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…
Category: Newsletter
Weekly updates and notices.
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…
Making Academic Progress
F and J international students are expected to make academic progress during their studies, but what exactly does this mean? The UW issues I-20s and DS-2019s for the average time it takes students to complete your degree program. During this time, you should maintain full-time enrollment and work towards the completion of your program by the end date listed on your document. We encourage you to discuss with your academic adviser your degree plan so that you can complete your…
All about Social Security Numbers
Written by Jennifer Oppliger A Social Security Number (SSN) is a number that identifies U.S. citizens and other selected residents. Noncitizens can generally only receive SSNs if they are employed in the U.S. An SSN is used to track your annual income. The Social Security Administration (SSA) is in charge of the SSN application process. How do I apply for an SSN if I am working on-campus? Receive an on-campus employment letter. Submit an “SSN/ITIN Support Letter” request in MyISSS….