F-1 Economic Hardship Form (PDF)
F-1 Economic Hardship
Economic Hardship employment authorization is intended to help students who experience a significant change in their financial situation that makes it difficult or unlikely that they can continue their academic program.
If you find yourself in such a situation, please meet with an ISO Advisor as soon as you can. Economic Hardship employment might be one of several options available to you, depending on your circumstances.
What is “Economic Hardship”?
This benefit is available when the hardship is severe, unforeseen, and beyond the student’s control.
According to F-1 regulations [Code of Federal Regulations: 8 CFR 214.2 (f)(9)(ii)(C)], 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
- Unusually large increases in tuition and/or living costs
- Unexpected changes in the financial conditions of the student’s source of support
- Medical bills
- Other substantial and unexpected expenses
Applying for Economic Hardship
Economic Hardship work permission must be authorized by the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). To apply for Economic Hardship, you’ll need to provide documentation first to ISO, and then to USCIS, which clearly shows your financial need was unexpected when you first applied to the University of Rochester.
You must also show that other employment is insufficient to meet your needs. As a general guideline, severe unforeseen financial hardship might be considered when it involves a shortage of $4,000 or more since this amount is difficult to earn through on-campus employment.
Failure to maintain a scholarship or other merit-based award due to poor performance will usually not qualify because this is considered under your control to prevent the loss of funding.
Also, applicants must show that the employment will not interfere with their studies.
Authorization process
In addition to the documentation which proves your financial need, your application will need a recommendation from the ISO. To request a recommendation and review detailed application instructions, please download our F-1 Economic Hardship Form (PDF).
Then, you must submit all application materials to USCIS for authorization. This usually requires about 2–3 months for processing.
You must wait until you receive approval from USCIS in the form of an Employment Authorization Document (EAD card) before you may start working.
Conditions of employment
Economic Hardship employment comes with some conditions. You can work for up to 20 hours per week while school is in session, but you’re allowed to work full-time during vacation periods. Work authorized under this category doesn’t count toward the F-1 on-campus employment limit, and it doesn’t affect your eligibility for practical training (CPT or OPT). It’s also not tied to your field of study and can be used with any US employer.
Authorization is typically granted in increments of one year at a time or until the program end date, whichever is shorter. So, you should make sure to pay attention to the EAD expiration date of your card, and be sure to renew it when needed. Remember that you cannot work without a currently valid EAD card while your application is pending.
If you transfer your SEVIS record to another school or fail to maintain valid status, your Economic Hardship authorization will end automatically, even if your EAD card still appears to be valid.
All earnings are subject to federal and state taxes.