F-1 students are allowed to work on-campus up to 20 hours per week while school is in session, and may work full time during school vacations and breaks.  Of course, if you have not been maintaining valid F-1 Status, you will not be eligible for this benefit.  For more information, please see an ISSA advisor.

If you have been offered an on-campus job, you may start working without a social security number but, yes, you should immediately apply for a Social Security Number (SSN).

SSN is used to report your wages to the U.S. government and to determine eligibility for Social Security benefits. SSN may be assigned to foreign national who are authorized to work in the United States.

Please come to ISSA to request a status verification letter from us. Then, please visit the nearest Social Security Administration Office with the following:

• Passport
• Form I-20 or DS-2019
• Form I-94
• A letter of employment
• ISSA status verification letter

The nearest SSA office from WMU is located at 317 South Drake, (269) 381-2313.

We recommend that you arrive 1-2 days prior to the start of orientation so that you can rest and recover from travel fatigue. Please remember that many University offices close between academic terms and will not open until orientation begins. Arriving too early and expecting to take care of business prior to orientation is not always possible.

Yes! The International Student Orientation and Registration Program (ISORP) is required for all newly admitted WMU international students. ISORP is a comprehensive program which helps students adjust to the University, find housing, take care of banking and identification cards, meet with academic advisors, and learn about WMU policies. All students will be billed for ISORP.

Please refer to this WMU map http://www.wmich.edu/admi/maps.html

Due to the large number of students arriving each semester, it is NOT possible for OISS staff to meet each new student at the airport. We recommend that you contact a representative from one of WMU's international student organizations. They can usually assist you. For more information, visit the student organization section of the OISS web sit

The majority of WMU's international students obtain and enter the U.S. with an F-1 visa. WMU also has students in J-1 immigration status, who are sponsored by their governments or other organizations.

Yes, WMU maintains campus apartments for students. Some WMU students choose to live off-campus in privately owned apartments. There are also residence halls for students. As an alternative to apartment/residence hall living, homestay programs are available for a modest fee. All these housing options are described in detail at http://www.wmich.edu/oiss/isorpinfo.html#housing

For newly admitted international students, the only financial aid available is in the form of graduate assistantships (Teaching or Research Assistant). Students must contact the graduate department of their choice to inquire about assistantship availability. Department contact information is available at www.wmich.edu/oiss/gradadvisors.htm. Once the availability is confirmed, download the graduate assistantship application from www.wmich.edu/grad/funding/

You can check your admission status  via WWW (recommended), E-Mail, Fax, and letter. Inquiries should be directed to the OISS and the designated advisor, if known. Admission inquiries are answered in the order in which they are received, so please allow up to a week for a response. NOTE: Please be sure to allow adequate time for your application and documents to reach the OISS before inquiring about your admission status.

All international students (graduate and undergraduate) can either apply online or fill out an international student application form. For online application, required transcripts and test scores must be attached and the entire application package should be sent to the OISS.

Once an application package is received, the OISS makes an initial admission review within three business days. At this point, you will be notified of your admission, denial, or in the case of an incomplete application, which documents are missing. This notification is done by mail, so please consider postage time when waiting for our response. Note for graduate students: After initial screening in the OISS, your application is sent to the academic department for faculty approval. This step may add additional 8 to 12 weeks or longer to the graduate application process. All official admission letters and immigration documents for undergraduate and graduate students are issued by the OISS. For details, go to the Admissions page.