U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has just announced a new
special relief program for some F-1 Haitian students who have been the
victims of severe economic hardship because of the January earthquake
in Haiti. This new relief applies to students who were lawfully present
in the U.S. at the time of the January earthquake and are enrolling in
an educational institution that is listed as certified by ICE’s Student
and Exchange Visitor program (SEVIS)
The new relief program will allow eligible Haitian F-1 students to work
in the U.S., work an increased number of hours during their school term
and reduce their course load, if necessary, while still maintaining F-1
status.
“We want to ensure that students from Haiti, who were here at the time
of January’s tragic events, are able to concentrate on their studies
without the worry of financial burdens created by the devastation of
the earthquake,” said Louis Farrell, director, SEVIS. “These students
have the full support of SEVP and designated school officials for
assistance.”
