Address/Phone/Email Reporting Requirement

SEVIS regulations require the university to report a physical local address, phone number and email address for all F-1 and J-1 students.

The US federal regulations require the University to report a physical local address, phone number and e-mail address for all F-1 and J-1 students.

Initial Address Reporting

Within the first 10 days of arrivalin the U.S., you must report your address to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This is achieved by reporting your address to the Office for International Students and Scholars (OISS) during check-in. The address you provide will be sent to SEVIS, thus fulfilling your requirement of providing your initial address to the U.S. government, as required by the US federal regulations and as part of the unlawful presence requirements.

In addition to reporting your initial U.S. address to the OISS upon checking in, you will need to enter it into your WebSTAC account. WebSTAC is your primary interface for the entire University and should be maintained with current information at all times.

Reporting a Change in Address, Phone Number or Email

The US federal regulations also require you to notify DHS within 10 days anytime you move to a new location within the U.S., whether it be a different apartment in the same building, or a whole new state. This is achieved by updating your address in WebSTAC. The OISS will collect changes to local address, cell phone number and email from WebSTAC and report those changes to SEVIS as required by federal regulations.

IMPORTANT!!

All addresses are verified in SEVIS with a program called Address Doctor. This means addresses must be complete and properly formatted or they will be rejected by SEVIS. If it requires follow-up from our office to clarify your address, this could put you out of compliance with the 10 day reporting requirement and you could be accruing unlawful presence. So, be sure to read and follow the formatting tips found in the Updating Your Address in WebSTAC section below.

Updating Your Local Address in WebSTAC

The “Local Address” option should always reflect where you are physically living. Do not use a departmental address.

How to enter or change your local address in WebSTAC

  1. Go to WebSTAC and log in with your WUSTLKey.
  2. Select “Contact Information” from “Student Information” drop-down.
  3. Hover over the “Local Address” row and select “Change Address.”
  4. Enter your new or changed local address information showing where you live in St. Louis. (Take this opportunity to check the phone number fields and ensure your U.S. phone number is properly listed.)
  5. When you are finished, click “Save.”
  6. When all updates are complete, click “Log Out” in the upper right corner.

Formatting points to follow when maintaining/updating your address:

Do not list a WashU department for your local address.
You must indicate where you are physically living.
Street information goes before apartment number.
Listing the apartment number first is an invalid format and not only will cause a SEVIS rejection, but can also cause confusion for the post office and delay delivery of your mail.
Street numbers come before street names.
So, don’t put Forsyth 6470. It should be 6470 Forsyth Blvd. Putting the name before the number is an invalid format and not only will cause a SEVIS rejection, but can also cause confusion for the post office and delay delivery of your mail.
Put both your street and apartment information in Address Line 1 in WebSTAC.
Address Lines 2, 3 and 4 are not used by all areas of the university, and as such, you don’t want part of your address information to be missed, as it could delay or prevent receiving your mail.
You do not need to include both your suburb name and the city name.
For example, if you live in University City, your address should not contain both “University City” and “St. Louis.” Just pick one or the other – whichever you prefer.
WebSTAC Field On Campus Address Example Off Campus Address Example
Address Line 1 6515 Wydown Blvd. 4405 West Pine Blvd., Apt 800
Address Line 2 leave blank leave blank
Address Line 3 leave blank leave blank
Address Line 4 leave blank leave blank
U.S. City Saint Louis Saint Louis
State MO MO
ZIP Code
63105 63108

If you want assistance on how your address should be listed, or verify your address is valid, go to the ZIP code lookup section on U.S. Postal Service website. Input your address information, and it will give you the correct ZIP code and formatting.

Updating Your Phone Number in WebSTAC

SEVIS requires a phone number for each student that can be used to reach them, if necessary. Make sure your have your U.S. based phone number listed in the Local Address section of WebSTAC. DO NOT list an international number in the Local Address section.

How to enter or update your phone number in WebSTAC

  1. Go to WebSTAC and log in with your WUSTLKey.
  2. Select the “Contact Information” link from the “Student Information” drop-down.
  3. Hover over the “Local Address” row and select “Change Address.”
  4. Enter your new or changed U.S. phone number in the appropriate field.
    • “Telephone Number” is used for landline or campus phone numbers
    • “Cell Phone Number” is for U.S. based cell phones. You should also indicate the carrier you are using.
    • DO NOT put foreign phone numbers in these fields
  5. When you are finished, click “Save.”
  6. When all updates are complete, click “Log Out” in the upper right corner.

Updating Your Email Address in WebSTAC

You should always have your primary email address listed in WebSTAC. Not only is this address sent to SEVIS, but it allows those within the university to easily contact you with important information.

How to change your email address in WebSTAC

  1. Go to WebSTAC and log in with your WUSTLKey.
  2. Select the “Contact Information” link under the “Student Information” drop-down.
  3. Hover over the “Student Email Address” row and select “Change Email.”
  4. Enter your new or changed email address – it can be either your WashU email or an off-campus email, like Gmail – and decide if you want it made public. If you choose no, your email will not be available in the university’s global address book and could prevent you from receiving important university communication.
  5. When you are finished, click “Save.”
  6. When all updates are complete, click “Log Out” in the upper right corner.