Summary: J-1 college and university students from Ukraine who have continuously resided in the United States since April 11, 2022 can apply for Special Student Relief which will remain in effect until October 23, 2023, unless the U.S. Government ends the arrangement early or the U.S. Government and the Government of Ukraine together extend its termination date.
Update 10/31/2023: SSR benefit has been extended until April 19, 2025, and Ukrainian students with J-1 status who continuously resided in the US since August 16, 2023, are now also eligible for SSR.
Since the military of Russia invaded Ukraine, the U.S. Department of Education has announced several policy updates to accommodate Ukrainian students’ needs in the U.S. Some of them are Special Student Relief (SSR) and Temporary Protective Status (TPS) for F-1 visa students from Ukraine. To learn more about the eligibility for SSR and TPS, please click the following related blog posts.
Related blog post 1: Special student relief benefits for Burmese, Syrian, Venezuelan
Related blog post 2: Are F-1 international students eligible for TPS?
In August 2022, it was decided that the Special Student Relief policy will be available not only for F-1 visa students but also for J-1 visa college and university students from Ukraine. Since immigration regulations on J-1 visas are slightly different that of F-1 visas, this blog post will clarify the eligibility for SSR for J-1 visa students from Ukraine. It will also illustrate the benefits and process of applying for SSR for J-1 Ukrainian college students in the U.S.
The Private Sector Exchange Directorate wishes to inform you that, on August 18, 2022, the Government of Ukraine accepted a proposal from the Government of the United States to create a Special Student Relief arrangement for eligible J
Special Student Relief – Ukraine by the Office of Private Sector Exchange–Visa Ukrainian college and university students.
Contents
- Eligibility for Special Student Relief for J-1 visa students from Ukraine
- Benefits for Special Student Relief for J-1 visa students from Ukraine
- Process for applying for Special Student Relief for J-1 visa students from Ukraine
Eligibility for Special Student Relief for J-1 visa students from Ukraine
To be eligible for Special Student Relief for J-1 visa students from Ukraine, students must…
- be a citizen of Ukraine, regardless of country of birth;
- be lawfully present in the United States in J-1 nonimmigrant status with college and university students category since April 11, 2022;
- be experiencing severe economic hardship as a direct result of the current crisis in Ukraine
It is worth noting that not all J-1 visa holders are eligible for Special Student Relief. Only J-1 visa holders in the college and university students category can take advantage of this Special Student Relief policy. To check your J-1 visa category, look at page 1 of your Form DS-2019 or reach out to your school to confirm the information.
Individual Ukrainian exchange students eligible for Special Student Relief, like those eligible for Temporary Protective Status (TPS), must have continuously resided in the United States since April 11, 2022.
Special Student Relief – Ukraine by the Office of Private Sector Exchange
Benefits for Special Student Relief for J-1 visa students from Ukraine
Now let’s talk about the benefits of applying for Special Student Relief (SSR). By applying for SSR, Ukrainian J-1 students can 1. reduce course work and/or 2. work more than 20 hours per week for more than 12 months.
As students may know already, all international students are required to register for full time even when they are authorized to work on campus or off campus through Academic Training (click the related blog posts for more information about Academic Training). By applying for SSR, eligible students will be able to reduce the course work while maintaining their J-1 visa status.
Also, J-1 Ukrainian students will be able to work off campus for more than 20 hours per week even when the school is in session and the authorization can be valid for more than a year. Please note that this SSR policy for Ukrainian students is valid until October 19, 2023. This means that students need to plan accordingly to not work more than 20 hours per week and/or register for full time after October 19, 2023.
Related blog post 1: U.S. internship as J-1 exchange students? Academic Training
Related blog post 2: 3 year STEM Academic Training for J students
The Department notes that the establishment of Special Student Relief does not alter the rules and requirements of U.S. accredited academic institutions. If, for example, an institution does not allow part-time participation in non-degree academic programs, Ukrainian students must negotiate flexible conditions with their U.S. host institution to overcome such rules and requirements.
Special Student Relief – Ukraine by the Office of Private Sector Exchange
Process for applying for Special Student Relief for J-1 visa students from Ukraine
Ukrainian students who meet the requirements to be eligible for Special Student Relief should reach out to Alternate Responsible Officer (the title might be something like International Student Advisor or J-1 Advisor and can be found in your Form DS-2019) for the institutional policy. Given that the J-1 Ukrainian college/university student meets the requirement for Special Student Relief, the Alternate Responsible Officer will write the following in your SEVIS record:
- J-1 exchange students who are authorized to work more than 20 hours a week: “Special Student Relief work authorization granted until October 19, 2023.”
- J-1 exchange students who are authorized for reduced course work: “Reduced course load authorization granted until October 19, 2023.”
Alternative Responsible Officers may be in touch with you to see if you continue to plan to work more than 20 hours per week or to be enrolled part-time at the start of each academic term. If you no longer wish to work more than 20 hours or register for part-time or after October 19, 2023, the remarks will be removed and J-1 college and university students need to comply with J-1 immigration regulations.
This blog post broke down the Special Student Relief policy for J-1 Ukrainian students. Students from Ukraine who would like to learn more about helpful resources to study in the United States can click the blog post below and learn more about consular services, vaccination policy, funding opportunities, and immigration assistance:
Related blog post: U.S. education resources for Ukraine students
