On March 11, 2024, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a Special Student Relief (SSR) notice for Venezuelan students, providing Special Student Relief for eligible Venezuelan students from March 11, 2024 until Sept. 10, 2025. For more information please see the published Federal Register notice. To be eligible, an F-1 student must:
- Be a citizen of Venezuela, regardless of country of birth (or be an individual having no nationality who last habitually resided in Venezuela);
- Have been lawfully present in the United States in F-1 nonimmigrant status on March 11, 2024;
- Be currently maintaining F-1 nonimmigrant status;
- Be enrolled in an SEVP-certified academic institution; and
- Be experiencing severe economic hardship as a direct result of the current crisis in Venezuela.
In summary, Venezuelan students meeting the conditions above may apply for on-campus or off-campus work authorization for severe economic hardship due to circumstances back home. This suspends the regulatory requirements for such authorizations, allowing work over the 20 hour/week limit while enrolling part-time if needed. Undergraduates will have to maintain at least 6 credit hours per term, while graduate students must maintain at least 3 credit hours. Students must be working in order to receive a reduced course load authorization. Students must apply for this benefit.
For details of this SSR and to apply, students should first make an appointment with an ISS advisor to determine eligibility and to receive the authorization.
