Economic Hardship Employment

What is Economic Hardship Employment?

This employment authorization is granted by USCIS under specific conditions. F-1 students experiencing severe and unforeseen financial hardship while studying in the U.S. may be able to obtain off-campus Economic Hardship Employment authorization from USCIS. This authorization permits F-1 students to work off campus due to circumstances that may include substantial fluctuations in the value of currency or exchange rate, inordinate increases in tuition or living costs, or unexpected changes in the financial condition of the student's source of support, medical bills, or other substantial and unexpected expenses Source: [8 C.F.R. 214.2(f)(9)(ii)(C)-(D) and (F)]. Students need to apply with USCIS and receive a recommendation from the Center for Global Engagement. Economic hardship employment authorization will not allow an F-1 to earn enough to bear the cost of full-time course of study required to maintain F-1 student status. It is a supplement to the student’s income and should not be the sole source of support.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for economic hardship employment, an F-1 student must meet the following conditions:

• Maintained valid F-1 status for one full academic year. 
• Currently in good academic standing and are taking a full course load.
• Demonstrate that the employment is necessary to avoid severe economic hardship due to unforeseen economic circumstances beyond the student’s control.
• Demonstrate that employment will not interfere with your studies.

Required Documentation

• A completed and signed Economic Hardship Application.
• Completed Form I-765 Application for Employment Authorization. Use (C)(3)(iii) in the eligibility category boxes on the form. Do not date the form until you are ready to send the application to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Use an address where you can receive mail for the next several months. 
• A personal letter addressed to USCIS detailing the unforeseen circumstances causing the economic hardship and why on-campus employment opportunities are unavailable or insufficient; include supporting evidence.
• Supporting documentation of the economic hardship, such as a letter detailing a sponsor’s loss of employment, proof of currency devaluation, copies of medical bills, or loss of a scholarship. 
• Copy of passport identity page
• Copy of current and previous I-20s
• Copy of current I-94
• Copy of F-1 visa or I-797 (approval of change of status to F-1), if applicable
• Copy of your ECC unofficial transcript 

Application Review and Submission to USCIS

1. Schedule an appointment with the Center for Global Engagement by sending an email to international@elgin.edu. 
2. At the appointment, bring all required documents under ‘Documents Needed to Apply”. At the appointment the DSO will review the Economic Hardship Employment application and request for economic hardship employment. Additional documentation or evidence may be requested to support the application.
3. If the DSO recommends Economic Hardship Employment, a new I-20 will be created with this recommendation. Allow five business days for processing. An email will be sent to the student when the Form I-20 is available for pick up. 
4. File the Economic Hardship Employment request and required documents with USCIS, including: 
   • Completed Form I-765 Application for Employment Authorization. Use (C)(3)(iii) in the eligibility category boxes on the form. Do not date the form until you are ready to send the application to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Use an address where you can receive mail for the next several months.  
   • Filing fee in the form of a money order, cashier’s check or personal check made out to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Check the current filing fee at https://www.uscis.gov/i-765.  
   • A copy of the new I-20 with employment recommendation 
   • A personal letter addressed to USCIS detailing the unforeseen circumstances causing the economic hardship and why on-campus employment opportunities are unavailable or insufficient; include supporting evidence. 
   • Supporting documentation of the economic hardship, such as a letter detailing a sponsor’s loss of employment, proof of currency devaluation, copies of medical bills, or loss of a scholarship.  
   • Copy of previous I-20s 
   • Copy of passport identity page 
   • Copy of current I-94 
   • Copy of F-1 visa or I-797 (approval of change of status to F-1), if applicable 
   • Two identical color passport-style photographs. The photos must be in color with a plain background. They must be no more than 30 days old when the I-765 is filed. Write your name in black or blue ink on the back of your photos. 
   • Put the photos and the payment of the filing fee in an envelope and attach it to the top of the packet to mail to USCIS. 
   • Mailing addresses for USCIS may change. Check https://www.uscis.gov/i-765-addresses for the most current address where to file.
5. USCIS will mail a receipt notice once the application is received. Check the case status online at egov.uscis.gov. Upon approval, please bring a copy of the EAD card to the Center for Global Engagement.

Important reminders

• Apply for a Social Security number only after receipt of the EAD card and a job offer. Employment may not begin until after employment authorization has been approved. 
• It is the student’s responsibility to comply with all immigration regulations which apply to F-1 students, including employment regulations. Working without the proper authorization is a serious violation of F-1 status. Failure to comply with regulations means students may not be eligible for benefits normally granted to F-1 students and may jeopardize a student’s stay in the US.
• Authorization is granted in one-year intervals up to the expected date of completion of studies. Students can work up to 20 hours per week while school is in session and 40 hours per week during the official school breaks.
• Students must reapply to USCIS each year to renew work authorization.
• Employment authorization is automatically terminated upon graduation, transfer, or failure to maintain status. 
• Employment authorization for CPT or OPT may be authorized for required curricular purposes for students approved under Economic Hardship Employment Authorization. However, employment cannot interfere with making normal progress towards completing a full course of study.