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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…

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…

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 travelling 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. Are…

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…

Spring 2023 Graduates – Your Grace Period is Ending Soon

If you graduated in Spring 2023, remember that your 60-day grace period ends on August 08, 2023. During your grace period, you have a few options to consider: apply for OPT: Your OPT application must be received by USCIS by August 08. Remember: you can remain in the U.S. while your application is being processed by USCIS. transfer to another school: If you plan to study at another school, you can transfer your immigration record to that school. change your…

I-765 Review Ending

Beginning June 12, 2023, ISS advisers will no longer review I-765 documents when processing OPT. Our advisers have discussed this change since 2022 and following spring 2023, we have ended our review process. What does this mean to you? If you’ve already submitted an OPT request to our advising team, they will not review the draft I-765 in your request form. If you are submitting a new OPT request, you will not have an option to upload the I-765 document…

Summer Jobs for F-1 and J-1 Students

Summer is (almost) here and we know that many students are hoping to work on or off campus. Thus, we wanted to share some reminders about what you need to do to work! Know that the rules for F-1 and J-1 students will differ so make sure that you check on the appropriate rules for your visa type. F-1 Students On-Campus Work Students on F-1 visas can work on-campus up to 20 hours a week without requesting additional support or…

Processing, Expedites, and Patience

As we near the end of the quarter, ISS advisers are working diligently to meet with students, respond to emails, and process requests. Our director, assistant directors, and program assistants are also helping us process different kinds of requests to ensure we process things within a reasonable timeline. That said, we wanted to give some updates on current processing times so you know what to expect. How long does it take for requests to be processed?  Currently, our staff is…