International Student and Scholar Services

International Student and Scholar Services serves the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's international community and campus units through advising, immigration services, programming, advocacy, and outreach.

The university welcomes more than 12,000 international students and almost 2,000 international scholars each year—consistently one of the largest international populations in higher education nationwide. To ensure these students the best experience possible while at the university, ISSS delivers a number of crucial services.

Core Services

Advising

ISSS offers one-on-one advising sessions to address specific situations. Appointments are available for students, scholars, staff, and faculty and their dependents.

Regulatory Compliance

ISSS is federally mandated to maintain and update student records and ensure all student and scholar information is up-to-date in the Student Exchange and Visitor Information System (SEVIS) system.

Status Processing

ISSS works with campus units to prepare J-1 and H-1B immigration documents for scholars, faculty, and staff. For eligible employees that departments wish to sponsor for permanent residence or O-1 visas, ISSS contracts with outside attorneys.

Programming

ISSS offers educational, cultural, and social programs throughout the year that enrich the experiences of international and domestic students, scholars, and families.

Outreach

ISSS collaborates with multiple campus units, U.S. government agencies, educational foundations, program sponsors and community organizations. These relationships allow us to provide enhanced services.

Resources

ISSS provides print and online publications designed to help navigate life on campus and in Champaign-Urbana. Visit the ISSS website for more information