Off-Campus Employment: Economic Necessity
Eligibility for off-campus employment based on severe economic necessity
To be eligible to apply, the student must:
- Have been in F-1 status for one full academic year, be in good academic and legal standing and carry a full course of study.&
- Demonstrate that there is an unforeseen severe economic necessity beyond the student’s control and that other employment opportunities are not available or insufficient.
- Establish that the employment will not interfere with full-time study.
Important aspects of economic necessity employment
- Economic necessity refers to financial problems caused by unforeseen circumstances beyond the student’s control. The financial problems may, for example, result from unexpected loss of a graduate assistantship, the death of a financial sponsor, the fluctuations of the home country currency or exchange rate. If the financial situation is too severe, it may not be possible to solve the problem with part-time employment. The student and DSO may need to look at together solutions.
- Employment is limited to 20 hours per week while school is in session but may be full-time during vacations or holidays.
- The application requires a SEVIS recommendation from the DSO. The DSO will update the student’s record to indicate that off-campus employment has been recommended.
- If approved, the USCIS will issue an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) and update the SEVIS student record.
- USCIS approval is granted in one-year intervals
- Authorized ends upon the completion date of the program or school transfer.