Welcome, International Gauchos!
The staff of the Office of International Students & Scholars (OISS) is so excited to welcome you to UCSB! You are now part of the OISS family and campus community.
This page will introduce you to the OISS team, what services we offer, how to access those services, and how to submit requests.
We will also direct you to information about how to maintain a valid visa status, also known as staying in status. This is arguably one of the most important parts of CALI Training. It is your responsibility to understand the requirements for staying in status. After CALI Training is over, we operate under the assumption that all students know how to stay in status.
Please contact us at oiss@sa.ucsb.edu if you have any questions about the content on this page.
We wish you the best of luck as you begin your first quarter at UCSB!
OISS Student Services
The OISS Advising Team specializes in providing you with immigration support, and helping to make sure you understand how to maintain your status during your time at UCSB. We encourage you to use OISS as your central hub for immigration advice.
OISS Advisors
Click the sections below to expand.
OISS has a team of student advisors who will serve as your primary resource for immigration support. We are your immigration advisors, here to answer any questions you have about your visa status, federal immigration regulations, immigration documents (e.g. I-20, DS-2019, etc.), and things of that nature. You will notice there are several different types of advisors around campus — academic advisors, career counselors, tutors, and more. Just remember that OISS is your go-to place for immigration and visa support.
Assignments are based on the letter your family name begins with. Head over to this page to see who your advisor is. You may schedule an appointment with your assigned advisor or send them an email at their direct email address.
If you would like to meet with an OISS advisor, you have two options:
- Attend our Drop-In Advising sessions
- Schedule a one-on-one advising appointment
Drop-In Advising Sessions are the better option for students who have general questions that would only take 5 to 10 minutes to answer. No appointment is needed! OISS advisors rotate hosting drop-in sessions, so you may end up speaking to any of the advisors.
You can also schedule a one-on-one appointment with your assigned OISS advisor if you have questions that are more in-depth, cannot be answered quickly, and/or if you prefer to speak to someone in private. To schedule an appointment, visit our Student Advising page to find your advisor (assigned by your family/last name), and their scheduling link.
Our doors are open! If you need an immediate response to an urgent situation, please do not hesitate to come in or give us a call. In a past newsletter, we listed examples of what OISS considers to be urgent and time-sensitive.
We are open Monday through Friday from 10 am - 12 pm and 1 pm - 4 pm. Our office phone number is (805) 893-2929.
Submitting Requests
Submitting a request is easy!
OISS utilizes an online platform called UCSBGlobal, where you can submit, review, and track requests made to our office.
For more information on how to use UCSBGlobal, including helpful tutorials, visit our UCSBGlobal information page.
If you're not sure which e-form you need to submit, or how long it will take to get approved, check the Request Guide.
Staying in Status
All students are responsible for their own visa status. It is imperative that students understand the federal immigration regulations that apply to their visa type. OISS is happy to help you along the way - please never hesitate to ask us questions, especially about your visa status.
J-1 Department of State Incident Reporting
*Information for J-1 students only
The Department of State requires that UCSB monitor the health, welfare, and safety of our J-1 students, scholars, and their dependents. If you or a J-2 dependent experiences an "incident," you must notify OISS immediately. Our office will provide assistance and report the incident if necessary. Similarly, if OISS learns of an incident, then we are obligated to report them. It is important to note that OISS is not a confidential resource in that we do have reporting obligations. A confidential resource is one that will not share any details of your experience with anyone without your explicit consent.
Staying in Touch with OISS
Finally, we want encourage you to stay in touch with OISS in a variety of ways. This will help ensure that you are the first to find out about important news, updates, events and programs!
Here's how:
1. Read Your UCSB Email
OISS will always send required information and immigration alerts to your official UCSB email. You will be receiving a lot of emails from campus, but we ask that you never ignore emails from OISS. As your immigration advisors, we don't want you to miss critical information regarding your visa status.
2. Enjoy the OISS Monthly Newsletter
Don't miss our monthly newsletter for the International Gaucho community. It will be sent to your UCSB email, and will also be posted on the News & Announcements page.
3. Attend OISS Events!
Visit our Shoreline page often to see our upcoming events and programs.
4. Follow us on Social Media!
We invite you to follow our Instagram for updates and events!