Applying for Economic Hardship

General information

F-1 students are non-immigrants. Therefore they are not eligible for Financial Aid. Sometimes students may experience severe financial hardship caused by unforeseen circumstances beyond their control, for example the financial sponsor may become seriously ill, retire from employment, a natural disaster may impact the student's home country, etc. Eligible F-1 students may request a recommendation for Off-Campus employment authorization from the International and Exchange Student Center (IESC).

Eligibility

  • F-1 students must have been in legal immigration status for a minimum of one academic year (two semesters) or 9 consecutive months prior to accepting any off-campus employment.
  • They must be able to clearly document the circumstances causing the economic need, for example hospital records documenting the sponsor's illness, retirement documents, newspaper articles about the natural disaster, etc.

Students are eligible for 20 hours of work during school sessions and 40 hours during break periods. The student is required to apply for employment authorization to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Approval is subject to review and adjudication by the California Service Center (CSC) of the USCIS.

Duration of employment authorization

USCIS will issue an employment Authorization Document (EAD). This is a card that is mailed directly to the student. Employment authorization will begin on the date requested or the date the employment authorization is adjudicated, whichever is later. The EAD will reflect the period of validity (start and end dates) of employment authorization. In the case of Economic Hardship, employment authorization is granted for one year at a time and must be renewed if the student needs to continue employment. The student will be required to resubmit all proof, documents, and fees when applying for a renewal of this category of employment.

Procedure

Students are required to make an appointment to meet with a Foreign Student Advisor (FSA). Please bring the documents listed under Step 1 to your appointment. This will assist you with obtaining preliminary approval.

Step 1: The student will submit the following to a FSA at IESC:

  • Student letter explaining the circumstances that caused the economic need.
  • Letter from sponsor explaining circumstances that caused the economic hardship
  • Documents proving the circumstances that caused the economic need.
  • Copy of any previously issued EAD(s) (for student file/record)
  • Completed form I-765: Available at www.uscis.gov When completing the I-765 the student must follow the instructions as listed for foreign students under category C. Use code ( c) (3) ( iii)

IESC will take 3-5 business days to review and process the request. Please call 818-677-3053 to ask if the I-20 is ready for step 2.

Step 2: The student is required to return to IESC to pick up the documents and bring the following:

  • 2 "Passport" photographs with small envelope. Photos must meet U.S specifications (not taken in home country).
    • The student must write his/her name and I-94 number on back of each photo lightly in pen.
  • Copies of passport pages showing passport number, expiration date, full name, visa
  • Front and back of most recent I-94.
  • Copy of any previously issued EAD(s)
  • Check for $380.00 payable to "Department of Homeland Security". Write "For Economic Hardship" in the space provided.

Application Mailing Instructions

The Foreign Student Advisor will put together the packet and then the student is required to mail it to the appropriate USCIS lockbox.

When mailing documents by U.S. Post Office--Use Certified Mail Return Receipt and mail to:
USCIS
PO Box 21281
Phoenix, AZ 85036

When mailing documents by Express Mail or Courier Service, mail to:
USCIS
Attn: AOS
1820 E. Skyharbor Circle S.
Suite 100
Phoenix, AZ 85034

If you are currently working and living outside of California, your OPT application should be mailed to a different address. Please refer to the I-765 instructions at www.uscis.gov.

Important

  • IESC does not require ANY fees for the services it provides to international students. No fees, under any circumstances, shall be submitted to IESC. If a student is submitting an application to USCIS, a check payable to "Department of Homeland Security" will accompany the student's application.
  • Advisors' responsibilities are limited to reviewing the check for accuracy and returning to the student who will mail the application directly to USCIS.
  • The CSC currently takes 90 to 120 days to process all application.
  • Students are not permitted to work prior to receiving employment authorization.
  • Students are required to submit a copy of the EAD to IESC as soon as they receive it.

Please contact IESC at (818) 677-3053 or email a Foreign Student Advisor for questions and/or clarifications:

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COLLEGE NAME OF ADVISOR EMAIL
Engineering and Computer Science Brenda Acosta brenda.acosta@csun.edu
Business and Economics Patricia Marquez patricia.marquez@csun.edu
Health & Human Development; Science and Math; Humanities Hanna Lee hanna.lee@csun.edu
Art, Media, & Communication; Social and Behavioral Science; Education Liat Tamsut liat.tamsut@csun.edu

Rev 03/23/2012 PM

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