Immigration Advising

Advising Services

We understand that maintaining your status in the US can be a source of anxiety for our international community. Our office works as a team to provide over 5,000 international students, dependents, and alumni (OPT/STEM OPT) effective services for their everyday immigration needs. The advantage of a team-approach is that it allows us to better balance convenience and expertise when making advisor assignments. Please review the information below to select a communication strategy that best fits your situation and needs.

• Processing Time Inquiries
• Online Resources
• Walk-Ins
• Appointments
• Email Assistance
• Phone Assistance
• Map & Directions

Processing Time Inquiries

If you have a question or concern about processing times, please review the E-Form Processing Times page here and follow the provided instructions for outreach.

Online Resources

The Cranwell International Center team alongside Student Affairs Communication are working to rebuild the website to offer more information and accessibility around common areas of concern:

• Being a new student
• Finding employment
• Shifting your academic situation
• Traveling
• Caring for dependents
• And identifying the critical information for life in the US.

Stay tuned to emails from international@vt.edu for updates on our progress!

Walk-Ins

Have a quick question for an Immigration Advisor? Walk-Ins are the easiest place to get a timely response. Advisors will take a few minutes with each student to provide one-on-one attention for their general concerns. These questions might be around CPT eligibility, start of semester defense exceptions, travel, and re-entry, OPT application processes, etc. If it is more complex, advisors will make sure to set up an appointment for additional follow-up.

Walk-Ins are available when classes are in session. Advisors utilize breaks to prioritize processing and training.

Current Schedule

Appointments

For some areas of concern, an appointment with an advisor is best because of the complexity of your situation. You may need an appointment for a particularly complicated issue, or because our walk-ins conflict with your schedule (class or work). During popular seasons for services, our team will also increase appointment availability and offer group advising workshops.

You will need to utilize Navigate to set up an appointment with the advisor who specializes in your area of concern. To use Navigate, first you must Login and then select an appointment with the Cranwell International Center. View a brief tutorial for scheduling academic advising appointments.

Appointments need to be booked at least a day in advance and no more than two weeks out. If you see no appointment availability, you can call the office to inquire about your options.

Email Assistance

Cranwell International Center receives high email volume, which means that email typically takes 3 to 4 business days for staff to respond given the competing demands of timely processing. Additionally, often further context is needed to clarify email inquiries, which generates multiple follow up emails to reach a correct and definitive answer. If time feels like a critical consideration to meet your needs, Walk-Ins may be a better method of outreach for you. The department email is international@vt.edu.

Phone Assistance

Our phone is monitored during business hours, but due to high call volumes, the office staff may be speaking with a student on the phone or in the office when you call. Please leave a message and the team will get back to you as soon as possible. The phone is not staffed by an international student advisor, so it will not be an option for immigration advising. Phone calls are best for the following:

• Questions around the services our team provides.
• Questions about what method of communication might be most fitting for your concern.
• Reporting an area of high concern or emergency.

Map & Directions: Blacksburg Campus

Map & Directions: D.C. Area Northern Virginia Center