INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SERVICES: Off Campus Work Authorization

An F-1 student who experiences severe, unforeseen economic necessity may apply for off-campus work authorization by submitting form I-765 to USCIS. Off-campus employment authorization is limited to 20 hours per week while school is in session, and can be full-time during official school breaks.

Preconditions for Authorization

• Having been on F-1 status for at least 1 academic year (including your previous schools in the U.S you attended with the current SEVIS number)
• Being in good academic standing at MCC

If you are not sure about your eligibility, please contact DSO@mccollege.edu.

*If you are a citizen of one of the countries listed below, you may be eligible for Special Student Relief (SSR) and have the above preconditions waived. For more details, please visit the official ICE SSR page [here].

• Berma
• Ethiopia
• Haiti
• Lebanon
• Somalia
• Yemen

How to apply?

First, you must request a new I-20 with DSO's recommendation for the work authorization on the second page. For the recommendation, please submit the documents below to DSO@mccollege.edu

• A personal statement demonstrating that the off campus employment is necessary to avoid severe economic hardship due to unforeseen circumstances beyond your control.
• Supporting documents, such as bank statement, news screenshot, currency exchange rate statistics, medical documents, etc.

Once you receive a new I-20 with the recommendation, file Form I-765 to USCIS. Please click here for the USCIS instructions.

Fee Waiver

You may waive the filing fee if you file a fee waiver form. Please click here for more information regarding the fee waiver.