About > International Programs Posts > Immigration Advisory > Jan. 21, 2022 Immigration Advisory

Jan. 21, 2022 Immigration Advisory

Contents:

  1. New student at WSU enrolled in face-to-face classes?
  2. Full-time enrollment requirements
  3. Deadline to apply for an undergraduate or professional degree – March 4
  4. Learning Support Center
  5. Hillside Café Lunar Year celebration (Pullman campus)
  6. Tax time! Sprintax software available soon and workshops

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1.         New student at WSU enrolled in face-to-face classes?

Then you need to check in with ISSS or your local DSO so we can register your SEVIS record and verify with the U.S government that you are in status. Here is what you need to do:

Pullman campus – please log in to mypassport.wsu.edu and complete the Orientation Check-In requirements. We will need the following two things to register you:

  • Student Document Check In
  • Emergency Contact

Not based on the Pullman campus? Please contact your local DSO to arrange a Zoom meeting to do your check in and document review. Information on your local contact can be found at the bottom of this email.

2.         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 or your I-20 or DS-2019 start date (if starting this term) you must be enrolled in the following in-person credits:

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

If you need to drop below full-time enrollment, please meet with an ISSS advisor during Zoom advising hours or contact us (ip.intlservices@wsu.edu or 509-335-4508) to learn more about applying for a reduced course load.

3.         Deadline to apply for an undergraduate or professional degree – March 4

If you are in the U.S. and have been dismissed or recessed from WSU for the spring 2022 term due to a low GPA, please speak with an International Student Advisor immediately! Your immigration status is tied to your enrollment, so you will need to act soon to remain in the United States.

Do you need to return home or are you having a hard semester and thinking about canceling or withdrawing from all your classes? If so, please speak with an International Student Advisor before you do anything. Your F-1 or J-1 status is tied to your full-time enrollment. Unless you have a documented serious medical issue and have received approval from ISSS, you CANNOT remain in the United States without enrollment. (Summer is excluded.)

An International Student Advisor can discuss your options with you and guide you through the process. Please attend our open advising hours between 1-3 p.m.

4.         Learning Support Center

The Learning Support Center is here to meet the specific academic support needs of all international students. If you haven’t looked at the LSC website yet, you can find it here. It includes a complete tutoring schedule showing convenient hours where you can find a live tutor to help you with your classes (including weekend hours!). You will find general English tutors and a tutor who specializes in COM 102. If you have any questions about the LSC and what it has to offer, please reach out to Lynn Dils at lynn.dils@wsu.edu.

5.         Hillside Café Lunar Year celebration (Pullman campus)

Hillside Café will be serving the Lunar New Year menu from 10:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday Feb. 1. There will be assorted dumplings, fried noodles, pork belly sandwiches, boba tea, and more.

6.         Tax time! Sprintax software available soon and workshops

It is time for taxes. IP-ISSS will be offering access to a tax software called Sprintax starting March 7. Sprintax is specifically designed for international students and scholars. Deadline for filing your taxes is April 18, 2022.

Note: ISSS does not provide tax advice, so please refer tax questions to tax specialists or through the chat function of the software when it becomes available.

Did you have NO income in 2021?

International students who did not receive U.S.-based income should still file a tax form, Form 8843, prior to June 1. You can also download the form at irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8843.pdf.

Did you have income in 2021? Do you have dependents?

As of March 7, you can log in to myPassport.wsu.edu and select Tax Software to fill out the form to request access to Sprintax. 

International students who were employed at WSU in calendar year 2021 will receive a report of wage earnings (form W-2) from the Payroll Service Office. Students should use this form to complete and send their tax return to the U.S. government.

Sprintax webinars to prepare for your tax filing!

Although the Sprintax software will be available for download only March 7, please visit the Sprintax How to Prepare for the 2021 US Tax season blog, watch their YouTube videos, and attend one of the Sprintax Tax Webinars, listed below.

Webinar dates, times, and registration links