Skip to main content

International Graduate Employee Support

Attorney Referral List

A list of attorneys and other resources for referral about immigration issues unrelated to an international graduate employee’s relationship with the University may be found here.

Tax Assistance

Learn more about your tax obligations as an international student or scholar—whether you have a job or other sources of income—and explore the various resources the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (OISS) has compiled to help you file correctly by visiting the Taxes section of the OISS website. This section also includes a schedule of OISS-sponsored tax workshops.

Permanent Residency Assistance

Learn more about pathways to permanent residency in workshops offered by the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (OISS). These workshops explore hot topics in immigration law, as well as immigrant visa processing trends, and options for permanent residence to live and work in the U.S. beyond OPT (F-1), J-1, and H-1B. Visit the Programming and Events section of the OISS website to learn more and view past recordings.

International Graduate Employee Support Fund

An International Graduate Employee Support Fund was implemented on September 1, 2024, per the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with NUGW-UE Local 1122 to ease the financial burden of visa-related expenses for graduate student employees on F-1 or J-1 visas and their dependents on University-sponsored F-2 or J-2 visas.

Per the CBA, Northwestern sets aside a certain dollar amount each year to reimburse eligible students for visa processing-related fees and associated expenses, including airfare and travel costs for visa renewals, up to $1,500 per academic year per eligible employee and their dependent(s) combined.

Reimbursements are limited to those covered in F-1 or J-1 status (F-2/J-2). This fund cannot be used to change from F-1 or J-1 to another visa status. In addition, it cannot be used for Optional Practical Training (OPT) application fees as it is not a visa renewal.

For the current fiscal year (September 1, 2024 - August 31, 2025), $300,000 has been allocated to the fund per Northwestern’s agreement with the union. Applications will be considered until these funds have been exhausted.

Eligibility:

To qualify for reimbursement, you must:

  • Be an international graduate student on an F-1 or J-1 visa;
  • Be a bargaining unit member at the time you apply for a reimbursement;
  • Apply to this fund within 18 months of incurring the visa processing-related fees and associated expenses for which reimbursement is sought, including airfare and travel costs for visa renewals, for yourself and/or a dependent on a University-sponsored F-2 or J-2 visa; and
  • Seek reimbursement only for expenses that have not been reimbursed and/or covered by any other source.

Application Process:

International graduate employees who meet the eligibility requirements may:

  1. Submit an application using the International Graduate Employee Support Fund Application Web-Portal and include the following documentation in a single PDF attachment:
    • Personal information (name, student ID, visa type, name(s) of any dependents and their visa types);
    • Proof of a visa appointment at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate;
    • Detailed breakdown of expenses with supporting documentation/itemized receipt(s);
    • If the currency on any receipts are not in U.S. dollars (USD), please convert them to USD by providing credit card statements or Oanda conversion print screens.
    • Ensure all expenses align with the University's Travel and Expense Policy;
    • Total amount requested (up to $1,500).
  2. The Office of International Student and Scholar Services (OISS) and The Graduate School will review your application and notify you of their decision via email typically within 20 days of submission.
  3. If approved, the email will contain a link to instructions on how to submit an expense report and a chartstring you will use in that process.
  4. You must submit an expense report in NUFinancials as soon as possible upon receiving approval, using the provided chartstring and including all relevant receipts and documentation. If you have a valid U.S.-based bank account established in myHR, payment will be deposited directly into your account.

If you have any questions about the support fund or application process, please email the Office of International Student and Scholar Services at intoff@northwestern.edu.

If you have any questions about the disbursement of funds, please email The Graduate School at tgs-fit@northwestern.edu.