Please read this information as a guide to help you with your studies and maintain valid immigration status. The information below applies to international students at all campuses.
Contents
- Full-time enrollment requirements
- Update address in myPassport
- Health Fee charge
- Academic dismissal or recession and impact on status
- Academic integrity and plagiarism: Why is it important?
- Be aware of weather alerts
- Sponsored students ONLY: Information on requests to have WSU insurance premium removed
- All students must comply with the University’s EP43 policy
- Tax information: Coming soon!
- 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 you must be enrolled in the following:
- Undergraduate students: 12 credits
- Graduate students: 10 credits
Please note that if you are a current student, your F-1 or J-1 status is tied to your full-time enrollment or having an approved reduced course load by our office. Holding on-campus employment, such as an assistantship, does not constitute maintenance of status. You can remain legally in status without employment, as long as you are enrolled full time.
If you need to drop below full-time enrollment, please meet with an ISSS advisor or contact us (ip.intlservices@wsu.edu) or 509-335-4508) to learn more.
- Update address in myPassport
Your address updates in myWSU no longer feed into myPassport, the system that reports changes to the U.S. government. Therefore, please make sure that you complete an Address Update Form in myPassport within 10 days of changing addresses. This is a government regulation.
- Health Fee charge
The Health Fee is NOT automatically assessed if:
- During the fall/spring, a student is taking less than 7 credits, or
- During the summer, a student is not enrolled.
If any of our students, including Fulbright students, are ABD and not on an assistantship (likely enrolled in 2 credits) or if they are not taking classes during the summer, they would need to opt-in for the Health Fee to be seen at CHS/CAPS. They should still be covered under insurance, however.
- Academic dismissal or recession and impact on status
If you are in the U.S. and have been dismissed or recessed from WSU for the spring 2024 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 all your classes (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 and 3 p.m.
- Academic integrity and plagiarism: Why is it important?
At Washington State University, violations of academic integrity such as plagiarism, unauthorized assistance, and fabrication are taken seriously. Taking part in acts of academic dishonesty can lead to permanent expulsion from WSU, so you must be aware of what academic dishonesty means and how to avoid it.
If you are expelled from WSU, you will need to return to your home country immediately or find another school to transfer to where you can finish your degree. It is important you take this seriously.
For more information please visit the Center for Community Standards website.
- Be aware of weather alerts
This time of the year the weather changes rapidly and is extremely cold. With wind gusts it may become unsafe to walk outside for long times. So, it’s important to bundle up with winter-appropriate gear and stay inside as much as possible.
Also, please make sure to sign up for WSU alerts and possible class cancellation notifications due to inclement weather.
If your sponsor is requesting that the WSU insurance premium be removed from your student account, please be advised Cougar Health Services can process such requests by the 13th day of classes each term. Plan to make the request timely, if you need to.
- All students must comply with the University’s EP43 policy
To enroll for summer or fall terms later this spring/summer, all students must comply with the EP43 policy on vaccinations. Please make yourself familiar with this policy and vaccines required and contact Cougar Health Services with any questions or concerns at Cougarhealth.immunizations@wsu.edu.”
- Tax information: Coming soon!
More information about U.S. federal taxes will be available soon. ISSS will offer free access to tax software called Sprintax.
Remember to save any Form W-2, Form 1042-S, Form 1099-INT, etc., you may receive, as you will need these documents to file your tax return. Learn more about U.S. taxes pertaining to international students.
Important: ISSS does not offer tax advice or information on tax treaties. Please consult a tax expert or use the chat function with Sprintax once it is available.
If you have any questions about the above announcement, 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 nitivia.jones@wsu.edu