About

International Student and Scholar Services (formerly Immigration Compliance and International Admissions and Services) is a unit within Western Michigan University's Diether H. Haenicke Institute of Global Education that offers comprehensive immigration advising and services to WMU international academic students, visiting scholars, foreign-national faculty and staff, and their WMU hosting or sponsoring departments. International Student and Scholar Services is located on the third floor of the Faunce Student Services building.

WMU is certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program to enroll nonimmigrant F-1 Students. WMU is also a designated program participant of the U.S. Department of State Exchange Visitor program to sponsor J-1 Exchange Visitors (J-1 Students and J-1 Scholars).

This website provides the basic information pertaining to federal immigration regulations affecting your immigration status and the applicable forms in a printable format. Because of the complexity of immigration regulations, please consult with an immigration advisor well in advance of any immigration action.

The immigration advisors keep abreast of changing U.S. immigration regulations to help students and scholars maintain legal status and to take advantage of various immigration benefits available, such as various types of employment authorization, reinstatement of status after a violation, reduced course load authorizations for medical or academic difficulty, program extensions and transfers, and change of status petitions. It is the responsibility of the students and scholars to maintain lawful immigration status while in the United States.

Additionally, International Student and Scholar Services provides immigration support to the sponsoring departments at WMU by handling all H-1B Temporary Worker petitions and coordinating applications for employment-based permanent residency for WMU faculty and staff. International Student and Scholar Services provides advice and visa assistance to academic departments seeking to bring international visiting research scholars and professors to campus.

To provide effective service to WMU students, scholars and faculty, immigration advisors offer walk-in advising hours on a regular basis as well as scheduled appointments and workshops.

International Student and Scholar Services and the Haenicke Institute are here to assist you; please do not hesitate to contact us.