Navigating Systems
at RISD and in the U.S.
September 4, 2026
Student Health Services, Counseling & Psychological Services,
Student Employment, International Student & Scholar Affairs
Today we will discuss:
Navigating Healthcare at RISD
Kathryn Oberacker, FNP
Director Health Services
September 4th, 2026
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The healthcare system is confusing
Appointments
Insurance
Costs
Questions
Many services require an appointment rather than walk-in access.
You may be asked to pay something for care, medicine, tests, or other services.
Your insurance may affect where you can go and what you pay.
Having health insurance does not mean your healthcare is covered 100%.
It is important to ask what something means and what it will cost.
*Kristen Devine will be reviewing health insurance after this presentation
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Where do I go for care?
Emergency Room
Urgent Care
Specialty Care
RISD Health Services
START HERE when possible.
Primary care Services:�Physical exams • GYN care • gender-affirming care • illnesses & injuries • STI testing/treatment • PrEP • birth control • immunizations • prescription management • rapid testing • blood work • specialist referrals
Appointment is required, same day appointments available
For problems that need care soon but are not life-threatening.��Useful when RISD Health Services is closed or you cannot get a campus appointment.
Examples: Illnesses & Injuries
You can walk-in, appointments are not needed
For potentially life-threatening problems.��Examples: severe trouble breathing, chest pain, major bleeding, loss of consciousness, or serious injury.
Open 24/7, they do not take appointments
For when you need specialized care.
Examples: Cardiology, Orthopedic, Endocrinology, Gynecology, etc
Appointments are required, often wait to a few weeks or months to be seen
*Local contact information for these locations will be shared at the end of this presentation.
*All students can choose to find a primary care provider outside of RISD if they desire
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What might I have to pay?
Emergency Room
Urgent Care
Specialty Care
RISD Health Services
Our services are provided at no cost to students.��Services sent outside Health Services—such as prescriptions, imaging, or lab work—may be billed through your insurance.
Bring your insurance information.��You may pay something when you arrive and may receive a bill later after insurance is processed.
Bring insurance information if you have it. In a true emergency, do not delay care because you cannot find your card.��You may receive a bill later.
Bring your insurance information.��You may pay something when you arrive and may receive a bill later after insurance is processed.
Referral from a primary care provider or emergency room often required
*Important: If you receive a medical bill, don't ignore it. Ask questions if you do not understand it.
*The amount you pay depends on where you go, what service you receive, and your health insurance.
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You can always ask for an interpreter
“I would like an interpreter, please”
“Can you explain this in a different way”
“Can you write that down for me?”
Accurate communication helps you describe symptoms, understand diagnoses and medications, ask questions, and make informed decisions.
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Emergencies and the emergency room
The emergency room is meant to be used for emergencies. For example:
If non-emergent issue presents to the emergency department, the wait to be seen by a medical professional can exceed many hours. Utilize your student health center and/or urgent cares.
CALL 911
You can also contact RISD Public Safety at 401-454-6666
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Pharmacies and prescriptions
“Over the counter” medications is a common way to describe medications that do not require a prescription
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Vision and Dental
But aren’t eyes and teeth part of the body too? Yes, they are!
If you injure your eyes or teeth - your medical insurance health will help pay.
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Let’s practice. Where would you go?
I have a sore throat and fever on Tuesday morning.
I sprained my ankle Saturday evening; campus clinic is closed.
I hit my head and lost consciousness.
I have suddenly started having severe trouble breathing and chest pain.
I received a bill, I need help.
I would like to start birth control.
I need a vaccination or a health form completed.
I think I may have a sexually transmitted infection.
I’m not sure where to go
RISD Health Services
Urgent Care
Emergency Room
Emergency Room
RISD Health Services
RISD Health Services
RISD Health Services
RISD Health Services
RISD Health Services
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Keep this page
RISD Health Services
Urgent Care
Emergency Room
Pharmacy
72 Pine Street, 2nd Floor�Providence�401-454-6625
Brown Health Urgent Care
66 Branch Ave�Providence
401-606-2590
Mon–Fri: 8 AM–8 PM�Sat–Sun: 8 AM–6 PM
Walk-in care; waits are possible.
Monday–Friday�8:30 AM–4:30 PM�
Book an appointment by phone or through your patient portal:�risd.medicatconnect.com
Rhode Island Hospital�593 Eddy St Providence�Open 24 hours
The Miriam Hospital�164 Summit Ave
Providence�Open 24 hours
Walk-in or ambulance. Long waits expected if not an emergency.
CVS Pharmacy
Providence Place Mall
39 Providence Place
Providence
401-270-4440
Mon-Thurs: 11am - 8pm
Fri- Sat: 10am - 9pm
Sunday: 11am - 6pm
Prescription and over the counter medications available
Students always have the option to call RISD Public Safety at 401-454-6666. They are open 24 hours a day and have licensed emergency medical technicians on staff.
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Thank you!
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Navigating Mental Health & Support at RISD
Counseling & Psychological Services, SEPTEMBER 2026
A Lot Is Changing at Once
Starting at RISD may mean adjusting to:
• A new country and culture�• A new academic and creative environment�• New relationships and communities�• Different communication styles and expectations�• Greater independence and responsibility�• Changes in identity and belonging
And you are bringing things with you:
Family • Culture • Values • Expectations • Experiences • Strengths
Adjustment Looks Different for Everyone
Adjustment can affect:
Adjustment can change over time.
Mental Health Care in the U.S.
Mental health care may work differently than you expect.�
Who Does What?
Where Do I Go for Mental Health Support?
What Support Is Available?
CAPS provides:
Our approach:
When Might CAPS Be Helpful?
Not every difficult day requires counseling.
CAPS may be helpful when:
You do not have to be in crisis to reach out.
How Do I Access CAPS?
Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS)
Thank you!
Working at RISD
A guide for international students
RISD Student Employment Office
Navigating Systems at RISD · International Orientation · September 4, 2026
The most important thing today
You do not need a Social Security Number to start working.
You need one form: the I-9. We complete it with you in our office.
Your Social Security application runs alongside your job, not before it. Start it as soon as ISSA has completed your check-in — until your number is on file, more tax comes out of every paycheck.
HOW THIS WORKS
One step first, then two tracks
Everything starts with your ISSA check-in. The first step is not about your job.
Arrive in the U.S.
Check in with ISSA
Required for your status — job or no job
Start working
Complete your I-9 with our office
That is the only step required
You can begin work that same day
Get paid correctly
Request your ISSA letter
Apply for your Social Security Number
Enter the number in Workday
Check in with ISSA in your first week. It is required for your immigration status, whether or not you ever take a job.
BEFORE ANY OF THIS
How you get a job on campus
You are not expected to already know how U.S. hiring works. This is the whole process.
1
Look on ArtWorks
Every on-campus job is posted there — hourly positions and graduate assistantships both.
2
Apply, or just ask
Emailing a department directly to ask about openings is normal here and often works.
3
Have a short conversation
Campus interviews are usually 15 to 20 minutes and informal. It is a conversation, not a test.
4
Get your offer in writing
Your supervisor sends the offer with your Employment Verification Letter attached. Keep it.
You may apply to more than one department at the same time. Nothing is binding until you accept.
IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST JOB IN THE U.S.
Things nobody tells you
You do not need experience
Most campus jobs train you from the beginning. Applying without a U.S. résumé is normal and expected.
Asking questions is not rude
In a U.S. workplace, asking your supervisor to explain something again is read as responsible, not incompetent.
You are allowed to say no
If a shift does not work with your studio schedule, say so. Your classes come first and supervisors know that.
Speak up early, not late
If a form, a shift, or an instruction is unclear, ask that week. Small problems are easy. Old problems are not.
None of this is a test of your English. Everyone in the room is learning a new system at the same time.
CHECK THIS FIRST
Are you eligible to work at RISD?
This depends on who sponsors your immigration record — not on where you take classes.
The one question to ask: will RISD payroll pay me?
If the answer is no, it is not on-campus employment — no matter where the work happens or who asks you.
F-1, sponsored by RISD
You may hold an on-campus job at RISD. No separate authorization needed.
J-1, sponsored by RISD
You must have ISSA approval before you start. A hard requirement, not a formality.
Brown | RISD Dual Degree and MADE students
Brown holds your SEVIS record, so a job at RISD would be unauthorized off-campus employment. Talk to Brown’s Office of Global Engagement first.
If you are not sure who sponsors your record, ask ISSA before you apply for anything.
SAME RULE, FOUR SURPRISES
These are not on-campus jobs
Every one of these has caught a RISD student. None of them go through RISD payroll.
Working at Brown
Brown and RISD are close partners, but Brown pays you through Brown. For a RISD student that is off-campus employment.
A professor’s own studio or firm
If a faculty member offers you paid work at their practice, the answer is no. It is outside employment, and the risk is yours, not theirs.
Freelance work, commissions, or your own clients
Selling your work or taking paid commissions is self-employment. It needs authorization you do not have yet.
Remote work for a company outside the U.S.
Do not assume this is fine because the employer is abroad. Ask ISSA before you agree to anything.
Saying no to a professor is hard. You will never be in trouble with us for it — send them to our office and we will have the conversation instead.
TRACK 1
Getting ready to work
Five steps. Only the last one has to happen before your first day.
TRACK 1 · FIVE STEPS
Before your I-9 appointment
1
Find an on-campus job
Search ArtWorks or ask a department directly. Anything not on RISD’s campus — remote, affiliate, off-campus — goes to ISSA first.
2
Register for a full course of study
Full-time enrollment is required to hold a student job.
3
Check in with ISSA
If you have not done this yet, do it this week. Required for your status whether or not you have a job.
4
Review your work permissions with ISSA
ISSA is the official source for what your status allows. Our office cannot give immigration advice.
5
Receive your Employment Verification Letter
You do not need to request it. Hourly jobs — from your supervisor. Assistantships — from our office.
Keep that letter safe. You will need it to apply for your Social Security Number.
TRACK 1 · STEP 5
Complete your Form I-9
This is the only thing you must do before your first day of work.
HOW TO BOOK
web.penjiapp.com
20 Washington Place, first floor
Monday to Friday, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Please allow 20 minutes. We complete
the form together with you.
WHAT TO BRING — ORIGINALS ONLY
No scans, photos, or photocopies.
You do not need an SSN, an SSA appointment, or an ISSA letter for this appointment.
Print your I-94 before your appointment. When you travel home and return, keep your passport and I-20 or DS-2019 in your carry-on bag, never in checked luggage.
Passport — valid and unexpired
I-20 (F-1) or DS-2019 (J-1) — most recent
Form I-94 — print at i94.cbp.dhs.gov
Once your I-9 is complete,
you are cleared to work.
Your Social Security Number is still on its way. That is completely normal, and it does not stop you
from starting your job or from being paid.
TRACK 2
Your Social Security Number
You can work while this is in progress. Start as soon as you are able.
TRACK 2 · THREE STEPS
Applying for your number
Your ISSA check-in has to be done first. Social Security cannot verify your status until your SEVIS record is registered.
1
Request your ISSA letter
F-1 students: Social Security Letter Request in Terra Dotta. J-1: email issa@risd.edu.
2
Apply online at ssa.gov/number-card
You will schedule an appointment at the end. Print and bring the confirmation page.
3
Go to the Providence office
One Empire Plaza, 6th Floor — walking distance. Book it even if the date is far away.
You may not apply more than 30 days before the start date on your letter. A later appointment is fine — it does not delay your work.
TRACK 2 · LAST STEPS
When your number arrives
1
Enter it in Workday
Do this as soon as you receive it. We run a weekly report and will keep reminding you until it is done.
2
Keep your card somewhere safe
You never need to bring the card to our office or show it to anyone at RISD. Replacements are limited,
and you keep this number for life.
3
Wait one business day, then open Sprintax Calculus
Your number transfers automatically from Workday. Then you can complete your tax treaty analysis.
Happy to help you enter it — come by the office or email us.
SPRINTAX CALCULUS
Protecting your take-home pay
Many countries have a tax treaty with the United States. A treaty can let you earn a certain amount without paying
US federal income tax — but only if you complete your analysis in Sprintax Calculus.
If you complete it
You may claim your treaty benefit and keep more of what you earn.
If you do not
Your wages are taxed at the standard rate, and no treaty benefit applies.
Treaty benefits are not retroactive. They begin only after your analysis is complete — finishing early protects more of your pay.
We cannot give tax advice or complete tax forms for you. We can show you where everything lives and answer questions about the process.
IMPORTANT LIMITS
How many hours you can work
20
hours per week maximum
while classes are in session
This is a total
If you hold two jobs on campus, the hours are added together. Twelve hours in one job plus twelve in another is over the limit.
Going over the limit can affect your immigration status. If you are unsure, ask before you work the hours, not afterwards.
During official school breaks the limit is different — check with ISSA each time.
Never work before your I-9 is complete. Not one hour, not as a favour.
AVOID THESE
Four things that slow students down
Waiting for an SSN before booking the I-9
You do not need one. Book the appointment now.
Bringing photocopies to an appointment
Originals only, at our office and at Social Security.
Applying for the SSN before ISSA check-in
Your SEVIS record has to be registered first, or it is denied.
Leaving the number out of Workday
Your pay may be taxed at the highest rate until it is entered.
TWO OFFICES
Who to ask
Student Employment
Jobs · onboarding · the I-9 · Workday
payroll · Sprintax · getting paid
20 Washington Place, 1st Floor
Monday–Friday, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
studentemployment@risd.edu
401-427-6955
ISSA
Visa status · work authorization
SEVIS · immigration letters
issa@risd.edu
issa.risd.edu
For anything about your immigration
status, always start here.
There is no such thing as a question that is too small. Come and ask us.
BEFORE YOU LEAVE
Scan these now
Open your camera and point it at the code. You do not need an app.
Book your I-9
web.penjiapp.com
Student Employment
Apply for your SSN
ssa.gov/number-card
Social Security
Driver's license or State ID
dmv.ri.gov
Rhode Island DMV
Book the I-9 appointment before you leave the room. It takes one minute, and it is the only thing standing between you and your first day of work.
Questions
Book your I-9 appointment today at web.penjiapp.com
RISD Student Employment Office · 20 Washington Place, 1st Floor
studentemployment@risd.edu · 401-427-6955
APPENDIX
Reference slides
Not presented. Jump here if a question calls for the detail.
APPENDIX
Your Employment Verification Letter
You do not need to request this letter. It comes to you.
Hourly job
Your supervisor sends it with your job offer.
Graduate Assistantship
Student Employment sends it with your onboarding instructions.
The letter is on RISD letterhead and shows your job start date. If your start date changes, ask for an updated letter —
the Social Security office will use the date printed on it. If you hold more than one job, you only need one letter.
Did not receive one? Hourly — ask your supervisor. Assistantship — email studentemployment@risd.edu
APPENDIX
What to bring to the Social Security office
Originals only — no scans or copies.
Employment Verification Letter (RISD letterhead)
Letter from ISSA
Application confirmation page
Valid, unexpired passport
Visa
Most recent I-20 (F-1) or DS-2019 (J-1)
Most recent Form I-94
Bring everything. A missing document means booking a new appointment.
APPENDIX
Getting paid
Record your time
Hourly students enter hours in Workday and submit them each pay period. Your supervisor approves them.
Set up direct deposit (US Bank Account)
Add your bank details in Workday. Without it, your pay will be delayed.
Complete your tax forms
Your W-4 and RI W-4 live in Workday. Fill them in before your first pay date.
Know your pay dates
Hourly students are paid every two weeks. Graduate assistantships are paid monthly. Both schedules are on the Student Employment Website
Missing time entries are the most common reason a student is not paid on time.
APPENDIX
Key links
Book your I-9 appointment
web.penjiapp.com
Apply for your SSN
ssa.gov/number-card
Print your I-94
i94.cbp.dhs.gov
ISSA — immigration and work authorization
issa.risd.edu · issa@risd.edu
Student Employment
studentemployment@risd.edu · 401-427-6955
Social Security office, Providence
One Empire Plaza, 6th Floor, Providence RI 02903
APPENDIX
Key links, continued
Working during Wintersession
Student Hub · Student Employment FAQ
Tax treaty step-by-step (Sprintax Calculus)
itservices.risd.edu · article 18000120318
Update your address in Workday (for Sprintax)
itservices.risd.edu · article 18000122455
Payroll schedules — biweekly and GA
Student Hub · Student Employment quick links
Sprintax Calculus guide
Student Hub · Student Employment quick links
Student wage levels and pay policy
Student Hub · policies.risd.edu
Where Can
I Learn
More About…
Bank Accounts
To decide what bank is best for you, you may consider asking:
Banks
Most banking operations are done online, but to open an account you should go to the nearest bank office and speak to a customer service representative
INFORMATION about applying for a
DRIVERS LICENSE
Email is the fastest way to get a response!
issa@risd.edu
We cannot wait to get to know you!
ISSA – Carr House, 3rd Floor, Room 303
Contact
risd_issa