Our advising staff is working to process all submitted applications. Please do not send follow-up messages regarding the status of your submission. Thanks for helping us to best serve you.
If you are a J-1 Exchange Visitor (in the Research Scholar, Professor, or Short-Term Scholar categories) or an H1-B Employee working at UMBC, please click on the links for more information. The services below are only for international students or questions about international students in F-1 or J-1 Student status.
If you are an International Student or have questions about an International Student, please use one only of the services below (Help Ticket, Walk-Ins, or Virtual Appointments):
Help Ticket
To submit a ticket, click below and select the options that apply to you. Please provide as much information as possible about your situation so we can best help you.
ISSS advisors respond to tickets during business hours in the order they are received. You should expect a response in five to seven business days.
If you need to send ISSS a message, please use a Help Ticket. Our office does not respond to emails. Thank you!
**Please do not send multiple messages that are the same. It will increase the time it takes us to respond to your message.**
Students on STEM OPT only:
- Need to update your employer information? Submit a STEM OPT Employment Update request
- Are you due for a validation report? Submit a STEM OPT Validation Report request
- For more information, review this page.
All requests should be submitted via the ISSS Portal. Please do not email or send the team a Help Ticket message with your employer details. Instead, use the request forms in the ISSS Portal. Thank you!
Walk-Ins
In person, no appointment needed. Students will be seen on a first come first serve basis. Each walk-in meeting is a maximum of 10 minutes. Please bring your campus ID with you. Wearing a face mask is recommended, but not required. Please visit UMBC’s COVID-19 Response page for more information.
What is a walk-in meeting for?
- If you need immediate assistance, you can visit our office to talk with an advisor for 10 minutes.
- If you need a travel signature.
- To pick up a SSN Letter, you can visit our office anytime during normal business hours.
Mondays: 10am – 12pm
Tuesdays: 1pm – 3pm
Wednesdays: 10am – 12pm
Virtual Appointments
If you are unable to come to campus, you can schedule a 15-minute appointment to speak with an advisor. Please cancel your appointment if you cannot attend so another student can book a slot.
Virtual appointments are available one week in advance. Please check back at the start of the next week if appointments are currently booked.
Mondays: 10am – 12pm
Tuesdays: 1pm – 3pm
Wednesdays: 1pm – 3pm
Important Newsletters
The ISSS office regularly sends out newsletters about upcoming events, updates, and news. You can see a list of past newsletters here:
04/19/2024 Summer Travel Reminders
03/15/2024 Spring Break Reminders
01/17/2024 Spring 2024 Reminders
12/07/2023 ISSS Holiday Cookies
10/26/2023 Upcoming Fall 2023 Events
09/19/2023 Xtreme OPT Workshop