In November 2023, the Consulate General of India in Seattle was established with Prakash Gupta serving as its first Consul General. According to his biography, Consul General Prakash Gupta is a career diplomat from the Indian Foreign Service. He has served in Beijing, Shanghai, and Jakarta as well as the Indian Mission to the United Nations. Consul General Gupta visited the University of Washington recently to meet with President Cauce and faculty members who focus on India. The group discussed…
Author: mellishj
Meet Our Advisers – Jo Anne Marie
How did you become interested in working with international students? Well, I was born in the U.S., but my parents immigrated from the Philippines. My family has been navigating the immigration process since before I was born. I’ve seen and heard stories of the challenges they had to overcome. When I started working in higher education, I was an administrative assistant in academic and international student advising. I slowly progressed in different roles during and after my undergraduate studies that…
Tips for Filing Taxes
F and J international students are required to file taxes with the U.S. government. This can be a complicated process. Luckily, international students, scholars, and alumni can use an online service, Glacier Tax Prep (GTP), to help! While ISS advisers and staff are not able to provide guidance on filing taxes, we do have a few tips and resources. Tip 1: Learn about filing taxes Our webpage on Filing Taxes lays out the basics of filing taxes. This includes who…
USCIS Increases Filing Fee for Form I-765
On January 30, 2024 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced adjustments to filing fees for certain immigration requests including Form I-765 Application for Employment Authorization. The I-765 is used by both F-1 and J-1 international students for various employment benefits such as Optional Practical Training and J-2 dependent employment authorization. What is the change? The finalized fee adjustment is as follows: Filing Type Current Fee New Fee Difference Paper-filed $410 $520 +27% Online filed $410 $470 +14.5% Why are…
DHS Extends Special Student Relief for Students from Syria
Summary On January 29, 2024 the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) extended Special Student Relief (SSR) to F-1 students from Syria through September 30, 2025. The original SSR notice was set to expire on April 01, 2024. What is Special Student Relief? Special Student Relief (SSR) is the suspension of specific immigration regulations for F-1 students who face unexpected hardship due to a situation in their home country. SSR typically provides eligible students flexibilities related to employment and enrollment requirements….
Expanded Services Beginning Winter 2024
Those of you who stopped by our drop-in advising sessions in autumn may know that we had three new advisors in training throughout the quarter (if you’re interested in learning more about our advisors, you can check out our blog archives!). We are happy to announce that all advisors are now fully trained and advising full-time. Not only do we have three new advisors, ISS also hopes to hire one more advisor this quarter to further expand the team by…
Meet Our Advisers – Sophia
How did you become interested in working with international students? I have engaged and been around different cultures and learned multiple languages throughout a good chunk of my life. I have studied in Germany and I have traveled and find each culture and language unique and fascinating (I am a linguistics nerd). After I received a Master’s in German Pedagogy and Culture from UW, I worked with international students through an exchange company where I would place high school students…
Campus Spotlight: CIRCLE and ISS
The UW is home to nearly 8,000 enrolled international students from all over the world with an almost-even split of undergraduate and graduate students. From pre-arrival through graduation and beyond, our international student population is supported by two offices on campus: the Center for International Relations & Cultural Leadership Exchange (CIRCLE) and International Student Services (ISS). We asked CIRCLE and ISS a few questions to understand how international students can best receive support from both offices. How does your office…
Campus Spotlight: Office of International Student Advocacy
The Office of International Student Advocacy (OISA) is the newest office established by the Associated Students of the University of Washington (ASUW) in 2021. The ASUW is the student government at the University of Washington. At ASUW, elected and hired employees represent student voices on campus, organize programming, and provide resources for students to make the most of their college experience. As a part of the ASUW, OISA is committed to serving, representing, and celebrating our diverse international student community…
Watch Out for Scams
A growing number of international students have reported receiving scam phone calls or emails over the last several months. Scams can be difficult to identify, but you can certainly prepare yourself to avoid falling victim to one. What is a scam? A scam is a fraudulent attempt to get a person’s personal information or money. This is often done by impersonating a government official, company, or other trusted entity. Scams targeting international students have impersonated USCIS, CBP, SEVP, the Social…