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Students who have experienced an unforeseen change in their financial situation that is out of their control and who have been in valid F-1 status for a full academic year may request off-campus employment authorization based upon severe economic hardship. Students must be able to explain why on-campus employment opportunities are not available or are otherwise insufficient. Possible circumstances causing such a change may include, but are not limited to:

• Loss of financial aid or on-campus employment without fault on the part of the student
• Substantial decrease in the relative value of the currency the student depends upon to pay expenses
• Inordinate increases in tuition and/or living costs
• Unexpected changes in the student's source of financial support
• Unexpectedly large medical bills
• Other substantial and unexpected expenses

Work authorization is for part-time (no more than 20 hrs/wk) during the school year or full-time during periods of vacation, and does not have to be related to your field of study.

• Must have been in F-1 status for at least one full academic year.
• Must be recommended by a DSO who will update the recommendation in your SEVIS record and issue an updated I-20 for your application.
• Must be in good academic standing.
• Must be enrolled full-time.
• Must prove to USCIS that employment is necessary due to severe economic hardship caused by circumstances beyond their control that arose after obtaining F-1 status.
• Must demonstrate that the employment is necessary to avoid severe economic hardship due to unforeseen circumstances beyond your control and that on-campus employment is unavailable or otherwise insufficient to meet the needs that have arisen as a result of the unforeseen circumstances.
• Must demonstrate to the DSO that acceptance of employment will not interfere with carrying a full course of study.
• No job offer is required at the time of application.

Warning: Do not file for Severe Economic Hardship work authorization without completing step 4 in the “Severe Economic Hardship Work Authorization Application Process” section below. Complete steps 1 - 3 and then meet with an ISSS advisor to receive an updated I-20 with a recommendation for work authorization on page 2. Failure to do so could result in the loss of your application fee and denial of your application by USCIS.

Note: USCIS has stated that Form I-765 must be filed from within the U.S. and I-765 forms for Severe Economic Hardship must be submitted by mail (cannot be submitted online).

1. Complete the Form I-765

Go to the “Forms and Document Downloads” tab at to download Form I-765. Open and follow these detailed to answer the questions on the form.

Do not submit your application to USCIS at this time! You must wait until after you meet with an ISSS advisor and receive your I-20 recommending SEH (step 4 below) before paying and submitting your application. Submitting an application without an updated I-20 will result in Requests for Evidence (RFEs) or even the denial of your application by USCIS.

2. Gather your application materials

• If requesting a Fee Waiver:
  • Statement explaining unforeseen circumstances that lead to severe economic hardship with attachments that support your reasons and situation. You may use the same letter that you submit with your I-765 if you’d like (see below)
  • Supporting documents

• Complete Form I-765 (see instructions for Step 1 above)
• Copy of your unexpired passport that is valid for at least 6 months into the future
• Copy of F-1 visa
• Copy of
• Copy of previously issued EAD (if applicable)

• 2 U.S.-style passport style photos
  • Important: the photo requirements are very strict (see ) so we recommend that you have your photo taken with software specifically programmed for passport photos. Your photos must be printed.
    Passport photo services are provided in Oxford at:
  • Global Initiatives in MacMillan Hall (call 513-529-8600 for an appointment)
  • CVS
  • The state that the photos must have been taken no more than 30 days before filing the form.
  • Gently write your first and last name on the back of each photo. 
• Typed statement describing circumstances causing your severe economic need. This letter should:
  • Be typed, dated, and signed in ink
  • Be addressed to USCIS
  • Explain the circumstances of the hardship
  • Explicitly describe how the hardship was unforeseen
  • Explain the necessity for employment authorization
  • Explain why other on-campus employment options are unavailable or insufficient
  • Indicate how work authorization will not interfere with a full-time academic course load.
  • Annotate and attach documentation to support claims in the statement. For example, if your letter refers to your family business losing revenue, provide bank statements showing this decrease. Or if you’re applying due to currency devaluation in your country, provide copies of news articles and/or economic reports with details about the rate of deflation. (Basically, you should tell your story with documentation.)

3. Submit your application materials to ISSS for review

Log in to your account using your UniqueID and password. Go to “F-1 Student Services” and complete the e-form “Severe Economic Hardship (SEH) Work Authorization Request.” You will need to upload all of the application materials listed above and your .

4. Meet with an ISSS advisor and receive an updated I-20

Schedule an appointment with an ISSS advisor to review your application and go over SEH rules. After your application is complete, the ISSS advisor will issue an updated I-20 with the SEH work authorization recommendation on page 2 and a letter of support.

Compile your application materials in the following order and submit to USCIS

Important note: Do not staple or paper clip any of your documents! If you would like to put your photos in a small envelope or plastic bag, that is fine. (USCIS scans all documents immediately upon opening the envelope and have asked that no fastening devices be used)

• I-912 Request for Fee Waiver with supporting documents OR
  Check or money order for $520 made payable to "Department of Homeland Security" for the I-765 filing fee
  • The I-765 filing fee is subject to change. To verify the current fee amount, visit .
• Completed
  • Send all seven pages of Form I-765, USCIS will reject applications with missing pages
• Copy of new I-20 issued by ISSS recommending SEH Work Authorization on page 2
• 2 U.S.-style passport style photos (must meet these ; gently write your name on the back of each photo)
• Copy of your
• Copy of your unexpired passport that is valid for at least 6 months into the future
• Copy of F-1 visa
• Copies of ALL previous I-20s (including I-20s from previous U.S. schools, if applicable)
• Copy of previously issued EAD(s) (if applicable)
• Typed letter from you describing circumstances causing your severe economic need:
• ISSS Support letter

Your complete application must be received and receipted by USCIS no more than 30 days after your OPT recommendation was made on your new I-20.

• Review all application materials for final edits, such as ensuring your new I-20 is signed and dated in ink, your payment or fee waiver is included etc. before mailing your application.

Mail your application to the address below that corresponds with the method by which you send it:

U.S. Postal Service (USPS):

USCIS

Attn: I-765 C03

P.O. Box 805373

Chicago, IL 60680-5374

FedEx, UPS, and DHL deliveries:

USCIS

Attn: I-765 C03 (Box 805373)

131 South Dearborn - 3rd Floor

Chicago, IL 60603-5517

Reminder: You must meet with an ISSS advisor and receive, print, sign (in ink), and upload your updated I-20 with the OPT recommendation on page 2 before filing your application. Failure to do so could result in the loss of your application fee and even the denial of your application by USCIS.

Approximately 2-4 weeks after USCIS receives your application, USCIS will mail a receipt notice to the mailing address you used on your I-765. You can use the receipt number to track the progress of your application on the .

Your card should arrive at the address listed on your I-765 after USCIS approves your application.

Remember to submit a copy of any documents that you receive from USCIS to ISSS. You may email them to international@miamioh.edu.

If you used ISSS’s address on the I-765 form, your documents will be sent to ISSS and you will be notified by email. You will have the option to pick your documents up from the ISSS office or to create and pay for a shipping label to have them sent to you.

The EAD (Employment Authorization Document) will have a start and end date listed on it. You may only begin working once you have received the card, and you may only work during the dates listed on the card.

Economic Hardship Work Authorization is issued for one year, or until your I-20 Program End Date, whichever is earlier. If you are still an active student, you may apply to extend your Economic Hardship Work Authorization. Please note that if your current Employment Authorization Document (EAD) expires while your application is pending, you will need to stop working and may not resume employment unless/until your new application is approved.

If you already have a Social Security card, it remains valid. If you opt to apply for a Social Security Number (SSN) via the I-765 and your application is approved, a Social Security card will be sent to the mailing address on your application approximately 2 - 3 weeks after your work authorization approval.

If you do not apply for a Social Security card via your I-765 form, you will need to apply for an SSN in-person at a Social Security office after you receive your EAD and the start date on the card is reached. To apply for a Social Security card, you will need to submit an , schedule an appointment at a within 45 days of your application submission, and take your I-20, passport, visa, I-94 card, and Employment Authorization Document (EAD) with you to your appointment.

Your employer will ask you to fill out a Form I-9 verifying employment eligibility. Show the employer your EAD, passport, I-20, and I-94 record. Use the end date on the card for the expiration date of your employment authorization.

In this situation, you will need to apply for a replacement card by submitting a new application (see above) and selecting the "Replacement of lost, stolen, or damaged employment authorization document" option. You will need to include the following additional documents before submitting your application to USCIS:

1. Letter detailing how the card was lost or stolen.
2. If stolen, a copy of the police report.
3. Copies of all SEH-related I-20s.
4. Copy of your original EAD.