIS Policy Alert

If you have any questions or think that you are eligible to apply for SSR, please contact OGS to request an appointment with a Designated School Official (DSO) by calling +1-617-373-2310 or stopping by the Boston campus at 354 Richards Hall.

The designation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is the Department of Homeland Security Secretary’s decision to provide specific protections to eligible nationals of certain countries (or parts of countries) who are already inside the United States. An application for TPS must be filed with USCIS.

• Overview of TPS (includes countries currently designated for TPS)

TPS is a personal petition to USCIS, thus OGS recommends that students who wish to apply for TPS work with an immigration attorney. If you have a successful TPS petition and need to discuss how to continue to maintain your F-1 status, please schedule an appointment with a Designated School Official/DSO (F-1 students) or Alternate Responsible Officer/ARO (J-1 Students) by calling +1-617-373-2310 or stopping by the Boston campus at 354 Richards Hall.