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On June 10, 1998 the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (now USCIS) published regulatory changes that allow students whose main financial supports come from Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines to seek employment and reduce enrollment under the Special Student Relief program.

The Special Student Relief program allows:

• Full-time on-campus employment while school is in session

• Full-time off-campus employment for the duration of the employment authorization

• Reduction in enrollment to no less than 3 courses per semester for undergraduate students and no less than 1 course for graduate students, ONLY if you have been granted employment authorization under the Relief program. Reduction in enrollment DOES NOT apply to non-degree and language programs.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for the Special Student Relief program, you must meet the following requirements:

1. Your major source of financial support comes from any of the following countries: Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines

2. You must demonstrate severe economic hardship resulting from the economic crisis

3. You received F-1 status and engaged in studies prior to June 24, 1998

4. You are currently in status and carrying a full course of study

Employment Authorization Application

I. On-Campus Employment Authorization

For on-campus employment authorization application you need to present to ISSS:

• A written statement, which includes a summary of your financial situation, a budget, or any additional information that demonstrates severe economic hardship

• Your original I-20 Form

After reviewing these documents to confirm your eligibility, an ISSS advisor will endorse the back of your I-20 Form, make copies of documentation to be kept on file, and return your I-20 Form to you.

II. Off-Campus Employment Authorization

For off-campus employment authorization application you need to present to ISSS:

• A written statement, which includes a summary of your financial situation, a budget, or any additional information that demonstrates severe economic hardship

• Your original I-20 Form (an ISSS advisor will endorse the I-20 for Special Student Relief and make a copy for your application to the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services; you will not have to give up your original I-20).

• Completed USCIS Forms I-538 and I-765 (available from ISSS; complete only Section A of Form I-538 and use an address on Form I-765 where you can receive mail over the next one to three months)

• A personal check of money order for $340 payable to "United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)" or notarized affidavit requesting fee waiver

• 2 identical color photographs, in the style indicated in this sample (PDF). Campus Copy, located at 3907 Walnut St. (between 39th and 40th Streets) is one store near campus where you can obtain these photos.

After reviewing these documents to confirm your eligibility, an ISSS advisor will endorse the back of your I-20 Form. Your application will then be submitted by mail to the USCIS regional office in Vermont for processing. USCIS will first mail a receipt (Notice of Action) to you, to the address you wrote on your Form I-765, and will later mail the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) as evidence of your permission to be employed. Please note that USCIS processing usually take 30 to 60 days and may take up to 90 days. You may not begin employment before your receive an EAD from USCIS; working before receipt of an EAD constitutes illegal employment that renders you illegally present in the US.

Social Security Numbers

Before you begin work you will need a valid Social Security number (your Penn ID is not a valid Social Security Number). If you do not already have one, please obtain application instructions and directions to the Social Security Office from ISSS. The Social Security Administration will process your application and a number will be sent to you in about one month.

Taxes

In general, F-1 students who have been in the US in less than six calendar years are exempt from social security (FICA) and Medicare taxes. You should be sure to bring this to the attention of your employer because many employers are not familiar with this provision of the tax laws. If you need more information about the F-1 social security and Medicare tax exemption, please contact ISSS.

Students in F-1 status are subject to all other taxes that may apply: federal, state, and local (but check with ISSS to see if your country is one of the few that has a tax treaty with the US allowing students to exclude a limited amount of earned income from federal taxation).