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Dos and Don’ts for Check-in

Immigration Check-in can be a confusing process. To help, we’ve written up a list of things to do and not do to have a successful Immigration Check-in process. Do! Read our Post-arrival Check-list for step-by-step instructions. Wait 3 days after you entered the U.S. to get your I-94. Check your UW email – we will contact you if there are problems with your check-in. Don’t! Don’t forget to enroll full-time. We cannot register your immigration record if you are not…

Returning to Seattle soon? Make sure you’re prepared.

International Student Services (ISS) is excited to welcome back more than 5,000 continuing international students to our Seattle campus. We hope that you had a wonderful summer break and are ready to begin another academic year at UW. Please remember that ISS is here to help you on all things related to your immigration status. What do I need to re-enter the U.S.? To re-enter the U.S., we recommend you bring the following documents: Passport Visa I-20 with valid travel…

DHS Extends Special Student Relief for Students from South Sudan

Summary On September 5, 2023 the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) extended Special Student Relief (SSR) to F-1 students from South Sudan, effective from November 04, 2023 through May 03, 2025. The original SSR notice was set to expire on November 3, 2023.  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. This particular notice suspends applicable on-campus and…

Enrollment Requirements for Autumn 2023

International Student Services (ISS) staff are happy to welcome more than 8,000 new and returning international students to the Seattle campus. We know that the beginning of the academic year is an exciting but busy time for you. With that said, we wanted to take some time to help you understand your enrollment requirements for the upcoming quarter. Credit Requirements Undergraduate students must enroll in at least 12 credits per a quarter. Graduate students typically must enroll in at least…

DHS Extends Special Student Relief for Students from Sudan and Ukraine

Summary On August 18th, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) extended Special Student Relief (SSR) for students from Sudan and Ukraine through April 19, 2025 due to ongoing situations in those countries. 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. Who is eligible for the…

Meet Our Advisers – 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 Advisers – 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 Advisers – 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…

DHS Announces Updated STEM Designated Degree Program List

On July 12, 2023, the Department of Homeland Security announced an update to the STEM Designated Degree Program List which included the addition of 8 CIP codes. The newly STEM-designated CIP codes are as follows: Landscape Architecture (04.0601) Institutional Research (13.0608) Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering Technology/Technician (15.0407) Composite Materials Technology/Technician (15.0617) Linguistics and Computer Science (30.4801) Developmental and Adolescent Psychology (42.2710) Geospatial Intelligence (43.0407) Demography and Population Studies (45.0501) Students who graduate with degrees under these CIP codes will…

SEVP COVID-19 Flexibilities Terminated

Effective May 11, 2023, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) ended its Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) guidance, consistent with the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, following the end of the COVID-19 National Emergency on April 10, 2023. While the SEVP’s COVID-19 guidance is terminated as of May 11, 2023, Active F and M nonimmigrant students will be able to complete the 2022-23 academic year under the COVID-19 flexibilities through the 2023 summer semester. However, Active F and M…