About > International Programs Posts > Immigration Advisory > Oct. 22, 2021 Immigration Advisory

Oct. 22, 2021 Immigration Advisory

  1. Covid vaccination hold
  2. Your country sash for graduation
  3. Survey: Your opinion matters to us!
  4. Plan ahead! OPT processing times at 90-100 days
  5. On-campus employment
  6. Do you have an International Programs hold?
  7.  Career Services workshop series
  1. Covid vaccination hold

COVID holds, which appear as “COV,” were added Monday, Oct.11, to all continuing and newly matriculated students who are not in compliance with WSU vaccination requirements. This hold prevents enrollment for next spring term, and therefore can have a negative impact on your immigration status.

Please contact our office if you have questions about the impact to your immigration status. We do not have authority to remove this hold but can guide you on how to address it.

  1. Your country sash for graduation

Congratulations on your upcoming graduation! In connection with the Graduation Celebration, IP-International Student and Scholar Services (IP-ISSS) will be offering a graduation sash to any international student who is graduating this semester and participating in the graduation ceremony for a price of $15. The graduation sash represents your home country.

The request form will be available starting Oct. 22, and the deadline to submit your request is Monday, Nov. 10. Students will receive an email confirmation upon successful submission. Students will need to check myWSU for the amount due and pay it in advance to collect the sash.

Pullman campus students must pick up their sash at Bryan Hall 206 by Dec. 9 no later than 4 p.m. but ideally before. Students outside of Pullman will be able to pick up their sashes from a WSU staff member at their location. Questions may be directed to ip.intlservices@wsu.edu and/or to the DSO at the respective campuses.

You must submit a Sash Request to receive the sash on the Graduation Celebration Day. To submit your request:

  1. Open an internet browser and go to myPassport.wsu.edu.
  2. Select the blue “Login” button.
  3. Enter your WSU Network Identification (NID) number and password. Select the “Sign in” button.
  4. Select Graduation Sash Request.
  5. Enter the required information.
  6. Once complete, hit “Submit.”

Thank you and congratulations from all of us in IP-ISSS!

  1. Survey: Your opinion matters to us!

All of us in IP-ISSS are here to support you. To do that effectively, we want to learn what you need. You can help us help you by telling us through a survey about your time at WSU so far, including your experiences on campus and remotely. The survey can be accessed here and should take about 5-7 minutes. It is completely anonymous, meaning that your answers cannot be connected back to you.

Participation in this survey is voluntary as well as private, and we value your perspective and hope you will take this opportunity to let your voice be heard. If you choose to participate, please complete the survey no later today Friday, Oct. 22.

If you have questions about the survey, please reach out to us directly at ip.intlservices@wsu.edu. Thank you for your time.

  1. Plan ahead! OPT processing times at 90-100 days

Are you graduating in December 2021 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. 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.wsu.edu.
  2. Under the F-1 student services tab, choose Optional Practical Training application.
  3. See the online tutorial for more information.
  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 your local International Student Advisor.

  1. 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.

Additionally, if you are transferring from another WSU campus, please remember that your SEVIS record must be transferred to the new campus BEFORE you can begin work there.

  1. 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 spring 2022. This hold will NOT prevent you from registering for your spring 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 2022 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. We have open advising hours Monday through Friday, 1-3 p.m. Please visit our virtual office to join our Zoom session.

  1. Career Services workshop series

Are you about to start your career? Do you know how to package your international experience to help you stand out? Enhance your education by attending one or more workshops offered by International Programs Career Services.

Thursday, Oct. 28 | 3:30 p.m. | Kruegel G-10

Curricular Practical Training

Learn about how CPT works in general, and what you should be planning specific to your major and future career.

Thursday, Nov. 11 | 3:30 p.m. | Kruegel G-10

Interviewing for Success

Learn how to master your job interview and talk about your skills as a professional with international experiences.