Please read this information as a guide to help you with your studies and to maintain valid immigration status. The information below applies to international students at all campuses.
Contents
- Become a Peer Mentor
- Deadline for cancellation of enrollment
- Visa expired?
- Tax for international students who receive grants/scholarships above the cost of tuition and mandatory fees
- Last semester summer enrollment reminder
- Complete your Count on Cougs mandatory program
- FINAL NOTICE: Tax time! Sprintax software available
The application for international student Peer Mentors opened April 4 and is available until April 16. Peer Mentors are current students who volunteer to help newly arrived international students transition to their new lives in the U.S. and at WSU. They connect these students with clubs, events, and resources during their transition period. Mentors can be from any country, including the U.S., and they can be graduate or undergraduate students.
This is a great leadership opportunity. Peer Mentors can develop intercultural communication skills, plan program-wide events, participate in several career development opportunities, and meet people from all over the world.
An updated resume and cover letter are required. Applicants will be contacted for a 30-minute Zoom interview soon after submission.
Here is the link to the Handshake application.
April 28 at 11:55 p.m. Pacific time is the deadline to cancel your enrollment for spring 2023.
A cancellation of enrollment occurs when a student withdraws from ALL classes for the semester.
Unless you have approval from ISSS due to specific reasons approved by the U.S. government, the cancellation will result in termination of your SEVIS record. This will put you out of immigration status and require your immediate departure from the United States. So please speak with an international student advisor before requesting the cancellation.
If your visa (the stamp in your passport given to you by the U.S. embassy abroad) has expired, it is important to remember that you are still able to maintain valid F-1 or J-1 status in the United States with an expired visa.
Your status is based upon the I-20/DS-2019 and your I-94, which you can access online. If your I-20/DS-2019 and the accompanying SEVIS record is still valid and your I-94 is accurate, you are in status, even with an expired visa.
If you plan to exit and reenter the United States to travel internationally, please note that you WILL need to apply for a visa renewal at a U.S. consulate abroad if your current visa has expired. We highly recommend that you apply for a visa in the country where you have permanent residency or citizenship. We have heard reports of denials and delays for individuals applying from third countries such as Canada.
ISSS recommends that if you are in this situation (holding an expired visa, but planning to travel internationally), speak with an international student advisor or your local DSO before traveling internationally.
There are increased delays and restrictions on visa issuance, even for visa renewals, and International and Student Services can help you prepare for these.
If you receive grants and/or scholarships above the cost of tuition and mandatory fees throughout the year, please make sure to check your student account each semester (around mid-term is perfect) and connect with the Bursar’s office within the same tax year if you do see a tax withholding charge. Charges within the same tax year can be fixed, but after December 31 it is more complicated.
If summer will be your last term in your program, then please note there are some additional requirements on enrollment (listed below).
As you will not be a continuing student for fall, summer is not considered a vacation term so you will need to be enrolled full time for the summer or apply for the reduced course load for last term.
- Graduate full-time summer enrollment: 3 credits
- Undergraduate full-time summer enrollment: 6 credits
If you need to apply for a reduced course load for the last semester for summer, you can find this request on mypassport.wsu.edu, under Enrollment Forms.
This is a reminder to complete your Count on Cougs mandatory program if you have not done so already. This 1-hour workshop on sexual violence and bystander intervention is required for all undergraduate students on the Pullman campus within their first 2 semesters and is not optional.
Failure to attend a workshop will result in a registration hold on your myWSU account, which will block you from registering for courses next semester.
We recognize that the semester is busy as we wrap up. You have 2 options for attending a workshop.
- A limited number of Zoom sessions will be offered Saturday, April 15, and Sunday, April 16. You can register for an online session
- You can also sign up for an in-person session
Students who are already signed up for an upcoming session or have previously completed the workshop can disregard this message.
If you have any questions or concerns, please email Health Promotion at health.promotion@wsu.edu or call 509-335-9355 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
ISSS offers free access to a tax preparation software called Sprintax, which is specifically designed for international students and scholars. The deadline for filing 2022 taxes is April 18.
Did you have NO income in 2022?
International students and scholars who did not receive U.S.-based income must still file a tax form called Form 8843 and Sprintax can help you with that.
To have Sprintax help with Form 8843, you may log into myPassport.wsu.edu and select “Tax Software” to fill out the form to request access to Sprintax. A unique verification code will be emailed to you at your WSU email within 3 business days.
You will need to print and mail Form 8843 to: Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service Center, Austin, TX 73301-0215
Did you have income in 2022?
Log into myPassport.wsu.edu and select “Tax Software’’ to fill out the form to request access to Sprintax. A unique verification code will be emailed to you at your WSU email within 3 business days.
International students and scholars employed at WSU in 2022 should have received a report of wage earnings called Form W-2 from the Payroll Services Office. W-2s are available now at that office. Students should use this form to complete and submit their tax return.
Did you receive a scholarship for room and board or are you using a tax treaty benefit?
This means you will receive Form 1042-S. The Payroll Services Office is required to issue Form 1042-S no later than March 15. Form 1042-S is mailed to the address you provide in myWSU.
IMPORTANT: You must wait until you receive Form 1042-S to file your taxes.
Tax questions?
Sprintax offers YouTube videos and a blog.
Webinar dates, times, and registration links (last one!)
Friday, April 14 @ 11 a.m. PT – Register here
ISSS may not provide tax advice or information on tax treaties. Please consult a tax expert or use the chat function with Sprintax.
If you have any questions about the above announcements, please contact International Student and Scholar Services.
- WSU Pullman students contact +1 509-335-4508 or ip.intlservices@wsu.edu
- WSU Everett, Spokane, Tri-Cities, and Vancouver students contact Nitivia Jones at 1 509-335-2422 or nitivia.jones@wsu.edu