Economic Need

Economic Need employment is for F-1 or J-1 students who have unexpectedly lost their funding for their NYU education that are beyond their control.

Who Can Apply

In order to qualify for Economic Need work permission employment, you must:

Have been a full-time student at NYU for at least one academic year.
Have an I-20 or DS-2019 issued by NYU.
Be able to document that the circumstances which led to your economic situation were unexpected and beyond your control. Examples include evidence of unexpected currency fluctuations, the unexpected loss of employment, or unexpected medical expenses incurred by you or your financial sponsor.
Be capable of continuing full-time studies and maintaining F-1 or J-1 status while engaged in Economic Need work permission.

You do NOT need a job offer to apply for Economic Need work permission.

Special Student Relief for F-1 Students

US government immigration regulations allow for rules regarding employment eligibility (in addition to full course of study requirements) to be suspended or altered for specific groups of students from parts of the world that are experiencing emergent circumstances. For more information on current special student relief notices, please see our resource on Special Student Relief for F-1 Students.

How to Apply F-1 Students

Applying for Economic Need work permission is a two-step process:

(1) Obtain the OGS recommendation for Economic Need Work permission. To begin the process you must discuss with an OGS advisor your situation, having the following documents available to share:

Your I-20 or DS-2019, I-94 record, and passport
a completed F-1 / J-1 Student Budget Sheet Due to Economic Need
A letter of explanation detailing your present economic need and the unforeseen and unexpected circumstances which led to your present economic situation
Supporting evidence that documents the above

An OGS advisor will review your application materials. Please allow for up to 10 days processing time. This is not a routine application and is reviewed on a case-by-case basis. At times, an OGS advisor may recommend that you obtain further supporting evidence to document your claims. Note that the USCIS scrutinizes Economic Need applications carefully; as a result, the more evidence you can provide to establish the unforeseen and unexpected nature of your economic situation, the better.

If OGS recommends Economic Need work permission, F-1 students receive a new I-20.

(2) Once you have received an OGS recommendation, you can then apply for Economic Need work permission with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Do not prepare these materials until you have received an OGS recommendation for Economic Need work permission. Your complete application packet includes:

your I-20, with a recommendation for Economic Need work permission
photocopies of all I-20s previously issued (even from other schools)
I-94 record
a check or money order made payable to the US Department of Homeland Security in the amount of $410.
a completed Form I-765 (PDF) Application for Employment Authorization
Form G-1145, in order to receive an e-notification of application receipt from USCIS
two passport photographs
a letter of explanation from you, addressed to the USCIS
your F-1 / J-1 Student Budget Sheet Due to Economic Need
supporting evidence documenting the unforeseen and unexpected nature of your economic situation
letters of support from your financial sponsor and academic advisor

Once you have prepared all of the above materials, send your application to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services by FedEx or UPS.

Mail your application to the Direct Filing Address for Form I-765 listed for foreign students.

USCIS routinely takes up to 90 days to process this type of application. Approval is NOT guaranteed, and you may not begin employment unless you have received written approval from the USCIS. Written approval will come in the form of an Employment Authorization Document (EAD).

After you are Authorized for Economic Need employment:

Get a Social Security Number if you don't already have one

Once you are authorized for Economic Need employment, if you don't already have a Social Security Number, you must apply for one to get paid. Learn more about how to apply for a Social Security Number.

Know the restrictions of Economic Need employment

If approved, typically, permission is granted for up to one year.

You may work a maximum of 20 hours per week during the school year, full-time (over 20 hours per week) during vacation periods.
Economic Need work permission is not limited to employment in your field of study - you may accept any type of lawful employment once you have received your approval.
You may not start employment until the start date as indicated on your approval. You must stop employment by the expiration date or by the date you finish your studies, whichever is earlier. You may, however, apply for a renewal of Economic Need work permission if you are still a full-time student and if the conditions underlying the original application remain in place.
You must remain a full-time student and make full-time progress toward degree completion while on Economic Need work permission.
If you transfer to another institution, your work permission becomes invalid as of the date the transfer takes place.

How to Apply J-1 Students

In order to obtain OGS recommendation, you must discuss with an OGS advisor your situation, having the following documents available to share:

Your DS-2019, I-94 record, and passport
a completed F-1 / J-1 Student Budget Sheet Due to Economic Need
A letter of explanation detailing your present economic need and the unforeseen and unexpected circumstances which led to your present economic situation
Supporting evidence that documents the above

If OGS recommends Economic Need work permission, J-1 students receive a work authorization letter for this purpose.

After you are Authorized for Economic Need employment:

Get a Social Security Number if you don't already have one

Once you are authorized for Economic Need employment, if you don't already have a Social Security number, you must apply for one to get paid. Learn more about how to apply for a Social Security Number.

Know the restrictions of Economic Need employment:

If approved, typically, permission is granted for up to one year.

You may work a maximum of 20 hours per week during the school year, full-time (over 20 hours per week) during vacation periods.
Economic Need work permission is not limited to employment in your field of study - you may accept any type of lawful employment once you have received your approval.
You may not start employment until the start date as indicated on your approval. You must stop employment by the expiration date or by the date you finish your studies, whichever is earlier. You may, however, apply for a renewal of Economic Need work permission if you are still a full-time student and if the conditions underlying the original application remain in place.
You must remain a full-time student and make full-time progress toward degree completion while on Economic Need work permission.
If you transfer to another institution, your work permission becomes invalid as of the date the transfer takes place.