newsletter header

REGISTER FULL TIME FOR SPRING QUARTER!

SPRING 2021 - WEEK 4

Welcome to a new week! We want to hear from you! We've published our Feedback Form and will include it in all email correspondence. Please help us by providing feedback whenever you're interacting with our office - be that during drop-in advising, emailing with our staff, or after an appointment. The feedback form is available here.

NEW THIS WEEK

UW leadership launched a new FAQ and resource page for planning for autumn quarter 2021. Review up-to-date information here, including a letter from Provost Richards and Vice Provost Reid about the autumn quarter course schedule and vaccine eligibility.

LAST CHANCE TO APPLY FOR AN EXCEPTION TO FULL-TIME ENROLLMENT

If you aren't already registered full-time or authorized for an exception, it is very urgent that you do so now.

If you are unable to enroll full-time, or want to take time off, please review the exceptions to full-time enrollment. Contact our office with additional questions about eligibility - we're available through our Have a Question form and during drop-in advising.

If you will graduate this quarter, make sure to review the final year checklist - there is still time to apply for OPT, apply to transfer to a new program, or make other plans.

LATE COURSE DROP PERIOD & THE ADVISOR ASSISTED DROP

Need to drop courses? You now have two options:
  • If you need to drop just one course, you may do so once per quarter using your self-serve Quarterly Drop via MyUW. The Quarterly Drop replaced the Annual Drop in Autumn 2020. To use your self-serve Quarterly Drop, follow the same instructions as for the Unrestricted Drop Period. You will not be eligible to use the self-serve drop if the drop will take you below full-time.
  • If you have already used your self-serve Quarterly Drop, or if you know you want to drop more than one course, you will use the Adviser-Assisted Drop process.
Please review the detailed instructions on the university registrar's website for more information.

USCIS ADDS FORM I-765 TO ELECTRONIC FORMS

USCIS is currently testing an electronic form I-765 for students seeking optional practical training employment benefits.

The form is too new for us to have seen many students apply electronically - therefore, we do not have steps and guidance prepared at this time.

If you decide to file online, please know that we are unable to help you prepare your application spring quarter 2021. While we will issue you the required I-20 with OPT endorsement, we will not be able to answer your questions or provide guidance about the online form.

There may be additional requirements when filing online (i.e. in person biometrics appointments). Once we have more information from USCIS and other colleagues in international education, we will update our website with more information and guidance.

If you choose to apply for OPT or STEM OPT online, please make sure you follow USCIS’s directions AND request an OPT endorsed I-20 from ISS.

TAX SEASON EXTENDED

The IRS has announced that the tax deadline has been extended to May 17, 2021.
  • ISS has a website with tax information and links to the Glacier Tax Prep (GTP) software. You may review it here: https://iss.washington.edu/student-life/money-matters/tax-information/
  • Please do not use off-campus software. Most of the software you can purchase online or in the store is designed for U.S. citizens and will not work for most international students. This software also does not check for tax treaties with your country of citizenship.
  • Students who used Glacier Tax Prep last year may have learned that they can now file taxes as a “resident alien for tax purposes.” If this is you, you may file using software designed for U.S. citizens and residents.
Find more helpful information and FAQs on our website.

NOT TRAVELING TO THE U.S. FOR SPRING QUARTER? REQUEST AN I-20 DEFERRAL NOW!

An image of...
If you will not travel to the U.S. for in-person study, we are able to defer your program start date to a future quarter - you may request a deferral to Summer or Autumn quarter.

Please use our I-20 Deferral Form in order to request an updated document.

Important factors to consider:
  • You are required to enroll for an in-person course during your first quarter of study in the U.S.
  • If you choose summer quarter as your first quarter of study in the U.S., make sure to work with your academic department or adviser to ensure that there are enough classes available for you to enroll full time and satisfy the in-person course requirement.
  • An I-20 program start date is not the same as a deferral of your admission.
Please do not submit this form if you plan to travel to the U.S. for spring quarter 2021 or if you will graduate Spring Quarter 2021. If you will travel to the U.S. for spring, be sure to complete the immigration check-in.

Questions about deferring your I-20? Contact us via our 'Have a Question' form, or visit us at the Virtual Front Desk!

UPCOMING EVENTS & DEADLINES

  • As we begin a new quarter, be sure to review the add/drop deadlines & tuition deadlines.
  • Upcoming events with our campus partners, CIRCLE:
    • Transferrable Skills Workshop for International Graduate Students: Humanities and Social Sciences
      Wednesday, 21 April 7-9pm
      https://www.washington.edu/circle/calendar/?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D151981060
      "List your relevant experience"
      "What makes you a good fit for this job?"
      "Tell us about some of your skills"

      These are just a few examples of questions that employers often ask when you apply for a job. But what are the best ways to answer these questions as a graduate student transitioning into the professional world? Join us for a panel discussion and workshop with UW graduate alumni about transferable skills, how to highlight your strengths, and the best strategies to prepare for your future career. This session will feature alumni from the fields of humanities and social sciences.
  • 4/22/2021 UW Seattle Spring Job & Internship Fair (open to all majors!)
    12:30pm - 4:30pm PST
    Learn more and register now: https://uw.joinhandshake.com/career_fairs/23199

    Details:
    The 2021 Virtual Spring Job & Internship Fair, hosted virtually in Handshake by the UW Career & Internship Center, will give you an exciting opportunity to network with dozens of employers (via 10-minute 1:1 video chats and 30-minute group sessions), who are all looking to recruit UW students and alumni for full-time, part-time, and internship opportunities.
    Matriculated students and alumni from all majors/programs at UW-Seattle are welcome and encouraged to attend.
    How does a Virtual Career Fair work? Check out these resources:
    What is a virtual fair?
    Preparing for UW Virtual Career Fairs
    Handshake’s Guide to Attending a Virtual Fair
    5 Tips to Stand Out at Virtual Fairs
    Virtual Fairs – Your Ticket to Getting Hired
    Questions? Email cicevents@uw.edu.
    The University of Washington is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, and activities. Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made 10 days in advance to cicevents@uw.edu.
  • 4/28/2021 - Final deadline to be enrolled full time. Under-enrolled students who have not applied for an exception will have their SEVIS records terminated on this date.
Spring VFD 2021

Need more information? We offer on-demand and live resources to help answer your questions! Let us know how we're doing by filling out our feedback form.

ISS Recordings
virtual front desk & drop in advising