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Graduate Student Arrival Guide

We are excited to have you join our graduate community. This page is designed to help you get ready to arrive in your WSU campus and provides practical information from applying for your visa, to housing, health and wellness, orientation, and tips for settling into life on campus and in the community.

Whether you are coming from across the country or across the world, we encourage you to review these resources before you arrive so you can feel confident and prepared!

WSU uses multi-factor authentication (MFA), a multi-step account login process that requires users to enter more information than just a password. After your admission is confirmed, you will receive an email with instructions to set up your MFA and student accounts. It is essential you know your WSU username and password for your WSU student (myWSU) account before you arrive to campus. For additional information, please check the SSO Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) page.

myWSU

Your myWSU account is the central location where you will see your class schedule, pay your tuition, and many more important matters.
Learn more about myWSU

WSU email

We know there are many forms of communication in the world. However, at WSU, your WSU email account is the ONLY way to communicate with important offices on campus such as Housing, Bursar’s Office, professors, and more.

As soon as they become available, you will need to submit final, official transcripts showing graduation date and/or degree earned. Ask each school to send official transcripts directly to the Graduate School.

When sending official transcripts from schools located in non-English-speaking countries, each institution must submit both the English translation plus an original language record.  For these documents to be considered official, they need to be in a stamped and sealed envelope.

For Fed Ex, UPS, or DHL, use the following address:

Graduate School Staff
Graduate School
410 Dairy Road
French Administration 324
MS-1030
Pullman, WA 99164-1030

For the U.S. Postal Service, use the following:

Graduate School Staff
Graduate School
PO Box 641030
Pullman, WA 99164-1030

You will need to provide your vaccination records to your Patient Portal, found on the top of the Cougar Health Services web page. If you do not have the required vaccinations, you will have until the end of your first semester to receive them on campus.

If you have difficulty uploading your vaccination records to the patient portal, you can email them directly to cougarhealth.immunizations@wsu.edu.

Pullman campus is our residential campus. All other campuses require you to live in off-campus housing.
Explore the WSU on-campus residence hall and apartment options available!

WSU housing
Apply for Housing

Explore off-campus, non-WSU housing
Explore Off-campus Housing

Find out when your International Student Tutorial is scheduled.

All international students are required to attend the International Student Tutorial and will be automatically registered. You will complete the Canvas course online before you arrive and attend the in-person Tutorial upon arrival. Non-Pullman students need to attend the live Zoom System Tutorial instead of the in-person Tutorial.

New students are not required to pay tuition fees until the first day of classes.

You will not receive your tuition bill until you are enrolled in classes. When your bill is available on your myWSU account, you can pay your bill by a variety of methods.

IMPORTANT

All international students must comply with SEVIS guidelines, which are enforced by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). When arriving in the U.S., please follow Steps 4-6 on the ICE web page. Students who are not physically on campus and enrolled in classes by the end of the first week of classes will have their SEVIS record terminated and will fall out of F-1 visa status.

Pullman campus

You will need to first fly to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), which will be your port of entry to the United States. From there, campus is just a short 45-minute flight away.

We highly recommend you fly directly into Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport (PUW). It is about 3 kilometers away from Campus.

Another option is the Spokane International Airport (GEG), which is around 125 kilometers from Pullman campus. We do not suggest this, but if you fly to GEG, you will need to find your own transportation from GEG to Pullman. Rental cars are also available at the airport. Greyhound Express and Starline (Wheatland) Express provide transportation between Spokane and Pullman.

Spokane campus

Students admitted to nursing, medical, or pharmacy school on WSU’s Spokane campus should fly into Spokane International Airport (GEG). The airport is approximately 14.5 kilometers from campus. You can find Spokane ground transportation services here.

Tri-Cities campus

We recommend flying into Tri-Cities Airport (PSC) in Pasco, Washington. It is about 22 kilometers from campus. You can find Tri-Cities ground transportation services here.

Vancouver campus

We recommend flying into Portland International Airport (PDX). It is about 26 kilometers from campus. You can find Vancouver ground transportation services here.

Packing your essentials

Travel documents and items include:

  • Passport with visa inside
  • Form I-20 (please print a hard copy of all pages of your I-20 for travel and immigration purposes)
  • WSU confirmation letter
  • Proof of financial ability

It is important to travel with money! This includes a bank card that is ready to use for international travel or physical money that can be used in the countries you travel through. U.S. dollars are highly preferred, especially upon arrival to the U.S., in case of emergency.

It is important to travel with all the chargers for your electronic devices including cell/mobile phone, laptop, and more.  Also, the U.S. uses Type B electrical plugs, so we suggest you buy the

appropriate adapter for your devices before or just upon arrival.

  • Health Insurance: You will be automatically enrolled in health insurance once you are fully enrolled in your classes. Your student health insurance charge will be posted to your student account around one month after classes begin, but you are eligible to use it upon your arrival in the US. If you need to use the insurance before the charge is posted, please reach out to Cougar Health Services for details on how to use it.
  • Social Security Numbers: If you have an assistantship, you will need to apply for a Social Security number as soon as possible. Complete a mandatory immigration check-in with the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) Office is required for all F and J visas.  There are three forms to submit via myPassport Your department must provide you with a job offer letter, complete with a wet signature. This letter must include the WSU employer identification number (EIN). You will also need to complete the Social Security Application online and write down the reference number: SSA website.

F-2 or J-2 Dependent vs. B-2 Visitor

A legally married spouse or any unmarried child under the age of 21 may accompany you as a F-2 or J-2 dependent. The purpose of the F-2 and J-2 visas is to accompany the F-1 or J-1 for the duration of program and the dependent is subject to all F-2 or J-2 visa requirements, such the inability to work (F-2) or health insurance and 212(e) home residency requirement (J-2).

The purpose of a B-2 visa is for tourism and visits to the U.S. If your family member(s) does not want to accompany you for the majority of your time in the U.S., and plans to stay only a few weeks, a B-2 visitor visa is recommended instead of F-2 or J-2. The B-2 is not subject to J visa health insurance requirements and is not eligible for any J-2 benefits (such as studying or work authorization).

Work Authorization

J-2 dependents of legal working age may apply for work authorization in the U.S. after arrival. If U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approves the application, they receive an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) card that gives work authorization for any employer in the U.S. The J-2 EAD application is a personal application and ISSS is unable to advise or review application materials. Information on the required form, I-765, can be found at the USCIS website. F-2s are not permitted to work at all.

University Study Options

F-2 dependents can study part time only. Your J-2 dependents can study full- or part-time if admitted at a university while in J-2 status.

Immunization Records for Children

All U.S. schools will need your children’s immunization record. Please bring a copy of their complete record so they can enroll in school in a timely manner. Children from Kindergarten to 12th grade (K-12) must enroll in school or be homeschooled. Contact information for public K-12 school districts in Washington State can be found via OSPI.

Childcare

There may be long waitlists for daycare near your WSU location, so it is important to reserve childcare in advance and get on the waitlist as soon as possible. Child Care Aware allows you to search for trusted childcare nearby and provides additional information and resources.