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…
Author: Justin Mellish
Meet Our Team – 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…
Meet Our Team – Max
ISS recently welcomed three new advisers to our team! To introduce them to you all, our blog will feature Adam, Brittany, and Max throughout the week. How did you become interested in working with international students? I became interested in working with international students while I was a TA here at UW. It was so great getting to work with the UW international student community that I wanted to continue doing so Are you originally from Seattle? I’m originally from New…
Meet Our Team – Brittany
ISS recently welcomed three new advisers to our team! To introduce them to you all, our blog will feature Adam, Brittany, and Max throughout the week. How did you become interested in working with international students? I spent about 8 years traveling and working with students around the world, and through those experiences I developed a passion for working with international students. I knew that I wanted pursue a career working with international students once I returned to the US….
Meet Our Team – Adam
ISS recently welcomed three new advisers to our team! To introduce them to you all, our blog will feature Adam, Brittany, and Max throughout the week. How did you become interested in working with international students? During my Undergraduate and Graduate studies at the university I attended, I worked for a First-Year experience office. In that role I was a peer leader for many international students, where I introduced them to campus resources, arranged for study times, helped with conversational English…
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…
Preparing for Travel this Winter Season
The holiday season has begun, and many of you have made plans to travel internationally over the next month or so. Here are some quick tips to ensure you have no problems returning to the U.S. Tip 1: Check your I-20 When will your I-20 expire? If your I-20 is expiring at the end of the Autumn 2023 quarter and you need additional time to complete your studies, you must apply for an I-20 Extension before it’s expiration. You can…
Taking an Alternate Vacation Quarter
Most students take a vacation quarter during the summer. However, sometimes you may want to take a vacation quarter a different quarter to take a break from studies or go home and visit family. In this case, you will need to apply for an Alternate Vacation Quarter. What is a vacation quarter? Immigration regulations allow one vacation quarter each year. This is an annual exception to the full-time enrollment requirement. Most students are eligible for and take their vacation quarter…