Immigration Advising for International Students
The International Services team is happy to assist you with your F-1 and J-1 student immigration questions. If you cannot find the information you need on our website, please email us at ipo@uidaho.edu, schedule an appointment in SlateConnect My Success or submit a request through iVandal. Please allow a few business days to receive a response.
Advising Appointments
If you have many questions that will take longer than 15 minutes to discuss, please schedule your appointment in advance using SlateConnect My Success. If you have a scheduled visit and will be significantly late, please cancel and reschedule.
Walk-In Advising Hours
2-4 p.m. Monday through Friday at the International Programs Office (IPO). No appointment is necessary during walk-in advising hours. Students will be served on a first-come, first-served basis for appointments lasting fewer than 15 minutes. Please check in at the front desk kiosk when you arrive.
iVandal Requests
Most requests can be submitted online through the iVandal portal, where you can choose the appropriate request and follow provided instructions. Remember to click submit when you are finished. We will email your official student email when your request is completed. Please allow up to five business days for your request to be processed. Do not email or call us to let us know that you have submitted an online request, this will only slow down our processing times.
Some documents cannot be submitted or recieved in iVandal, including documents requiring original ink signatures. For these types of documents, you may collect forms in person 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, or you may select in iVandal to arrange for shipment to you via EShip Global.
It's important that you understand the tax requirement of your visa an international student or scholar in the U.S. You're legally required to file a tax return if you worked in the U.S. or received a stipend, grant or allowance. Even if you didn't work or receive income in the U.S. you're still legally obliged to file Form 8843 with the IRS.
University of Idaho has arranged free access to Sprintax to guide you through the process, prepare the necessary tax documents and even check if you're due a refund. Sprintax was used by over 125,000 international students and scholars last year, and the average federal refund received by those eligible was over $1,100.
To get started with Sprintax, look for an email from ipo@uidaho.edu to register and then follow the provided instructions. Complete the online questionnaire, enter your unique code provided in the email, and Sprintax will prepare your tax return. You must print, sign and mail your documents once you complete the preparation process in Sprintax.
If you did not receive tax information from ipo@uidaho.edu, please email us to request Sprintax information.
Please Note: IPO and U of I are NOT permitted to assist any students or scholars with any IRS tax form preparation or tax-related questions. The information provided is intended for your benefit. If you have any questions, please use the live chat function in Sprintax or refer to Sprintax YouTube videos.