U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has announced that it
will offer special relief to some F-1 students from Libya who have
experienced severe economic hardships because of the current civil
unrest in Libya. ICE states that this relief will only apply to students
who were lawfully present in the U.S. under F-1 status on February 1,
2011 (when the civil unrest began), and who are enrolled in an
educational institution that his certified by the Student and Exchange
Visitor Program.
Eligible students will be able to obtain employment authorization to
work in the U.S., work an increased number of hours during the school
term and, if needed, reduce their course load while still maintaining
F-1 status.
“We want to ensure that students from Libya, who were here when civil
unrest began, are able to continue their studies without the worry of
financial burdens due to the armed conflict,” said Louis Farrell, SEVIS
director. “The changes announced in this notice will allow eligible
students from Libya to obtain employment authorization so that they can
meet their basic living expenses while continuing to pursue their
education in the United States.”
