Special Student Relief (SSR) is the suspension of certain regulatory requirements by the Secretary of Homeland Security for an F‑1 student from parts of the world that are experiencing emergent circumstances. These circumstances could be natural disasters, war and military conflicts, or national or international financial crises. Regulatory requirements that may be suspended or altered for an F-1 student include duration of status, a full course of study, and employment eligibility.
The list of current SSR countries can be found by clicking here. You will need to scroll down until you reach the Special Student Relief section. For additional information about SSR, please refer to the Study in the States Special Student Relief website and the What is Special Student Relief (SSR) infographic.
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Special Student Relief (SSR) Student Criteria
DHS issues a Federal Register (FR) Notice when the secretary declares that an event constitutes emergent circumstances.
You may be eligible for SSR if you:
- Are the citizen of a country specified in an FR notice.
- Have lawfully resided in the United States for the dates indicated in the FR notice.
Have reported on time to your international advisor in International Enrollment & Services and been enrolled full-time at ETSU since the event.- Are currently maintaining F-1 status.
- Are experiencing severe economic hardship.
Your DSO must certify in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) that you meet all the above requirements to qualify for SSR. Your DSO should note any specifics, as SEVP recommends, in the remarks section of your Form I-20, “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status.” You must first file a Form I-765, “Application for Employment Authorization,” with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and receive authorization before you can begin off-campus employment.
Please note that SSR and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) are different. TPS may be offered to various visa classifications, when applicable, including F-1 students. However, SSR, when applicable, is offered only to eligible F-1 students.
To find a list of active SSR notices, visit the What’s New page on ICE.gov/SEVP.
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Benefits of Special Student Relief (SSR)
There are multiple benefits to SSR, including:
- Ability to reduce course load (RCL) during the Fall and Spring semesters for the duration
of the notice for your country.
- The RCL benefit is optional, but the reduced course load benefit is only available to students who apply for SSR and obtain work authorization through the notice, and is not available separately
- Students approved for the RCL benefit through SSR must remain enrolled in at least 6 credits for undergraduates or 3 credits for graduate students each Fall and Spring semester for the duration of the SSR benefits (the on-ground requirement must be met even with RCL approval)
- Ability to work on-campus over 20 hours per week during Fall and Spring semesters
for the duration of the notice for your country, OR apply for off-campus work permission.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Students must apply and receive a special I-20 that shows permission for these benefits. SSR benefits end whenever the student completes or ends their studies, or the SSR program for the student's country ends, whichever comes first.
- Ability to reduce course load (RCL) during the Fall and Spring semesters for the duration
of the notice for your country.
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Application Instructions
Any F-1 student who believes they may qualify for Special Student Relief benefits should contact their DSO for more information. In general, the DSO will need to verify that you are in valid F-1 student status, that you were physically present in the US on the effective start date of the specific SSR program available to you, and collect documentation - including an explanatory letter or statement, budget documents, and other supporting material - that establishes that you are experiencing severe economic hardship due to emergent conditions in your home country or region. The DSO will then talk to you about whether you would qualify for on- or off-campus employment authorization as allowed under SSR, and if you do, whether a reduced course load will be financially beneficial to your specific situation. Because each individual case may be different, consulting with a DSO is the first step.