Overview
The University of Washington hosts hundreds of faculty and other academic personnel from around the world each year. These individuals are collectively referred to as “international scholars.”
International scholars engage in a variety of teaching and research activities but are not enrolled as students at the UW or abroad. They hold a UW appointment and generally require a temporary, non-immigrant visa to enter the U.S.
International Scholars Operations (ISO) processes requests for visa sponsorship, provides training and guidance to UW academic units, and supports international scholars in compliance with their visas.
For questions about visas, including relevant academic appointments, contact the ISO team.
Campus departments that sponsor international scholars for visas undertake several obligations. These include, but are not limited to:
- Assigning the international scholar a UW appointment title that is appropriate for the intended activity
- Documenting that the scholar is fully qualified to participate in the proposed activity
- Completing visa sponsorship paperwork (UW J and UW H Visa Request Forms)
- Advising the scholar, before and after arrival in Seattle, of the services and facilities (e.g., housing, insurance, office or lab space) available
- Emailing acadvisa@uw.edu in advance of changes in the scholar’s start or end date, financial support, appointment title, percent of FTE, worksite location and the like
Visa-related news and announcements
USCIS Announces Changes to Standard for Adjustment of Status
May 22, 2026
On May 22, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it would start approving I-485 Applications to Adjust Status (the “green card” or “permanent residence” application) only in “extraordinary circumstances.” This policy could affect any University of Washington student or employee who has applied or will apply for permanent residence inside the U.S.; however,…
Upcoming changes to ISO visa processing fees effective July 1, 2026
May 1, 2026
We recognize that units across the University continue to navigate tight budgets and complex planning needs. With that in mind, we want to provide advance notice of upcoming changes to the International Scholars Operations (ISO) visa processing fees. These changes will take effect on July 1, 2026, and are based on updated cost analysis designed…
USCIS Expands Hold on Adjudications Related to Expanded December 2025 Entry Ban
January 8, 2026
Update: On April 30, USCIS updated its guidance on this processing hold to create an exception for medical physicians. ISO is tracking affected cases and reaching out to units and individuals involved. Please contact ISO with any questions. On January 1, US Citizenship and Immigration Services published internal guidance to (1) place a hold on…