Updates
Scholarship
The Tuition Merit Award is a one-time award available to undergraduate international students. Applications will be available online in February. For further information, click here.
Traveling on OPT
If you will be traveling outside the US while on Optional Practical Training, you MUST be able to prove that you have a job to return to. Also remember that the signature on your I-20 may not be more than 6 months old at the time of your re-entry to the US.
Travel for F-1 Students
Please go to the SEVIS website for complete information on Travel FAQ for F-1 Students.. Please remember to bring your I-20 to the OISS at least two weeks before you leave the US so that we can make sure your I-20 has been signed withing a year of your intended return to the US.
Travel for J-1 Students and Scholars
Please see What an Exchange Visitor can Expect and remember to bring your DS-2019 to the OISS at least two weeks before you leave the US so that we can make sure that your I-20 has been signed withing a year of your intended return to the US.
Social Security Regulations
The Social Security Administration recently published the final rules regarding new requirements for the application for Social Security numbers for all F-1 students effective October 13, 2004. Please click here to see the guidelines.
SEVIS Fee
If your initial I-20 was issued after September 1, 2004 and you will be entering the U.S. for the first time as an F-1student or J-1 Exchange Visitor, or applying for a change of status or reinstatement, you must pay the new SEVIS fee. F-1 Student guidelines are slightly different from J-1 Exchange Visitor guidelines. Please read them carefully and follow instructions. You will find complete details at the SEVIS FEE. website.
Interested in the International House ..Check out it’s website.
Visa Revalidation
There seems to be some confusion over the Department of State’s recent (07/04) announcement concerning visa revalidation. This pertains ONLY to those people who are in C, E, H, I, L, O or P visa status and want a new visa stamp in the passport. After July 16, 2004, these people will be required to return to their home country to get the visa stamp. Until now, they have been able to do that from within the U.S. If you are in F or J visa status, this does NOT affect you—you have always been required to leave the U.S. to get the visa stamp. This does not affect anyone changing status, nor anyone who wishes to extend their visa status
Tax Info
NAFSA has a new online resource which explains basic information about taxes in the U.S. There is one place we know of where international students may file their taxes online. For more complete information, please see the IRS website.
Are we reaching you?
All WVU international students and visiting scholars should be receiving our periodic informational email messages. These messages contain VERY IMPORTANT information for you. If you are not receiving these messages and your mailbox isn’t full (this causes messages to be denied delivery), please send an email to oiss@mail.wvu.edu and we will add you to our email list.
Applying for a West Virginia Driver's License or WV State ID?? Please click on the link.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
In order to best help you to maintain your visa status while you’re at WVU, we will check your file and make sure that the following documents are present and up-to-date, each time you (F-1 or J-1 visa-holder) come to our office:
- Contact Information Sheet including your emergency contact information
- Copies of all I-20’s/DS-2019’s EVER issued, VALID passport, visa, and I-94
- AR-11
- Signed F-1 Student Agreement and/or J-1 Student/Scholar Agreement
F-2 Visa Holders
Please remember that if you intend to enroll as a student, you need to apply for a change of status to F-1 as early as possible, in order to assure that you hold the correct visa status. You may attend classes ONLY after your change of status has been approved.
Travelling to Canada or Mexico?
If you are subject to Special Registration, please make sure that you go through a designated Point Of Departure (POD) when leaving the U.S. REMINDER: If you are from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria or North Korea, you MUST have a valid visa to re-enter the U.S., even from Canada & Mexico.
Registering for less than full time?
Use this form to request permission to register less than full-time BEFORE you fall below 9 credit/hours if you’re a graduate student, or 12 credit/hours if you’re an undergraduate student. If you register less-than-full-time during the Fall or Spring semester without permission, you are out of visa status and deportable.
Health insurance
All international students are required to have health insurance coverage. This policy has been effective since 1986. In order to protect our students from the unexpected expense of high medical bills due to illness or accident, THIS IS BEING ENFORCED.
NOTARIZATION
Apostille (Official Notarization Certification). Please click on the link.
Travelling?
- Two possible sources of ground transportation between the Pittsburgh airport and Morgantown, are the Mountain Line’s Gray Line and the Airport Limousine. The prices for Airport Limousine will be significantly reduced if you make reservations with a few friends.
- Before You Leave … permanently, please complete the graduate exit form, so we can process your SEVIS record appropriately to your future activity
- Special Registration (NSEERS) has changed several times since its inception on September 11, 2002. Currently, anyone from any country can be chosen at random for NSEERS when being processed through U.S. Customs at any border. Updated information will continue to be available here on our website, and here on the USCIS website.
NOTE The 30-day and one-year follow-ups for persons subject to Special Registration has been suspended. You do NOT need to go to the Pittsburgh USCIS office unless you have been notified individually that you are required to do so. However, you ARE required to use a designated port of departure when you leave the U.S. Here is the page with the list—it also tells you where to go for registration within the airport.
- WVU SARS & Travel Policy—yes, this still is in existence. We hope to never need it again!