ISSS News 16 oct 2006

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

Editor's Note : We hope that you have been enjoying the change in colors, as the hills surrounding Binghamton display their Fall finery this month. Accompanying the color change are cooler temperatures, but for many of our readers, this is nature's prettiest time of the year.

Attend an OCC Winter Session Internship Program advising session to learn about the values associated with doing an internship, and the process required to obtain credit. Off Campus College (OCC) sponsors internships in a multitude of fields, including accounting, sports management, law, social work, financial advising and many more! Undergraduate students (sophomore and above) would be able to earn academic credits while exploring possible career choices. Attendance at an advising session is mandatory in order to secure credit for a winter session internship.
When:      Monday, October 16th
Where:    University Union 133
Time:       5:00-6:00 p.m.

For additional information access the Off Campus College website at http://occ.binghamton.edu or call 777-4273

Please remember that employment authorization may be required from the ISSS for credit bearing internships. Be sure to check with ISSS staff should you be offered such an internship.

The fourth in a series of five employment workshops designed exclusively for international students will be held Friday, October 20 from 3:30pm to 5:00pm in Career Development Center Workshop Room, Library North Ground Floor 307.

The workshop is titled: "The U.S. Job Search." The workshop will provide an overview of strategies and resources available to locate potential long and short-term job opportunities, including internships in the United States.

Staff in the Career Development Center will introduce you to the resources available to you in their center.

This workshop series is sponsored by the Career Development Center and the Office of International Student and Scholar Services. To view the complete schedule, visit: http://isss.binghamton.edu/emp/Emp_WS.html

3. Attention New Undergraduates: Please Complete the New Student On-Line Survey

New undergraduate students have recently received an e-mail message sent to their Binghamton.edu e-mail account, inviting them to complete a brief on line survey about their experiences as a new student. This survey comes from the Office of Campus Life, and will help them plan future programs for new undergraduate students. Please complete the survey, as your input is important. Thanks!

4. Are You Working On-Campus on the State Payroll? Check Your Address for Accuracy!

In partnership with the Office of the State Comptroller, annual W-2 statement of earnings forms will be mailed directly to faculty, staff and student home addresses in January, 2007. In order to be sure the mailing is successful, we need to confirm that home addresses are correct in our systems. We ask that all faculty, staff and students please check the address as recorded on their paycheck to be sure it is accurate as of the check of 10/18/06. If you need to make any changes, please report this to your department and they will submit the necessary Oracle personal data change form to assure the change is made to your record to allow for the timely arrival of your W-2 form. This form is an essential document needed to complete your income tax forms.

5. Attention Grad and Undergrad Majors in Engineering, Computer Science, and the Sciences! Third Annual Engineering Consortium Career Fair* October 27 in New York City

*While the title of this event indicates it's an engineering fair, there will also be many opportunities for computer science and science majors. Please read for more information!

Binghamton University's Career Development Center together with over thirty other prominent Colleges and Universities is pleased to present the Third Annual Engineering Consortium Career Fair Friday, October 27 from 12 noon to 5:00pm at Columbia University, Roone Arledge Auditorium, Alfred Lerner Hall, 2920 Broadway (at 115th St.), in New York City . This Career Fair is an opportunity for students and alumni to explore careers in engineering, applied sciences and natural sciences. Over 100 leading employers in fields including biomedical, civil, mechanical, aeronautical, chemical, electrical, computer, environmental, and industrial engineering and computer science will be available to address internship and/or employment opportunities.

The Engineering Consortium Career Fair is open to undergraduate and graduate students. International students are encouraged to attend. Students do not need to pre-register. Student admission is free. Students should bring their student ID and copies of their resume to the fair. Appropriate business attire is required to enter the Career Fair.

For more information about this Career Fair and a list of the companies that will attend, scroll to the event on 10/27 at http://www.cce.columbia.edu/events/

The last day to withdraw from a course for the Fall 2006 semester is Friday, October 27. Withdrawing from a course means that a grade of “W” will be entered on your transcript. However, such an action may have immigration consequences if the course is needed for you to be considered a full time student. ISSS reminds all international students in F-1 and J-1 status that U.S. federal regulations require that they be registered for a full-time course load as determined by their academic level and program.

Graduate Master's Level 2 9 credits per semester
(completion of at least 24 credits):

Graduate Master's students who *1 credit or more per semester, that can be
need only thesis or project to certified as full-time by the department
complete their program:

Graduate PhD students admitted to *1 credit or more per semester, that can be
candidacy or who have pre- certified as full-time by the department
dissertation or dissertation research:

*graduate students with GA, TA, Or RA funding and a tuition scholarship who have completed all course work requirements are required to register for 9 credits.

There are some very limited exceptions to the full-time course requirement, including being in your final semester prior to graduation, having a medical condition, or having academic difficulty due to documented English language difficulty or course placement problems. Under Federal SEVIS regulations, these exceptions require prior approval from the ISSS before you can withdraw from the course. For complete information, stop by the ISSS to obtain a handout on “Permissible Reasons Under F-1 Regulations to Register for Less Than a Full Time Course Load,” or view the handout on the ISSS website at: http://isss.binghamton.edu/imm/lesscourse.htm

The most common violation of F and J status is failure to sustain a full-time course load through the end of the semester. A few students drop below the minimum number of credits needed to be full-time without prior permission, a smaller number of students withdraw from all courses late in the semester.

These same students may return to full course loads the following semester. However, they are all in violation of F-1 and J-1 status rules, because returning to a full-time course load does not "fix" the problem of having been less than full-time the previous semester.

The penalty for a status violation, like the ones described above, is loss of all F-1 benefits, including the right to be employed on or off campus. To restore benefits and return to legal status, the student must pay a $200 fee and apply for reinstatement to the Latham, New York office of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. This application is processed through the office of International Student and Scholar Services.

Obviously, a status violation is a very serious matter. Avoid violating the terms of your status, and come to the ISSS whenever you have a question or a concern regarding F-1 or J-1 issues, including the full-time course rule.

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