International Students Services FAQs
ISSS cannot guarantee turnaround times; however, we strive to complete each request in the order that it is received and within 15 business days and/or within government deadlines. Most requests are processed much sooner. Requests are generally processed in the order that they are received. We cannot expedite any request. Please note that although we cannot expedite requests, we do assess for urgency and already make decisions on processing priorities based on deadlines.
| How can I avoid processing delays:
Requests are a student-driven process. The time it takes our advisors to process a request will depend on several factors including: following directions with initial submission, submitting adequate and sufficient documentation, the total number of individuals in our processing queue, advisor availability, and whether there is need for government agency consultation/procedure dependent upon your particular circumstance. Immediacy should not be expected, but we process all requests without unnecessary delay.
| Can you review my request info/documents before I submit it to ISSS?
ISSS policy states that students should establish eligibility for an immigration benefit at the time they submit a request. ISSS does not provide pre-approval of requests or review documentation prior through e-mail or by appointment.
If a student does not adequately demonstrate initial eligibility for a request or fails to provide initial documentation, information, and/or evidence when submitting a request, ISSS will reach out to the student and/or advisor via their WVU e-mail address and request clarification or further documentation. It will not be outright denied without explanation or without attempt to gather additional details or evidence first.
ISSS instructions in all requests specify all initial, required documentation needed for processing. It is the student’s responsibility to demonstrate eligibility and meet or exceed all initial evidence needed for ISSS processing. Since this is a student-driven process, failure to submit initial documentation or information in directions will cause delays.
When in doubt, any additional, clarifying documentation should be provided in the request to avoid such delays. Students should not submit their request to ISSS until they feel confident they have met, at minimum, the initial documentation and information needed to the satisfaction of stated directions and/or in accordance with U.S. regulations that govern F-1/J-1 status. Clarification or questions regarding any directions, information needed, or documentation required to process a request may be directed to isss-students@mail.wvu.edu, but a formal review of the request will only take place once the request has been fully submitted.
| When I call your office, why am I directed to e-mail?
Our advisors continually are assisting students and logged into SEVIS. While they work, answering a call could disrupt procedures for completing a task leading to errors. Systems that our advisors use automatically log users out after a short period away leading to work and information not being saved.| When will a receive a reply to my e-mail?
We review all email messages each business day, however replies may take up to 3 business days due to the volume of emails and requests we receive daily. Responses may take longer if research is needed, however, most e-mail is answered much sooner.
Certain requests may take longer than expected for research or further inquiry to government agencies. If you have concerns or have not received an update about a request by the 10-15th business day or have not received a reply to your e-mail after the 3rd business day, feel free to email us at isss-students@mail.wvu.edu to check on the status of an e-mail or request.
| How do I make a request or can I find out more information about the status of my request?
Most requests can be made through your International Student Services Portal. You can visit the “Requests and Documents” Section once logged in to make a request, check the status of a request, or review any messages from our team.
You may log back into your International Student Services Portal at any time to check on the status of your application. Within the International Student Services Portal, under the “Requests and Documents" tab, you will find sections for both “Ongoing Requests” (open) that you have started/submitted and “Completed Requests” (closed).
Request Status Meaning
- Submitted: A “submitted” status means that your request is in queue to be reviewed for processing. Please be sure to watch MIX email for questions and/or updates concerning your request.
- Pending or Draft: These statuses mean that you have not submitted your request to our office and your request is not in queue for processing.
- Request Clarification: This status means that we have emailed you as we are either missing information or need further documentation to complete your request. Once you have made any necessary changes to your request, you must re-submit the request to re-enter the queue for processing.
- Approver Review: This status means that your request requires additional information from an approver (typically your academic advisor). Until your academic advisor completes their portion of the request, it will remain in this status and will not be in queue for processing. Any questions about the status of your request should be directed to the academic advisor you sent it to.
- Completed: This status means that you should have already received an email update (where applicable) about your request being completed.
- Dismissed: This status means that we either received duplicate requests or we were unable to complete the request. You should have received an email update (where applicable) about your request being dismissed.
| How can I make an advising appointment?
We cannot hold immediate requests for appointments nor can we advise over the phone. However, an e-mail to our office at isss-students@mail.wvu.edu first will connect you with an advisor in our office who will assess your issue and provide accurate guidance. In your e-mail, please provide:
- a concise explanation of the issue
- all relevant/related questions you may have about the issue
- Full Name and WVU student ID # (if known)
An International Student Advisor will review your e-mail, conduct any necessary research, review your record(s), include any individuals who may also need to be aware, coordinate a response, and follow up generally within 1-3 business days with a detailed answer that you may refer to. If still needed, we will work with you to schedule an appointment.
| Why does ISSS not have immediate walk in or phone advising? Why do I need to e-mail first?
- ISSS receives a high volume of requests.
- There is a queue that must be established.
- We must first review all issues efficiently and assess for urgency.
- We need to route the issue to the appropriate advisor.
- We need to consult with experts or government agencies before responding.
- We need to ensure complete and accurate advice is given.
- We must documents the conversation for future reference/record keeping requirements.
- E-mail provides the student with a record of advising and accurate guidance to refer back to.
- The record of initial advising becomes the basis for a future appointment if needed.
We strive to respond to all e-mail within 3 business days. We review all e-mail the day it is received.
| I’m a sponsored student, who can I contact?
For sponsored student-related questions, please email the Office of Sponsored Students at sponsoredstudents@mail.wvu.edu.
| Is there any other place I can find information?
Absolutely! We update our ISSS website frequently. Please be sure to check under the student tab above for more information or for resources outlining policy, regulations, and directions for any specific immigration benefit.