Notice: Immigration Compliance and International Admissions and Services have merged to become International Student and Scholar Services (I3S).

  • I3S offers walk-in express advising, virtual, and in-person appointment services.

    I3S offers walk-in express advising, virtual, and in-person appointment services.

  • Optional Practical Training Workshops

    Optional Practical Training (OPT) workshops are offered monthly for F-1 students at Western Michigan University.

  • Everyone is #WelcomeAtWestern

    Help the Haenicke Institute for Global Education spread the message that everyone is #WelcomeAtWestern. Printable posters available!

Important notices

USCIS new fees and forms

3/14/2024 - Please be advised that effective April 1, 2024, the USCIS new fees and forms will be in effect.  The new fees also impact international students filing Forms I-765 and I-539.  The new USCIS fee schedule is found here along with Frequently Asked Questions:  

https://www.uscis.gov/forms/filing-fees/frequently-asked-questions-on-the-uscis-fee-rule

The new fee schedule sets lower fees for online filing where available.  For international students filing the I-765 for OPT/STEM the new fee will be $470 if online, or $520 if paper filing.  The new fee for Form I-539 for Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status will be $420 for online, or $470 for paper. 

Additionally, effective April 1, 2024, premium processing service will be counted based on business days, instead of calendar days, which will slightly increase processing times. 

For a full legal summary, please see:  USCIS Fee Rule Takes Effect April 1 with Significant Increases for Employment-Based Filings

Increased USCIS premium processing fees

2/26/2024 - As of February 26, 2024, the increased USCIS premium processing fees (for adjudication in 30 days) are now in effect.  The increased premium processing fees applicable to international students are now $1685 for Form I-765 for Optional Practical Training, and $1965 for Form I-539 for change of status and reinstatement. Premium processing service is optional and in addition to the application fee.

WMU WINTER CLOSURE FROM 12/22/2023 TO 01/02/2024

12/21/2023 - Please be advised that the university is closed for the winter break period December 21, 2023 at 5:00 pm and will reopen on January 3, 2024 at 8:00 a.m. 

EMERGENCY Information: 

For police, fire, or medical emergencies, call 911.     

If this is an immigration emergency after hours (such as a border or port of entry issue), please contact Kalamazoo County Consolidated Dispatch at (269) 488-8911 (ask to be directed to a WMU Public Safety officer).

To inquire about appointments and services when university reopens, please dial the service desk at (269) 387-5865.  Additionally, please see the information and services below.   

Below are some helpful resources by topic: 

ORIENTATION Information:  

If you are a new student and need orientation information, please visit:   

https://wmich.edu/internationaladmissions/orientation 

Please check out the orientation hub for relevant links, including frequently asked questions regarding: Housing, Academic Advising, Tuition, and Transportation. 

Talk to your peers in the Spring 2024 Orientation WhatsApp group. 

Registration for the in-person portion of International Student Orientation on January 5th is open! During this session, you will be welcomed to WMU, sign-up for courses, meet immigration advisors, meet new friends, and more! Please register ahead of time. We look forward to seeing you!   

If you need additional support, contact us at hige-orientation@wmich.edu

ADMISSIONS Information: 

For admissions information, visit: https://wmich.edu/internationaladmissions 

Important note on submitting admissions documents:  

We would like to advise you that all supporting documents for your application for admission must be uploaded in your application portal either at the time of applying or after you have submitted your application. If you have already submitted your application, you must log into your application portal and upload any missing documents. They include your transcripts, test scores, copy of passport, financial statement, and affidavit of support/sponsorship letter. Please do not upload documents that you have uploaded previously (as duplicate uploads may increase processing time).  

Documents uploaded while applying or after submitting the application will be shown as “received” only after an admissions counselor has completed the evaluation. You will not need to upload/send them again.  

Official transcripts.  Official transcripts are those sent to us directly by your previous school/university via mail or email. Electronic submission of transcripts directly from your previous institution is acceptable. Hand-carried transcripts will be accepted if in a sealed envelope from the institution, and the name of the institution must be printed on the envelope as well. Uploaded documents and the documents sent by the student cannot be accepted as official. 

Please visit our frequently asked questions: https://wmich.edu/internationaladmissions/faq and 

https://wmich.edu/internationaladmissions/apply 

IMMIGRATION Information:  

For general immigration information and to access all of our immigration forms, please visit our website at: https://wmich.edu/immigration 

HEALTH INSURANCE Information: 

For health insurance information please visit:  https://wmich.edu/internationaladmissions/resources/insurance 

ADVISING Directory: 

To determine which admissions, insurance, and immigration advisors to contact by area of assistance, please visit our directory: https://wmich.edu/internationaladmissions/resources/advising 

EXPRESS ADVISING:

When the university reopens you can come in for Express Advising daily Mondays through Fridays from 1:30 to 4:00 pm. except holidays. No appointment needed!

TERMINATION OF COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY

06/21/23 President Biden announced the termination of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Public Health Emergency, effective on May 11, 2023.  

The Student and Exchange Visitor Program's (SEVP) COVID-19 guidance is terminated as of May 11, 2023.

 International students will not be permitted to count online classes toward a full course of study in excess of the regulatory limits stated in 8 CFR 214.2(f)(6)(i)(G) and 8 CFR 214.2(m)(9)(v) for the 2023-24 academic year.  Reference: https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/students/study/full-course-of-stud 

ENROLLMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR FALL 2023 AND BEYOND

Academic students:

For international students enrolled in classes for credit or classroom hours, no more than the equivalent of one class or three credits per session, term, semester, trimester, or quarter may be counted toward the full course of study requirement if the class is taken on-line or through distance education.

Courses that are coded as Hybrid in the WMU course catalog which require the student's physical attendance for classes, examination or other purposes integral to completion of the class, are not deemed “online” and will be counted toward status.

CELCIS - English as a Second Language students: 

If the student's course of study is in a language study program, then no on-line or distance education classes count toward the full course of study requirement.

For questions, please inquire with International Student and Scholar Services (I3S) by calling (269) 387-5865 or emailing oiss-info@wmich.edu.

 

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