ISSS News

Effective Monday, August 21, 2023, the On-Campus Work Authorization Letter Request process will end and a new process is implemented. Students who currently hold a Social Security Number for Work Only do not need to complete this process.If the department or on-campus employerst or Human Resources only needs to verify the student's visa status, students would use an e-form called F-1 Status Verification for On-Campus Employment found in UAtlas. The student needs to provide a regular offer letter from the department/HR. The student will not receive a letter, but we will send a verification email to the student and their department/HR. ISSS will be replacing the On-Campus Work Authorization Letter with a new form, On-Campus Employment Offer Letter for Social Security Number Application Form for our international students starting August 21st. Students no longer need to provide an offer letter to the ISSS office. The form has been pre-approved by the Social Security Administration for use to obtain a Social Security Number (SSN). Students, departments, and on-campus employers are encouraged to review our new On-Campus Employment page to better understand the process. Below is a brief explanation of the process: A student downloads the form, or a department/HR downloads the form. This form is for new students or students who have never had a SSN. Department/HR fills out the top part of the form. Student Scans and submits the form through the ISSS Student Portal called UAtlas. Once ISSS reviews the form, the student will be notified to bring the original form to the ISSS office for a wet signature from any DSOs. If any questions arise, please reach out to an advisor at international@utah.edu, review our On-Campus Employment page, or come to walk-in advising.

The International Student and Scholar Services office will be offering "Virtual Walk-In Advising" for F-1 students in addition to In-Person Walk-In Advising. Every Friday, starting on August 04, 2023, virtual walk-in advising will be held from 9:00 AM (MST) to 11:00 AM (MST.) Students interested in meeting with an International Student Advisor/Designated School Offical virtually must follow the simple two-step instruction below:

This message is to inform all international students with an F-1 & J-1 visa status about the change to the number of online classes students can enroll during the academic year. The academic year consists of Fall, Spring and Summer (if summer is the student’s first semester in their program or their final semester.) I ask that you read the entire message as it is important and may require planning and working closely with academic advisors. On March 2020, the U.S. government issued a guidance allowing schools and students to engage in online classes more than what is allowed due to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. This allowance continued until the end of Summer 2023. On May 12, 2023, the U.S. government announced that it will no longer view COVID-19 as a Public Health Emergency and will end the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) guidance.

Effective today May 30, 2023, the Last Semester Notification e-form is no longer being used. The e-form was removed from UAtlas and the policy guides pertaining to "Last Semester Notifications" have also been removed. If you have submitted a Last Semester Notification and it is still in Pending Status, we will process your request.  In order to receive an OPT I-20, it is no longer a requirement to submit a Last Semester Notification. Friendly Reminder: Students in their last semester are required to maintain a full-course load. If it is not possible to maintain a full-course load in your last semester, we ask that you send an email to international@utah.edu. to Please understand that because the Last Semester Notification e-form is no longer available does not mean that the regulations are gone too, communicating to our office in a timely manner will be more effective than waiting last minute. 

There are many students who are exploring their options before making that final decision to declare their major and then you have others who are declared and ready to go. Terri Zitong Diao was part of the latter group, however, she has decided to switch her majors a few weeks into starting her first semester.