ISS Lunch & Learn: Series for Campus Community

Spring 2024 Lunch & Learns

ISS Lunch & Learns for Campus Partners are back for the spring semester! Join us every fourth Thursday of the month for virtual presentations about important topics related to supporting international students.

2/12/24

12–1 p.m.

https://uwmadison.zoom.us/j/97280764959 or Webinar ID: 972 8076 4959 CPT: Learn more about the Curricular Practical Training (CPT) work authorization, what student’s responsibility is and how you can support this authorization as their career and academic advisors. We will explore specifically the CPT options, eligibility and an in depth look at the verification advisors are asked to complete.  
2/27/24

12–1 p.m.

https://uwmadison.zoom.us/j/94069486350 or Webinar ID:  940 6948 6350 New F-1/J-1 Students: At this Lunch & Learn you will learn about the journey of newly admitted students in obtaining their immigration document, including the responsibilities of admissions, the student, and the ISS Compliance Team. 
3/12/24

12–1 p.m.

https://uwmadison.zoom.us/j/91512044428 or Webinar ID: 915 1204 4428 Transitions Support for International Students: Join Allison Streckenbach, in exploring how the International Student Services (ISS) Transitions Coordinator helps international student transition to and from UW-Madison. We will review her job and all the programs and support she provides to international students and the ISS office over the course of the year!
4/9/24

12–1 p.m.

https://uwmadison.zoom.us/j/98607722395

or Webinar ID: 986 0772 2395

 

J-1 Academic Training: International Student Services (ISS) will be hosting a Lunch & Learn to discuss J-1 Academic Training and employment. This will be an informative session for any campus partners working with J-1 students to better understand verification requirements, timing and limitations of Academic Training. 

 

Spring 2024 Lunch & Learn Recordings

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Transitions Support for International Students (March 12, 2024)

New F/J Students (February 27, 2024)

Curricular Practical Training (February 12,2024)

Fall 2023 Lunch & Learn Recordings

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ISS Advising & Compliance Team Q&A- no recording available (December 7, 2023)

This final session was canceled. 3 questions were received before the scheduled Lunch & Learn and are answered below.

 1. If a student needs a program extension for one semester after a Spring term, do we approve it for the end of the next Fall semester since Summers are considered optional?

You are correct that per F1 immigration compliance summers are an optional semester. This could be a great conversation to have with your student- what are their goals, would they like to end in the summer or fall? Keeping in mind that if they complete their program in summer, there are different enrollment requirements.

If there is not an academic department standard that students must finish in the summer and the student is not interested in taking summer classes  then extending to Fall is absolutely fine.

The standard end date for student’s I-20s who are graduating in Fall 2024 is 12/26/2024

 2. Can you talk a little bit about what happens when a student is dropped from their F-1/J-1 status and how to resolve that?

Students can fall out of status in a number of ways; but the reason a student falls out of status,

 and how long they have been out of status can have an impact on their options for how to correct their status. 

J-1 and F-1 students have slightly different options for how they can correct their status with the federal government but all students start with the same step and they work very closely with ISS throughout the whole process. They start by having a meeting with either an ISS advisor (J-1 students would meet with Ally Opps)  or the ISS Assistant Director of Compliance (Barb Kluesner) and then complete the Correction of Status request in Terra Dotta. Often a correction of status results in a new I-20/DS-2019 so in the Terra Dotta request students are asked to send a verification to their academic advisor to answer some information about their expected graduation date and other academic program related questions.

If you are speaking with a student and they are not sure if they are in visa compliance, or a student is asking about a retroactive drop from classes please refer them to ISS to discuss the impacts of their visa status in more detail. 

If a student is academically dropped, ISS should be notified as soon as possible so we can contact the student to discuss the impact to their visa status and their options. If they are academically dropped, action must be taken on their I-20/DS-2019 as soon as possible.

 3. I’ve had a few PhD students go back to their home country to renew their F-1 visa during their program. What can students and graduate coordinators do to make this process go as smooth as possible?

ISS has a page on our website about visa renewals, we always encourage students to review our website and consider timing when applying to renew their visa. It is important to note that students may remain in the U.S. with an expired F/J visa, as long as their passport, I-20 (or EAD card) or DS-2019, and I-94 are valid and they are maintaining their visa status.

Visa appointment availability and method (whether or not an in-person appointment can be waived) varies by US Embassy and Consulate. ISS encourages students to plan ahead and give themselves extra time in case, after submitting their visa renewal request, the Embassy/Consulate takes additional time to review their information. This is called administrative processing. There are many reasons a student can be placed in administrative processing, including (but not limited to) country of origin and program of study. 

Academic advisors and students can develop a backup plan in case, for example, a visa renewal takes longer than expected over winter break and a student is unable to return to the US for spring semester. Depending on the situation, if the student is not able to return to the U.S. for the semester, they may not be able to keep their F/J visa status active. This does not prevent them from enrolling in online classes, but they will need to work with ISS when they are ready to return to the U.S.

Sometimes students will be asked to provide CVs or additional information about the professors they are working with or more information about research or a lab they are working in. This can vary on a case-by-case basis, but support from the department in helping the student gather the required information to then provide to the Embassy/Consulate official can help the visa renewal process move forward. 

Students who are stuck in administrative processing can also reach out to ISS for additional problem solving. It is important to point out that ISS does not control, nor has any influence on whether or not a student’s visa renewal request is approved.

Program Completion Options (November 16, 2023)

J-1 Student Interns (October 26, 2023)

Curricular Practical Training (October 19, 2023)

Enrollment Requirements & Reduced Course Load Options (August 17, 2023)

Spring 2023 Lunch & Learn Recordings

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Summer Enrollment Requirements (March 23, 2023)

Curricular Practical Training (February 23, 2023)

Academic Reduced Courseloads (January 26, 2023)

Additional Lunch & Learn Recordings

To access all previous Lunch & Learn recordings please visit the ISS Kaltura Page. Make sure to subscribe so you never miss a video!