Off-Campus Employment for F1 Students
F1 students may be authorized for off-campus employment under the following circumstances:
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Severe, unforeseen economic necessity
This off-campus employment must be recommended in SEVIS by the DSO, and be adjudicated and approved by USCIS, which issues an EAD card (Employment Authorization Document) as evidence authorized. A student cannot begin the off-campus employment until he or she receives the EAD card from USCIS.
The authorization above is limited to the start and end dates on the EAD, and m the student transfers to another school or fails to maintain F1 status.
Employment Based on Severe Economic Hardship
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The student must have been in F1 visa status for at least one full academic year. they must prove to USCIS that employment is necessary due to severe economic hardship caused by circumstances beyond his or her control that arose after obtaining F-1 status.
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The employment may be off-campus or on-campus when approved.
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Approval is granted in increments of one year at a time, or until the program end-date, whichever is shorter; Authorization ends if a student transfers to another school
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Employment is limited to 20 hours per week while school is in session and may be full-time during official school breaks.
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Employment may be in any job and does not have to be related to student's course of study.
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Employment may not interfere with making normal progress toward completing the full course of study.
The severe economic hardship employment authorization benefit is intended to address situations where a financial need beyond the student's control arises, which was unforeseen at the time the student applied to UHV, and after all other potential employment opportunities on-campus have proven to be insufficient.
Examples of unforeseen economic hardship include "loss of financial aid or on-campus employment without fault on the part of the student, substantial fluctuations in the value of currency or exchange rate, inordinate increases in tuition and/or living costs, unexpected changes in the financial condition of the student's source of support, medical bills, or other substantial and unexpected expenses. Documentation of the unforeseen circumstances must be included in the application for employment. The DSO will assist students with the Application for Employment to USCIS.
How to Apply For Economic Hardship Employment Authorization
If you are interested in seeking this opportunity please email international@uhv.ed an international student advisor will get back to you within 1-2 business days. Please note, the process may take 90-120 days to authorize off-campus work authorization. The application process, approval from IPO still does not guarantee that USCIS will approve your petition to work off-campus under severe economic hardship.