U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to clarify the
validity period of employment authorization for F-1 nonimmigrant students experiencing severe economic hardship due
to emergent circumstances (also known as special student relief (SSR)) who are work authorized under the SSR
provisions of 8 CFR.  The update clarifies that in cases of severe economic hardship due to emergent circumstances, we
may grant off-campus SSR employment authorization to an F-1 nonimmigrant student for the duration of the Federal
Register notice validity period. This employment authorization may not extend past the student’s academic program end
date.

  policy