On Sept. 21, 2023, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) posted a notice in the Federal Register that provides Special Student Relief (SSR) employment benefits for F-1 nonimmigrant students from Afghanistan who are experiencing severe economic hardship as a result of emergent circumstances in their country of citizenship. This notice extends relief from Nov. 21, 2023, through May 20, 2025, for eligible Afghan students.

SSR is the suspension of certain regulatory requirements by the secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for an F‑1 student from parts of the world that are experiencing emergent circumstances. Regulatory requirements that may be suspended or altered for an F-1 student include duration of status, full course of study and off-campus employment eligibility.

SSR applies when emergent circumstances occur. Emergent circumstances are world events that affect F-1 students from a particular region and create significant financial hardships, such as but not limited to:

• Natural disasters.
• Wars and military conflicts.
• National or international financial crises.

To find a list of active SSR notices, visit the What’s New page on ICE.gov/SEVP.