U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has announced special relief for certain Syrian F-1 students who have suffered severe economic hardship as a direct result of the civil unrest in Syria since March 2011. This relief applies only to students whose country of citizenship is Syria and who were lawfully present in the United States in F-1 status on April 3, 2012 and enrolled in a school that is Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified.

The relief allows eligible Syrian F-1 students to obtain employment authorization, work an increased number of hours during the school term, and, if necessary, reduce their course load while continuing to maintain F-1 student status.

For more guidance, please visit official ICE news release.