On April 12, 2024, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) posted a notice in the Federal Register that provides Special Student Relief (SSR) for certain Palestinian F-1 nonimmigrant students who are experiencing severe economic hardship as a result of the current humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian Territories. This notice provides relief from Feb. 14, 2024, through Aug. 13, 2025.

SSR is the suspension of certain regulatory requirements by the secretary of 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 requirements and off-campus employment eligibility.

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

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

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