The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) offers Special Student Relief (SSR), the suspension of certain regulatory requirements, for F-1 students from countries experiencing emergent situations. Regulatory requirements that DHS may suspend include duration of status, a full course of study and off-campus employment eligibility.
To apply, students must meet the SSR student criteria and be from a currently eligible country. View the most up-to-date list of countries eligible for SSR.
Questions about the SSR application process or eligibility should be discussed with an immigration attorney or Student Legal Services at +1 614-247-5853. After you review with an immigration attorney, reach out to an immigration coordinator at the Office of International Affairs to go over the process of requesting the required I-20 by scheduling an advising appointment or emailing iss@osu.edu.
It should be noted that SSR and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) are different. Please review our TPS page for more information on this separate special circumstance.