Appointments 

Other than a limited number of topics and processes handled during Walk-in times (see list below), OIS advisors meet with students and scholars during scheduled appointments. This is to reduce waiting time, to provide ample time and confidentiality for advising sessions, and to manage the busy schedules of the advisors. If you will be a few minutes late to your appointment or need to reschedule your appointment, please call the office as soon as possible, so another student or scholar can be scheduled for that time. If you arrive too late to conclude your business during your scheduled time slot, your appointment may be cancelled so the next person may be helped. Please bring all necessary documents with you to your appointment – it may be helpful to write down your questions ahead of time. Different OIS advisors focus on different processes and customers, so you may not be able to see a particular advisor if that advisor’s schedule is busy or another advisor is responsible for the process or issue that concerns you. Please arrive a few minutes early and sign in at the front desk – if you find yourself waiting more than ten minutes after your scheduled appointment, please inform the receptionist. There are magazines, books, a computer kiosk, children’s toys, music, etc., to occupy you if you arrive early or if an OIS advisor is running a few minutes late with another appointment. If you find yourself waiting for ten minutes or more after checking in for a scheduled appointment, please let the Receptionist know – another advisor may be able to assist you if the first advisor is detained with another person. Please turn off your cell phone or pager while you are in OIS.

 

All appointments and any OIS scheduled events will be considered cancelled if the University closes for any reason, there is a fire-drill in the building, or if the media announces that the Wake County Public School System cancels classes due to adverse weather or other emergency. Please call the office to confirm your appointment if we encounter adverse weather. The office may be open, but the safety of our staff and customers comes first.

 

Please call the OIS office at 515-2961 to schedule or re-schedule an appointment (appointments are not made via email).

 

Walk-in Advising

Walk-in advising service is offered every afternoon from 2:00 to 3:00 PM. For certain simple processes and advising topics, students and scholars can speak with an OIS advisor without an appointment (although you may have to wait a while if there are many people ahead of you –you cannot request a particular advisor, we all rotate). For certain processes or confidential advising sessions, a student may be asked to schedule a follow-up appointment and certain processes which take longer will not be offered during these times. Many of the questions international students and scholars need answers to require more than just a few minutes to answer. The reason for this is that in the immigration world, there are few questions that can simply be answered with a simple yes or no. Most of our answers are prefaced with “It depends,…” and we generally have to ask several other questions or review circumstances of a student’s situation before we can give a helpful and accurate answer. Please do not be offended if we respond to your “I have a quick question about XYZ,” with, “Please make an appointment to discuss this with an advisor.” We do not want to give an inaccurate response if we are not familiar with the larger context. Also because students and scholars may have spoken with more than one OIS advisor, it is critical that we review what else has been said or done for a particular student. When you arrive at OIS during a walk-in time, please sign in and complete a Walk-in Sheet at the front desk, return it to the receptionist, and have a seat in the reception room. While children are welcome and encouraged to accompany you during a scheduled appointment, it may be crowded and noisy during walk-in hours. Please do not come to OIS as a walk-in outside the posted walk-in hours or ask to speak with an OIS advisor outside a scheduled appointment.

 

Walk-in Topics	Topics that require an appointment
·         travel signatures ·         obtaining visas ·         on-campus employment ·         program extension ·         changing major or degree level ·         admissions inquiries and applications ·         visa documents for family members ·         full-time enrollment ·         reduced course-loads questions	·         employment violations ·         re-instatement to lawful status ·         change of status ·         withdrawals ·         leaves of absence ·         J-1 scholar & spouse check-in ·         off-campus employment (CPT, OPT, AT) ·         transfer in or transfer out ·         advising of a personal nature

 

Phone: (919) 515-2961

We apologize in advance if you are not able to speak with an advisor over the phone or get through to someone who can help you. OIS receives hundreds of phone calls each day and even with several roll-over lines and a dedicated receptionist, you might be sent to voicemail. If all of our lines are busy with other callers and you decide to leave a voicemail message, please speak slowly and clearly, spell your name, and leave your message. We oftentimes cannot return messages if we cannot understand a person’s name or phone number. We also cannot return international or long-distance phone calls, so we recommend and request that you send us an email rather than leave a phone message. If you have an immigration emergency (for health emergencies, please call 911) and need to get in touch with an OIS advisor outside of business hours, please call Campus Police at 513-3333 – they know how to get in touch with us when the office is closed. (Please call the police if is a true emergency – not if you forgot to get your documents signed for travel or other issues they cannot help you with.)

 

Mail 

Campus Mail:

OIS, Box 7222, NC State University Campus

 

US Postal Mail:

            OIS, NC State University, Box 7222, Raleigh, NC 27695-7222

 

Express Mail (and package delivery):

OIS, NC State University

320 Daniels Hall, 111 Lampe Drive (corner of Stinson Dr)

Raleigh, NC 27695-7222

 

Fax  

If you need to fax something to OIS, you may fax it to (919) 515-1402. Please be sure to include your name (and page number) on each page. It is helpful if you also indicate to whom the fax should be directed as well as the topic or process it concerns. If we cannot read the fax or if it is incomplete or if we cannot tell to whom the fax relates, we cannot spend time investigating its source and sender. Faxed financial documents (bank letters, etc.,) for students or applicants are not accepted – we must receive original financial documentation in order to certify information to SEVIS and to issue SEVIS documents. Please do not have friends or relatives send you personal faxes in care of our office – you can use the fax services at a business center near campus.

 

Forms Drop-off & Pick-up

Students, staff, and faculty may drop off certain forms or requests anytime, but other forms cannot be processed outside of an appointment with an advisor. Please hand the forms to the receptionist, who will date stamp the form, log it into a spreadsheet, and put it into an advisor’s mailbox for processing. If the form is incomplete, it will not be processed – you will receive an email about what is missing. If you have been contacted by phone or email to come to the office to pick-up a form or document, please tell the receptionist your name, which advisor contacted you, and if you were given a follow-up form. Please do not drop off your passport, money, or loose photos and certificates that may become lost or disassociated with a file.

 

Students and scholars who must mail forms (e.g., OPT, Change of Status, etc.), to USCIS or SEVP are strongly encouraged to write their return address on the forms very clearly and to arrange their own secure express mailing/posting. While we are willing to mail applications for students and scholars if you do not have a good address, there are only a few types of petitions that must be mailed by or returned to OIS. It is imperative, however, that any approvals or correspondence received from USCIS be brought to OIS for copying purposes. Unfortunately, OIS cannot bear the cost of express mail charges or certified, return receipt request posts. OIS also cannot be held responsible for lost, late, or misdirected mail. Please discuss with the OIS advisor how you will mail your petition – this way, you can choose the level of services and arrange for a receipt of delivery.  

 

Forms Processing

There are many types of forms that OIS advisors are required to process and many forms require some case review, analysis, look-up, data-entry, photocopying, reviewing, and sometimes overnight “batching” up to the SEVIS system. Unusual issues may need to be discussed with the Director or Associate Director. This means that most processes (like CPT, OPT, Change in Level, Change of Major, Program Extension, Adding Dependents, etc.,) are not done “on the spot” or “while you wait.” We are committed to timely processing, accuracy, professionalism, and courteous service. Please review your documents when you receive them and let us know if you see any errors or have any questions. Please allow five days for processing forms once an OIS advisor has received and reviewed them.  We will try to process all forms as quickly as possible and let you know when they are ready for pick-up, but we cannot promise next day service given our workload. Please do not call or email OIS or an OIS advisor to inquire if your forms are complete until five days have passed. We will contact you as soon as they are ready.

 

Feedback

Do you have any comments, suggestions, complaints, or compliments you’d like to share with the OIS Director? Please visit our Online Comment Submission page to let us know if you have a problem or idea. The information you enter on this form will be sent directly to the OIS director and you will get a response within two days. Please do not use this form to ask general immigration questions or to inquire about a particular process – it is used to offer personal communication about how we can improve our programs and better serve you.

 

Office Hours

OIS is generally open from 8 until 5 every business day, unless the University is closed. Most advising and immigration forms processing are done an appointment system only, but we do offer walk-in advising for casual questions from 2 to 3 in the afternoon. 

 

Directions and Parking

We are located on the third floor of Daniels Hall (Suite 320) on the main (old or North) campus (Building #38 on the North Campus Map). From the Southwest corner of the building (at the intersection of Lampe and Stinson Drives across from Riddick and Burlington), we are one flight up the stairs and immediately on the right. There are two passenger elevators for those who are not able to easily climb stairs.

 

Parking near the building is restricted to those with a “B” staff/faculty parking permit and a gate card. Off-campus visitors should generally use a metered lot or a pay-lot (e.g., Coliseum Deck or Dan Allen Deck). For campus maps, parking maps and information, etc., it may be helpful to visit the NC State Transportation website.

 

Directions to OIS and NC State University

From Chapel Hill and Durham via I-40

Take I-40 East approximately 25 miles to Raleigh. At the I-40/Wade Avenue split, stay on I-40 to Gorman Street, exit 295. Turn left at the stoplight onto Gorman Street and follow it to the third traffic light. Turn right onto Avent Ferry Road. After approximately 1.5 miles, you pass straight through a traffic light at Western Boulevard and enter campus on Morel Drive. Turn right at the first light on campus onto Cates Ave. The Cates Avenue (“Coliseum”) Parking Deck is on your left a few blocks down. You can use a metered space, use the pay-lot, or you can get a parking permit at the Visitor Information Booth (continue on Cates to the end, then turn left onto Pullen and around the traffic circle to Stinson Drive for a parking permit.

From Fayetteville via US 401

Take US 401 to Raleigh. Then take I-40 West to Gorman Street, exit 295. Turn right at the stoplight onto Gorman Street and follow it to the second traffic light. Turn right onto Avent Ferry Road. Follow the Bold section above.

 

From Henderson via US 1

Take US 1 (which turns into Capital Boulevard) to downtown Raleigh. Turn right onto Edenton Street. Edenton Street merges with Hillsborough Street. Follow Hillsborough Street and then turn left at Pullen Road. Follow signs to the Visitor Information Booth on Stinson Drive (at the traffic circle) and then head to the Coliseum Deck by going back to the Pullen Drive circle, turning right and turning right again onto Dunn Avenue where you will see the Parking Deck.

 

From Rocky Mount via US 64

Take US 64 West towards Raleigh. US 64 West will merge with East I-440 (Inner Beltline). After approximately 7 miles, exit onto Gorman Street, exit 295. Turn right at the stoplight onto Gorman Street and follow it to the second traffic light. Turn right onto Avent Ferry Road. Follow the Bold section above.

 

 

Scheduled Events

All appointments and any OIS scheduled events will be considered cancelled if the University closes for any reason, if there is a fire-drill in the building, or if the media announces that the Wake County Public School System cancels classes due to adverse weather or other emergency. Please call the office to confirm your appointment if we encounter adverse weather.

 

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{Last Updated: 9/21/2007}