Welcome to our new international faculty and staff, and welcome back to those of you returning from Winter Break!

We hope you have a fulfilling and healthy year. As you settle into the Spring 2025 semester, please remember ISS is here to help you maintain your immigration status as well as provide services and programming during your time on campus.

As always, we'll send a monthly newsletter with important visa related details and reminders to you (and your supervisor) to make sure you are appropriately up to date on appropriate information. We appreciate you taking the time to read our messages and look forward to supporting you.

If you haven’t already, consider registering for this webinar.  Details and the link to register are below.

"ISS Immigration Forum: Preparing for the Change in Federal Administration" on the possible immigration changes coming with the changes in federal administration. 

Thursday - January 16, 2024

12:30 PM - 1:30 ET

Webinar will be on Zoom 

This presentation will be presented by Barbara W. Kihumba who is Senior Counsel at Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete LLP, and the Director of the Center for Immigration Services and Support (ISS), Nathanial Lynch.

Sign Up for Webinar

Please know that ISS is here to offer you the best guidance we can to ensure you have the most up-to-date information to make the best decisions for yourself. We're aware some of these immigration changes and uncertainties can be difficult. You can expect to receive more messages from ISS as things develop, and as more information is released and other decisions are implemented. Make sure you are communicating with our office and email iss@wfu.edu with any questions you have regarding your visa status. We also encourage you to take advantage of other campus resources that are available to you if needed.

Ombuds Office

The University Ombuds Office provides a safe space where WFU staff, faculty, and administrators can talk in confidence about any campus issue, problem or dispute. The Ombuds office supplements, but does not replace, the University’s formal channels for dispute resolution. Contact them as a first step, or as a last resort, or anywhere along the way. Come and share your concerns, evaluate your situation, and plan your next step—if you want to take a next step.

Use of their services is voluntary and free. Visitors will find our office a safe place to discuss their concerns, no matter how large or small.

Have you recently returned from international travel? Please be sure to check your I-94 record after you have returned to the US. Your I-94 record governs your period of authorized stay in the country. The earlier an I-94 issue is identified, the easier it is to correct. 

CBP can only admit foreign nationals until the earlier of either their passport expiration dates or their I-797 approval validity period. Please make sure to check your, and your family members’ CBP I-94 records each time you enter the US, to avoid potential issues.

DID YOU KNOW that some nonimmigrant employment statuses require a new filing with the USCIS before any material change in employment can occur? This can include changing positions within WFU. When an employment-based petition is approved on behalf of a sponsored worker, it permits them to work in the specific position identified in the petition, performing the identified duties, at the identified worksite(s), and under the specific conditions outlined in the petition. 

Any changes to the conditions of a sponsored employee’s employment (moving from full-time to part-time, reclassification, new job, new department, new/additional worksite, salary, etc.) MUST be shared with ISS before the change takes place. Failure to appropriately notify the government of employment changes could result in serious consequences for both WFU and the sponsored employee.

Preparing for Tax Season

Every year, you have to file a tax return with the federal government and the North Carolina state government. A tax return is a report to the government showing how much you earned, how much you were taxed, and how much you should have been taxed during the previous year. ISS recommends working with a professional service such as H&R Block or other nationally recognized company to assist in filing your taxes. This IRS link provides details on enrolled agents and CPAs that can assist you.

For any questions regarding your WFU W-2, please contact Payroll by email at payroll@wfu.edu.

Established 17 years ago, the Workshop on Intercultural Skills Enhancement (WISE) has grown into an internationally recognized conference for staff and faculty to develop the knowledge and skills needed to help students advance their intercultural capacity and awareness. Faculty and staff can attend for free. Registration is required. See more details here.

Looking to explore the city of Winston-Salem outside of the Wake Forest campus?

Explore the VisitWinstonSalem website for some ideas.