An electronic news service for international students and scholars, owned by the Office of International Student and Scholar Services at Binghamton University, State University of New York

Visit ISSS on the Web! http://isss.binghamton.edu

Editor's Note: Tomorrow is Valentine's Day in the United States, and in several other countries around the world. To learn more about the history of Valentine's Day, visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine%27s_day

The ISSS reports that 2005 income tax forms should be available for distribution by the end of this week. There will be an announcement sent by e-mail as soon as all of the forms are ready. If you are using CINTAX tax preparation software, CINTAX will print the required federal forms for you.

1. Spring 2006 Employment Workshop Series for International Students Continues Friday, February 17

Get the answers to your questions on employment regulations as part of a series of six workshops taking place this Spring.

The third workshop in the series is titled: Work Rules: What You Need to Know About Immigration Regulations If You Are in F -1 or J-1 Status and Want to be Employed.

It will take place on Friday, February 17 at 3:30pm in Lecture Hall 7. Karen Keefe-Guzikowski, Assistant Director of the ISSS and Amelia Shafer, International Student Advisor, will take you through a Power Point presentation on employment regulations. This workshop will emphasize practical training (F-1) and academic training (J-1) for students seeking summer work authorization or work authorization after graduation.

The workshop is divided into two parts:

3:30-4:00pm Work Rules for J-1 students
4:00-5:00pm Work Rules for F-1 students

Looking for an easy way to keep track of upcoming ISSS employment workshops? You'll find them posted them on the ISSS website! The direct link is:
http://isss.binghamton.edu/emp/EmploymentWorkshop.html
or go to http://isss.binghamton.edu and click on "Employment," then scroll down to: "This semester's Employment Workshops."

2. Fall 2006 Credit Internships for Undergraduates

Off Campus College (OCC) will be conducting Advising Sessions for students interested in participating in an internship in the F all 2006 semester. Internships are credit bearing only and open to undergraduate students with at least sophomore standing.  From accounting to law to veterinary medicine, OCC offers internship opportunities in over 150 local agencies.

Want to apply to the program? Attend one of the advising sessions: February 13 , 14 or 16 in (old) University Union R oom 133 at 5:00 pm.
For more information access the OCC internship website at  http://occ.binghamton.edu . If you cannot attend any of the sessions , call OCC at 607- 777-4273 to schedule an appointment after Feb. 16.

3. European Student Association Hosts Party for All Students

The European Student Association (ESA) is holding a "Website-Launch-Party" to kick off its new website ( http://www.esa-binghamton.com ). This event will take place this Friday (February 17th) at Sportsbar (85 State St). There will be an open bar from 10pm-midnight ($7 per person for the open bar). The ESA invites all students to attend this event.

4. Income Tax Information: Upcoming Income Tax Workshops

U.S. income tax law is very confusing (even more confusing than immigration law!). This is why the Office of International Student and Scholar Services has purchased the CINTAX tax preparation software for use by international students and scholars. With the availability of CINTAX, the focus of the yearly income tax workshops will now change. They will now emphasize how to file New York State tax forms. The workshops will not address filing federal income tax forms. If you plan to come to one of the income tax workshops, it's important for you to have already filled out your federal income tax forms using CINTAX , and then to come to the workshop with a copy of your completed federal forms with you.

Here is the workshop schedule:

Please note that workshop dates are subject to change.

These workshops are for F and J students who have been in the United States in F or J status 5 years or less (since 2001 or later). Students who were employed during the 2005 calendar year should have received a W-2 Form (Wage and Tax Statement) from their employer(s) by last week. By law, employers must send out W-2 forms to their employees no later than January 31. If you had more than one employer, you should receive a W-2 form from each. These forms are usually in three or four parts. One copy is for the employee, one copy is filed with the U.S. federal tax return, and one copy is filed with certain state tax returns.

The W-2 form contains very important information that you will need when you prepare your income tax forms.

5. Income Tax Information: Don't Be Too Hasty When Filing Your Income Tax Returns

International students always want to file their income tax returns at the earliest possible date, especially if they think that they may be entitled to a refund. But sometimes filing too early is not a wise thing to do.

Think for a moment, and be sure you have received all of the required tax reporting forms for income you may have earned during calendar year 2005. Did you have a dissertation year fellowship or graduate scholarship? If so, that income is reported on form 1042-S, and that form is not required to be mailed until March 15. Have you received form W-2 (wage and tax statement) from all the employers for whom you may have worked during 2005?

It is your responsibility to contact your employers to request your W-2 form, especially if you may have moved since you were employed and may not have notified your former employer of your new address. Remember that the employer must, by law, report your earnings to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the IRS will match this information with what you submit on your income tax return. So, if the IRS has a record of earnings but you do not submit the necessary W-2 or 1042-S when you file your income tax return, they will be contacting you.

6. Department of State Publishes New Guidance About Validity of Student Visas Subsequent to a Break in Studies

The U.S. Department of State (DOS) recently issued a cable to its consulates to clarify whether an F-1 visa remains valid after a student has had a break in his/her studies or departs the United States for a period of longer than five months.

The DOS has announced that a student's unexpired F-1 visa continues to be valid even if the student is physically in another country, as long as the student is maintaining course registration with his or her U.S. university. But, if a student departs the United States and terminates study, then the F-1 visa will be considered to be invalid if the student remains outside the United States for more than five months, even though there may still be still time remaining on the visa. Thus a student who may have been studying as an F-1 in the United States, ends his or her studies, departs the United States, and subsequently decides to return to the United States to attend school more than five months following their date of departure, will need to apply for a new F-1 visa.

The DOS has also stated that a student in F-1 status to study in the United States who is transferring between schools or programs is no longer regarded to be in student status if the classes are not resumed within five months of the date of transferring out of the previous school or within five months of the program completion, whichever is applicable. In such a situation, if the student is in the United States, then the student must apply for reinstatement of student status with US Citizenship and Immigration Services in order to restore his or her status. The DOS stated that if the reinstatement application is approved by the USCIS, the student's F-1 visa remains valid (assuming that the visa has not expired). However, the DOS stated that if the reinstatement application is denied, the student's visa would be invalidated. The DOS did state that there is no automatic bar for a student who is denied reinstatement from applying for and receiving another student visa, assuming that the student remains eligible for the visa.

The State Department cable may be viewed at:

http://travel.state.gov/visa/laws/telegrams/telegrams_2780.html

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