International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) supports Brown University's internationalization efforts by facilitating the arrival, orientation, and success of international students, scholars, and employees as members of the Brown community. We strive to accomplish this mission through:

• High-quality immigration services that help international students, scholars, employees and their dependents to acquire and maintain valid US immigration status, and to obtain any immigration benefits for which they are eligible;
• Responsive and culturally sensitive advising that help students, scholars, and their dependents to understand their immigration options, pathways, and opportunities
• Timely and relevant programs and events that promote the successful arrival, orientation, and integration of students and scholars into the campus and beyond
• Effective and proactive collaboration and coordination with other Brown offices and units that play an integral role in supporting international students and scholars throughout their time at Brown
• Vigilant monitoring of regulatory and policy changes and advocacy on behalf of the Brown international student and scholar community so that they can continue to enjoy success in their academic and professional journeys

In carrying out its mission, ISSS seeks to offer the best possible customer service to our international students, scholars, and campus partners and colleagues. In doing so, we focus on realizing the following commitments in combination:

• Offer responsive, empathetic, and culturally sensitive advising that acknowledges the nuanced concerns and needs of our international community members, while supporting their individual agency and informed decision-making on matters affecting their Brown experience
• Provide guidance that reflects continuous engagement and enhancement or our knowledge base, so that our guidance is based in the most recent and up-to-date information
• Engage in ongoing self-evaluation of our operations to ensure continuous improvement in efficiency, clarity, and transparency
• Organize services and processes to ensure that appropriate time, care and attention are paid to critical, case-sensitive details that can impact outcomes, and to identify and communicate where complexity or uncertainty exists that could be decisive in decision-making

Anyone with questions or concerns about ISSS's mission, operations, and service should contact Andrew Shiotani, ISSS Director, at andrew_shiotani@brown.edu. 

Updated: 11/10/2025