[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 209 (Tuesday, October 31, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74555-74556]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-24014]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice: 12249]


Exchange Visitor Program

ACTION: Special Student Relief Notification: extension of temporary 
waiver and modification of certain regulatory requirements.

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[[Page 74556]]

SUMMARY: In accordance with the General Provisions of the Exchange 
Visitor Program regulations, the Assistant Secretary for Educational 
and Cultural Affairs (ECA), U.S. Department of State extends the waiver 
and modification of certain regulatory requirements with respect to a 
temporary educational and cultural exchange program established 
pursuant to an arrangement between the Government of the United States 
and the Government of Ukraine. Under the original arrangement for 
Special Student Relief, eligible Ukrainian college and university 
students on J-1 visas who have continuously resided in the United 
States since April 11, 2022, could carry lighter course loads and work 
full- or part- time, on or off campus until October 23, 2023. Under the 
modified and extended arrangement, eligible Ukrainian college and 
university students on J-1 visas who have continuously resided in the 
United States since August 16, 2023, may carry lighter course loads and 
work full- or part-time, on or off campus until April 19, 2025. This 
arrangement was established to ameliorate these students' financial and 
other hardships due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

DATES: The extension and modification of SSR was effective on October 
20, 2023 and will now remain in effect until April 19, 2025, unless the 
U.S. Government unilaterally ends the arrangement early or the U.S. 
Government and the Government of Ukraine together extend its 
termination date.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rebecca A. Pasini, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary, Directorate of Private Sector Exchange, Bureau of 
Educational and Cultural Affairs, at 2200 C Street NW, SA-5, 
Washington, DC 20522 or by telephone at (202) 826-4364 or via email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Assistant Secretary for Educational and 
Cultural Affairs extends the waiver and modification of certain 
regulatory requirements with respect to a temporary educational and 
cultural exchange program established pursuant to an arrangement 
between the Government of the United States and the Government of 
Ukraine for Special Student Relief (SSR). This arrangement was 
initially established through an exchange of notes on June 14 and 
August 18, 2022. [The initial terms of the Special Student Relief 
program were published in the Federal Register on April 5, 2023 (88 FR 
20202-20203).] Consistent with that arrangement, the Assistant 
Secretary temporarily waived or modified relevant provisions in 22 CFR 
part 62.23, such that eligible Ukrainian college and university 
students on J-1 visas to the United States were able to carry lighter 
course loads and work full- or part- time, on or off campus, through 
October 23, 2023.
    Under the modified arrangement with the Government of Ukraine, SSR 
is expanded to apply to eligible Ukrainian college and university 
students on J-1 visas who have continuously resided in the United 
States since at least August 16, 2023, consistent with the extension of 
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ukraine. Similarly, under the 
extension of the arrangement, SSR is extended to remain in effect until 
April 19, 2025.
    Under the modified and extended arrangement, the temporary waiver 
and modification of relevant portions of 22 CFR part 62.23 will 
continue as described in 88 FR 20202-20203, except that eligible 
individuals must have continuously resided in the United States since 
at least August 16, 2023.
    Responsible Officers of academic institutions may authorize SSR for 
Ukrainian college and university students in J-1 status if they have 
continuously resided in the United States since at least August 16, 
2023, and meet the reduced course load requirements set forth in the 
Notice at 88 FR 20202. To authorize on-campus or off-campus employment 
for these students, Responsible Officers should update the students' 
records in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) 
by notating the following text in the ``Remarks'' field: ``Special 
Student Relief work authorization granted until April 19, 2025.'' To 
authorize a reduced course load due to such employment, Responsible 
Officers should also notate the ``Comment'' field in the SEVIS record 
with the following text: ``reduced course load authorized.'' 
Responsible Officers should monitor students at the start of each term 
to confirm that students seeking to reduce their course loads intend to 
work more than 20 hours a week or that students who availed themselves 
of reduced course loads intend to continue to work more than 20 hours a 
week.
    If the arrangement between the United States and Ukraine is 
terminated early or extended again, Responsible Officers should update 
the Remarks field accordingly. Exchange visitors participating in SSR 
at the time the arrangement ends may continue their current employment 
and course load through the end of the academic term during which the 
arrangement ends.

Rebecca A. Pasini,
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Directorate of Private Sector Exchange, 
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State.
[FR Doc. 2023-24014 Filed 10-30-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P