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Coronavirus (COVID-19) Community Updates
For updated information related to NJIT’s response to the Coronavirus health crisis, please see complete announcement of new measures.
For updated information related to NJIT’s response to the Coronavirus health crisis, please see complete announcement of new measures.
An F-1 student experiencing unforeseen, severe economic hardship that is beyond the student's control may be authorized for off-campus employment authorization. Unforeseen and severe economic hardships include:
Please note: On-campus employment means employment listed on your I-20 (such as Teaching or Research Assistantships), not employment that you secured after you arrived on campus (such as bookstore, administrative office, etc.).
You are eligible to apply for employment based on severe economic hardship if:
Economic hardship is granted by USCIS in increments of a year or until the program end date, whichever is sooner. It can be authorized part-time when school is in session, and full-time during holidays or vacation.
You should contact your OGI adviser to discuss if you may qualify for economic hardship. If you do, we will issue a new I-20 for you. For this application, you will need an updated Form I-20 from the OGI. Please review the steps outlined below to proceed with an Economic Hardship application.
Step one:
Submit your request via the OGI's Online Request/Submission Form to the OGI in order to receive an updated Form I-20. Submission must include:
Once received, the OGI will review your application and issue an updated Form I-20 with your economic hardship employment request listed.
Step two:
Prepare your application and submit the following documents to USCIS:
Send your complete request to USCIS’s Lockbox based on where you live.
You should use a reliable, express delivery service (e.g. UPS, FedEx) to mail your application. Utilizing an express delivery service will enable you to track your application and its delivery. Please save your receipt.
If the application is approved, USCIS will issue an EAD (Employment Authorization Document) to you. If the application is denied, you will be notified by USCIS in writing via mail.
The processing time is approximately 3-4 months until you receive your Employment Authorization Document (EAD). You cannot begin off-campus employment until you receive your EAD and you can only work during the period listed on the EAD card.
You may submit a request to USCIS for a renewal of your work authorization by following the same procedures outlined above. The earliest you may request a renewal is 120 days before your current EAD expires. You will have to send a copy of your current EAD along with the other documents listed above to USCIS.
Economic hardship employment authorization is automatically terminated when you graduate, transfer to another university, or violate your F-1 status in any way (e.g. not registering as a full-time student).