August 22, 2025 Immigration Advisory

1. Off-campus and On-campus employment alert
2. WA Care Fund Information for those paid by WSU
3. New Advising system and process for ISSS
4. USCIS and ICE scam alert
5. Phone access option for Social Security appointment
6. WSU and ISSS closed Monday, September 1, 2025

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Off-campus and On-campus employment alert

The IP-International Student and Scholar Services office would like to remind you that international students require employment authorization to work off campus, either through our office or through a personal benefit application. Working off-campus without proper authorization is a status violation and could result in the termination of your SEVIS record or other negative consequences further down the road (such as during a green card application adjudication).  

Reminder about on-campus employment and reporting: 

Per Federal regulations, international students can only work up to 20 hours per week only on-campus while school is in session. 

Professors and other staff at WSU have no authority over your immigration record or visa. Come talk to us in ISSS if you have questions. 

Any discrimination or harassment at WSU should be reported to Compliance and Civil Rights. Such reporting does not impact immigration status. Reporting can be done here online. 

For our international graduate students, any engagement with a union such as Academic Student Employees (ASEs) also does not impact immigration status nor does reporting or engaging with WSU Human Resource Services.

WA Care Fund Information for those paid by WSU

The Washington Cares Fund is a payroll tax that provides long-term care insurance for Washingtonians (permanent residents of Washington State). This tax is .58% per paycheck.

As a non-resident (F-1 visa holder), you can apply for an exemption to have this amount withheld. To apply for an exemption, please visit this website and submit the requested documentation.

Once the exemption is approved, you will be provided with an approval letter and an effective date (previous tax withholdings cannot be returned). You must show this letter to the WSU Payroll Office and then they will stop withholding the tax premium. The Payroll Office is in room 236 of the French Administration Building in Pullman, WA. For those outside of Pullman, please email a copy of the letter to payroll@wsu.edu.  It’s important that you apply for the exemption as soon as possible upon arrival at WA State, if you would like to apply for the exemption.

New Advising system and process for ISSS

WSU ISSS is here to serve you. In an effort to increase the amount of availability and appointments with our advisors and to ensure we have enough time to meet with each student and review your case to support you well, we have moved to an appointment only system for next-day appointments and are now available throughout the day to speak with you either in-person or over Teams by booking through this link. Any same-day emergencies can be accommodated by calling +1 509-335-4508. We hope this new process will allow you more frequent and longer contact with our office to receive better support.

Please note that 3 no shows on booked appointments will result in advising only over email for one month. If you cannot make your appointment, please cancel it or contact our office so we can accommodate others that need that time. Thank you for your understanding.

USCIS and ICE scam alert

Scammers are using fake USCIS and ICE emails, names, and phone numbers to contact foreign nationals. Some of these claim that the foreign national is subject to a “background check” for failure to file Form AR-11 after a change of address. There are likely other variants in circulation. The scammers appear convincing and may threaten you not to talk about the content of the call with anyone.

If you receive a similar email or call, or any other suspicious email, do NOT click on any of the links and do NOT respond to any of the phone numbers or mailing addresses listed in the email. You should NOT provide any personal information. USCIS, IRS, ICE and other Government agencies do NOT CALL and have instructions on how to report such fraudulent contact here: Common Scams

Please reach out to our office if you are uncertain about any communication from anyone who claims to be from USCIS or a related government entity.

Phone access option for Social Security appointment

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.

WSU and ISSS closed Monday, September 1, 2025

In observance of Labor Day Holiday, WSU and the ISSS office will be closed Monday, September 1, 2025. We will reopen the next day.