Announcements & Updates

International Student Services will use this page to share important announcements and updates about topics impacting international students and exchange visitors. Topics may include updates from U.S. government agencies, reminders about F-1 and J-1 visa regulations, and announcements about PLU resources and services. In most cases, the content on this page will be copied from emails sent to the PLU international student population.

Questions about the information on this page can be emailed to iss@plu.edu.

Email Subject:  Knack Tutoring
Sent Date: 
January 16, 2025
From: 
Heather Jacobson

Hello, everyone,

I’ve had several students ask me if it’s possible for international students to sign up to be tutors on Knack. This is a good question to ask given that the hiring process is quite different and the work primarily takes place through an online platform. When PLU first started using Knack last academic year, International Student Services, Payroll and Student Employment reviewed policies and procedures to arrive at the following responses to common questions you might have about being a Knack tutor.

  • Does being a tutor on Knack qualify as an on-campus position?  Yes, the Knack tutoring position qualifies as allowable campus employment for international students because it is providing a direct service exclusively to PLU students.
  • Can I apply for a Social Security Number (SSN) once I am hired as a Knack tutor?  Unfortunately, no. PLU cannot issue the employment verification letter needed for the SSN application because Knack is the one who pays the student tutors. However, Knack says on their website here that they cannot issue letters of employment either. What this means is that the Knack tutoring position cannot be an international student’s first job in the U.S.  If you are hired for another campus job and apply for a SSN with that position, you would then be able to add the tutoring job.
  • How many hours per week can I tutor?  PLU’s policy limiting student employment to 19 hours per week during the school year includes Knack tutoring hours. Because tutoring hours are recorded in a different system, it will be your responsibility to ensure that your combined hours for all campus jobs don’t exceed 19 hours per week.
  • How will I report this income when I file taxes?  Knack classifies tutors as 1099 independent contractors for tax purposes. Therefore, rather than receiving a W-2 tax document (like you do for your other PLU jobs), you will receive a 1099-NEC to report your income earned as a Knack tutor. You should receive this document in January or February. You can find more information on the Knack website here.

Email Subject:  Important Guidelines for International Students Entering the U.S.
Sent Date: 
January 2, 2025
From: 
International Student Services
Newsletter Link:  https://mailchi.mp/c48393099210/travel-guidelines-2025

Highlights:

  • What Happens When You Land
  • What To Do If You Run Into Problems
  • More Resources

Email Subject:  Option to return to campus before January 20th
Sent Date: 
December 20, 2024
From: 
Heather Jacobson

Dear student,

I hope you’re enjoying your break so far! You’re receiving this email because you’ve indicated that you will not be staying in your residence hall room during J-Term. You can ignore this email if you are staying within the United States; this message is for students who will be outside the U.S. in January.

I know that some students are feeling anxious about traveling outside the U.S. because you’re concerned that Trump will choose to implement policies that restrict travel into the U.S. after he becomes president on January 20th. Unfortunately, there is no way to know when or even if any policy changes will be introduced.

If you are planning to be abroad after January 20th but you are questioning your decision, I want to let you know about an option to return to your campus housing before January 20th. Residential Life is willing to work with international students to allow you to return early, even though you originally submitted the housing cancellation form for J-Term.

There is no housing cost for J-Term, however, you would be charged for a modified meal plan.

If you decide that you want to return to campus before January 20th, you will need to wait until January to make your request. AFTER January 2nd, email rlif@plu.edu and let them know what day you would like to return to your residence hall. Residential Life will process and approve your request, and then arrange for the modified meal plan to be added to your account.

The university The university will be closed until January 2nd, so please hold onto your questions for now. Wait until the university reopens on January 2nd to send your questions and early return request to rlif@plu.edu.

Email Subject:  Food resources over Winter Break
Sent Date: 
December 11, 2024
From: 
Heather Jacobson

Hello, everyone!
You are receiving this email because you’ve indicated to Residential Life that you will be staying in campus housing for part or all of the time between December 14th and January 5th. I wanted to make sure that you are aware of when Campus Restaurants are open and share other food options with you.
Campus Restaurant Hours
  • Saturday, Dec 14 & Sunday, Dec 15
    • ALL CAMPUS RESTAURANTS CLOSED
  • Monday, Dec 16 – Thursday, Dec 19
    • Old Main Market: 8:30AM -1:30PM
  • Friday, Dec 20 – Wednesday, Jan 1
    • ALL CAMPUS RESTAURANTS CLOSED
  • Thursday, Jan 2 & Friday, Jan 3
    • Old Main Market: 8:30AM -2:00PM
  • Saturday, January 4
    • ALL CAMPUS RESTAURANTS CLOSED
  • Sunday, January 5
    • Old Main Market: Noon – 10:00PM
    • Commons: 5:00PM – 8:00PM
Other Food Options
Located inside the Campus Ministry office in AUC room 109, the PLU Pantry is stocked with canned food, dry goods, personal hygiene items, and even some fresh fruits and vegetables. If it is after regular business hours or during the break when the AUC is locked, you can contact Campus Safety at 253-535-7441 to be let into the Pantry.
Trinity Lutheran Church (by the PLU library) has a free food pantry open three days a week.
  • Tuesdays: 11:00AM – 2:00PM
  • Fridays:  11:00AM – 2:00PM
  • Sundays:  12:00PM – 2:00PM
Please let me know if you have any questions about these resources.