October 24, 2025 Immigration Advisory

1. Plan ahead! OPT processing times can range 90-100 days (regular processing)
2. On-Campus Employment
3. Do you have an International Programs hold
4. Full-time enrollment requirements
5. Report harassment/discrimination
6. Travel health fee charge
7. Update on H-1B Proclamation of September 19, 2025

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Plan ahead! OPT processing times can range 90-100 days (regular processing)

Are you graduating in December 2025 and interested in participating in a post-completion internship in your field in the United States? If so, then you may want to apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT), a benefit of your F-1 status that allows you to work off campus after you graduate as long as you work in a field related to your major.  

This benefit is requested through USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) and they are currently taking approximately 90-100 days to review requests without premium processing. So, if you are interested, do not wait to apply! In addition, you do not need a job offer to apply. Therefore, there is no reason to wait if you know you wish to pursue OPT. 

The application process starts in myPassport: 

1. Log in to MyPassport.
2. Under Employment/Internships, choose Optional Practical Training application. 
3. See the online tutorial and complete all forms. 
4. After providing the requested information hit “submit.” 

We will contact you in about 5 business days to give you the I-20 needed for the OPT submission to USCIS. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact our office.

On-Campus Employment

As a reminder – if you are an F-1 student, you are eligible to work on campus without ISSS authorization. However, you are limited by immigration regulations to only 20 hours per week of employment.  

J-1 students can also work on campus up to 20 hours per week but DO NEED approval from ISSS to work on campus BEFORE they can begin working. So if you are a J-1 student, please speak with an International Student Advisor about your limitations. 

Please keep these limitations in mind and be careful not to go over 20 hours. You can potentially lose your F-1/J-1 status.

Do you have an International Programs hold

All international students in F-1 and J-1 status should have an INTL Programs Drop Hold for fall 2025. This hold will NOT prevent you from registering for your spring 26 classes. It is there only to ensure that you do not mistakenly drop below full-time status when you drop or withdraw from courses. Therefore, this hold only keeps you from dropping or withdrawing courses on your own. All drop/withdraw requests need to go through ISSS first. Graduate students: These requests need to be made through the graduate school.  

If you have the INTL Programs hold (not the drop hold), this WILL prevent you from registering for your spring 2026 classes. This hold was placed on your account because you did not complete the ISSS international orientation offered throughout the fall semester.  

You can speak with an advisor to learn how to have the hold removed by scheduling an appointment  via our ISSS website.

Full-time enrollment requirements

As part of your F-1 or J-1 status, you are required to be enrolled full time unless you have authorization from ISSS to drop below full-time enrollment.  

Within 30 days of the semester start date you must be enrolled in the following: 

• Undergraduate students: 12 credits 
• Graduate students: 10 credits  

Please note that if you are a current student, your F-1 or J-1 status is tied to your full-time enrollment or having an approved reduced course load by our office. Holding on-campus employment, such as an assistantship, does not constitute maintenance of status. You can remain legally in status without employment, as long as you are full-time enrolled. 

If you need to drop below full-time enrollment, please meet with an ISSS advisor or contact us (ip.intlservices@wsu.edu or 509-335-4508) to learn more.

Starting August 8, 2025, we are pleased to offer a convenient option for students who do not yet have a U.S. phone number or would prefer to use a quiet space to call the Social Security Administration (SSA) office in Lewiston to schedule an appointment for a Social Security Number (SSN) application. 

Phone access will be available Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., in Bryan Hall rooms 206A and 206L. This service is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Please note: 

• If you are placed on hold and choose the “call back” option, you must use your personal U.S. phone number. 
• While we will provide a sample script to help you prepare, advisors and/or staff will not be available to accompany you during the call. 
• For clarification, International Programs is unable to offer transportation to the Lewiston SSA office either. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at ip.intlservices@wsu.edu or call +1 509-335-4508. We’re here to support you.

Report harassment/discrimination

If you witness or experience harassment or discrimination, please report it! Your identity will be protected, and you will help continue to make our campus community a safe and welcoming place for all. Here is how to report: File A Report or Complaint webpage

WSU Compliance and Civil Rights (CCR) provides resources, advice, solution building, investigation, support, education and training relating to compliance and civil rights. CCR is the central resource office for complaints of discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, and sex and gender based violence. 

As always, please do not hesitate to contact ISSS for assistance at ip.intlservices@wsu.edu or 509-335-4508. For non-Pullman locations, please contact our office so we can support you.

Travel health fee charge

WSU’s Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) must be approved annually by the State Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC).  This year, the OIC disallowed travel insurance coverage as part of student health insurance plans for all such plans in Washington State.  WSU learned of this decision in late August 2025.  As soon as WSU learned of this decision, it worked with its insurance broker for the SHIP plan, Brown and Brown, to identify an alternative travel insurance option.  Ultimately, Brown and Brown identified an alternative travel insurance plan through On Call International.  WSU has elected to add this coverage for all students enrolled in SHIP because it was intended to be included in this year’s plan. The coverage through On Call International is now in place.   

Aetna, the insurance carrier for the SHIP, indicated that the removal of this coverage from the SHIP is, in its opinion, insufficient to warrant this change does not qualify for any pro-rated refund.  Because of this, there will be an additional cost of $16.32 per student for this plan year for this coverage.   

For Academic Student Employees (ASEs) covered under the collective bargaining agreement: WSU will cover this additional cost for this plan year at no cost to ASEs as it was initially part of the SHIP reviewed during bargaining.   

For students who buy into the SHIP: Students who pay for SHIP coverage will be charged an additional amount of $16.32 for the plan year, which will be prorated across semesters.  This additional charge will be seen in their WSU student account.   

This travel coverage is for individual coverage while traveling domestically and internationally.  For international students, it meets visa requirements. Please note, WSU separately provides international travel and risk coverage through the same carrier, On Call, for students who travel internationally through study abroad, and WSU employees who travel internationally for work.  This is a separate line of coverage.   

Questions about either line of coverage can be directed to WSU Risk Management.  In addition, WSU International Programs Education Abroad can help with questions about the travel and risk coverage specific to study abroad programs.

Update on H-1B Proclamation of September 19, 2025

The USCIS issued more guidance about the Presidential Proclamation on Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers from September 19, 2025. 

We now have clarity that the $100K fee will NOT be required for petitions filed inside the U.S. (change of status to H-1B, extensions, amendments, change of H-1B employer, etc.). However, the fee will be applied to H-1B petitions that seek to bring an individual from abroad. 

The guidance also clarifies that cases filed domestically and approved will not trigger payment of the fee if the visa holder later travels abroad and applies for a new visa stamp at a U.S. Consulate to return to the U.S. However, there hasn’t been any clarification in terms of whether the “cap-exempt” status of an employer will provide further exemptions to this rule. WSU and most universities are a “cap-exempt” employer meaning there has not been a limit to how many H-1Bs they can file.