Upon Arrival In Seattle

• Shuttle Express is a van service from the airport to your destination. After collecting your luggage, follow signs to "Ground Transportation" on the 3rd floor of the parking garage. Proceed to the Shuttle Express booth. Expect to pay $30 plus a 15% gratuity per person.
• Taxi service is available 24 hours per day. To the University, expect to pay $40 plus a 15% gratuity.
• If you don't have much luggage, public bus service from the airport with connections to the University is available during business hours at low cost. Inquire at the transportation information desk on the 3rd floor of the parking garage.

Exchange Visitors new to the University of Washington (including transfers from another school in the U.S.) must visit ISO in 239 Gerberding Hall on Tuesday at 3:00 so that their arrival on campus can be reported to the Department of Homeland Security as required by federal law. Check-in is conducted every Tuesday at 3:00. (Student Interns attend VISIT Program orientation rather than ISO check-in.) Please arrive a few minutes early so the one-hour session can begin promptly. Bring to the check-in your passport, DS-2019 form, Insurance Compliance Statement, and local Seattle-area residence address. The Tuesday check-in session must occur not later than 30 days after the program start date indicated in item 3 of the DS-2019 form. If Tuesday at 3:00 is inconvenient, phone (206)685-8847 to schedule an appointment.

Failure to check-in with ISO results in automatic revocation of your lawful status.

Before you arrive in Seattle, contact your host academic department for assistance in locating off-campus housing. Many apartments in the U-District (the neighborhood surrounding the University) are within walking or biking distance to campus. Other neighborhoods have good bus service to the UW. Only registered students may live on campus. Useful resources include:

• UW Visiting Faculty Housing Service
• Limited dormitory-style on-campus housing may be available during the summer months.
• UW-affiliated Radford Court
• The FIUTS office in HUB 310 also has housing postings specifically for internationals
• UW Daily, classified ads
• Guide to Seattle neighborhoods

You may obtain from your sponsoring academic department an employee identification number that will enable you to get a UW ID card (Husky Card), permitting access to most University facilities.

For a small fee, the Washington State Department of Licensing issues driver's licenses, and also photo identification (ID) cards for non-drivers. Identification cards can be issued at any age and are valid for 5 years.

As a J-1 scholar, your home country driver's license is valid in Washington State provided your visit will not exceed one year. If you stay longer than one year, you will need to obtain a Washington State driver's license to continue legally operating a vehicle in Washington State. The Washington State driver's license also serves as an official identification card.

Prior to visiting a Department of Licensing location, you must obtain a printout of your electronic SEVIS record which indicates your current address. Please fill out this Request for Sevis Printout and return to the ISO office.