About > International Programs Posts > Immigration Advisory > Oct. 14, 2022 Immigration Advisory

Oct. 14, 2022 Immigration Advisory

Please read this information as a guide to help you with your studies and to maintain valid immigration status. The information below applies to all international students, at all campuses.

Contents 

  1. Survey: Your opinion matters to us!
  2. Important insurance information for graduate students  
  3. Keep your old I-20s and/or DS-2019s
  4. Get ready for spring! How to avoid registration delays 
  1. Survey: Your opinion matters to us! 

International Student and Scholar Services in International Programs is 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 than Friday, Dec. 2.   

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

  1. Important insurance information for graduate students 

Here are a few questions that Cougar Health Services receives often from graduate students. These questions and answers are important, and you should be aware of them. 

a) Why have I been automatically enrolled in insurance coverage? 

Per WSU Policy, all students on an F-1 or J-1 visa are required to have coverage through WSU; they are automatically enrolled in coverage and the premium is the student’s responsibility. The only students who may be exempt from the coverage are: 

  • Sponsored students who are provided a U.S. insurance policy provided by their home country 
  • Students enrolled in a medical insurance plan sponsored by a United States employer, by themselves, or by a family member (parent, spouse/partner) 
  • Students enrolled at WSU but conducting research outside the United States 

If a student is offered an assistantship, they receive the medical and dental coverage as a benefit with their assistantship and the premium is covered by your department. 

If you lose or discontinue your assistantship and remain enrolled in 1 or more credits, you will lose coverage provided by your department. You will be required to have international student insurance and will be responsible for the premium.   

b) Are the premiums for insurance billed with my tuition? 

The premiums are billed to your myWSU account, but billing will be later than your tuition.  

Premiums are posted to your myWSU account about 2-3 weeks after classes start. This delay provides departments with time to offer students assistantships and get them enrolled. 

c) Do I have dental insurance? 

International student insurance (iSHIP) – No, you do not have dental coverage through United Healthcare. 

Graduate student on assistantship – Yes, you have coverage with Delta Dental, deltadentalwa.com. 

d) Places to find information about the international student & graduate student insurance 

e) Who to contact with questions about your medical insurance 

  • Cougar Health Services Billing and Insurance office: 509-335-3575, option 3 
  • United Healthcare Student Resources: 1-800-767-0700 

f) How to find a contracted provider with United Healthcare Student Resources   

cougarhealth.wsu.edu/media/vy3ha5bo/united-healthcare-find-provider-instructions (pdf) 

(All Providers at Cougar Health Services are contracted with United Healthcare Student Resources) 

  1. Keep your old I-20s and/or DS-2019s 

Every year our office receives many requests from former students asking for old I-20s and DS-2019s. They need these as they are applying for H-1B visas, Green Cards, or naturalization, as the U.S. government wants to see ALL old immigration documents when submitting such petitions.  

Please note that keeping old immigration documents (former I-20s, DS-2019s, EADs, etc.) is the student’s responsibility. There is no guarantee that WSU will have these documents when you contact us, so plan ahead and DO NOT THROW THEM AWAY.  

  1. Get ready for spring! How to avoid registration delays 

Priority registration for spring 2023 begins Nov. 7, 2022. Start now to make sure you do not have any holds that will keep you from registering early! Check out this useful information from the registrar’s office: registrar.wsu.edu/media/756512/prevent-registration-delays (pdf)   

See a hold, but do not know who to contact about it? Here’s a handy list to help you out: registrar.wsu.edu/registration-holds/ 

If you have any questions about the above announcements, please contact International Student and Scholar Services.