About > International Programs Posts > Immigration Advisory > Feb. 25, 2022 Immigration Advisory

Feb. 25, 2022 Immigration Advisory

Please read this information as a guide to help you with your remote studies and to maintain valid immigration status.

Contents:

  1. Energy assistance program
  2. Academic dishonesty may be basis for visa revocation
  3. Car insurance – if you have a car, mandatory to have
  4. Learning Support Center
  5. Support letters from ISSS
  6. Tax time! Sprintax software available soon and workshops
  7. International Women’s Week: March 8-11!
  1. Energy assistance program – Pullman

The Pullman Community Action Center (CAC) offers emergency assistance programs for people living the Pullman area. Please contact them for assistance as temperatures remain low: 509-334-9147.

Your family might qualify for a one-time payment to your Avista account by applying for the Low-Income Rate Assistance Program (LIRAP Heat or Regular Energy Assistance program).

This program is completely funded by Avista utilities and any customer, including customers who are not U.S. citizens, can apply for this program. This program is NOT monitored by the federal government.

Households can apply for this program once per year between Oct.1 and Sept. 15.

  1. Academic dishonesty may be basis for visa revocation

If academic dishonesty is discovered during an inspection of a foreign national student at a port of entry, it will likely result in a denial of admission and possibly visa revocation (either expedited removal or voluntary departure, depending on mitigating factors).

Under the authority granted by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), Customs and Border Protection inspectors have authority to search without warrant any person coming to the U.S (being a U.S citizen or not) and their belongings including phones, social media, and laptops.

  1. Car insurance – if you have a car, mandatory to have

If you are thinking about buying a car, then you know that being covered by car insurance is an important step in the car ownership process in the United States. Not only is insurance important to protect you in case of an accident, but it is also required by law.

These articles have helpful information about this requirement:

State minimum requirements in Washington

To legally drive in Washington, you will need insurance that includes at least:

  • $25,000 for injuries or death to one person
  • $50,000 for injuries or death to all other people
  • $10,000 for damage to another person’s property
  1. 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 LCS web page yet, you can find it here. It includes a complete tutoring schedule showing convenient hours where you can find a tutor to help you with your classes in real time (including weekend hours!). If you have any questions about the LCS and what it has to offer, please reach out to Lynn Dils at lynn.dils@wsu.edu. 

  1. Support letters from ISSS

Our office often receives requests for visa support letters for individuals and/or their dependents. So, we would like to make clear what our office can attest to.

We can provide status confirmation letters only, attesting if the F-1 or J-1 visa holder has been maintaining their immigration status in the U.S.

We cannot comment on academic performance, make a formal request for a visa to get approved, nor attest to personal skills such as work ethic and communication. We too cannot attest to ties individuals may have back in their home country.

Additionally, we often attend professional development webinars in the International Education field and can confirm we heard from consular officials themselves that external letters are rarely considered in the visa process.

  1. Tax time! Sprintax software available soon and workshops

It is time for taxes. IP-ISSS will be offering access to a tax software designed for international students and scholars called Sprintax starting March 7. 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 not be available for download until 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:

  1. International Women’s Week: March 8-11!

The International Center and the Women*s Center, along with other campus partners, present International Women’s Week! International Women’s Day is March 8, and we will have events throughout that week to celebrate. Visit us at our table in the CUB (there will be a giveaway!), join one of the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Arts events, and attend our Coffee Hour in the International Center. For more information, please see the schedule of events here: women.wsu.edu/programs/international-womenstars-week/.