ISSS-BU News . 07 April 2008. ISSS-BU News
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
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Editor’s Note: We hope that our readers enjoyed the sunshine on Sunday. Warmer weather continues for at least the first part of the week, a sure sign that the temperature is finally catching up to the Spring season!
CONTENTS:
1. US Department of Homeland Security Announces New Rule for Post-Completion Optional Practical Training for F-1 Students
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced late last week of the imminent publication of an interim final regulation that will contain changes for F-1 students engaged in post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT). Among its many provisions is a 17-month extension of post-completion OPT (for a total of 29 months) for students who received degrees in “STEM” fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and who meet certain requirements, and the elimination of the H-1B “cap-gap” by allowing for the extension of both OPT work authorization and valid status for F-1s whose H-1B petitions make it through the random selection process and are approved with October 1 start dates. The regulation will take effect once it is published in the U.S. government’s Federal Register, which is expected to be sometime this week.
Please note that the implementation of the 17-month extension of post-completion OPT as offered by the new regulation will not take place until the Department of Homeland Security has updated its SEVIS software and has provided US schools with instructions on how to process the applications, which we expect to happen relatively quickly. Watch ISSS-BU News for further announcements!
The Office of International Student and Scholar Services has prepared an analysis of all the provisions contained in the new regulation. That document is now available as both a paper handout in the ISSS and on line at the ISSS website. Read it now at:
http://isss.binghamton.edu/emp/newOPT08rule.html
Ellen Badger, Director of the ISSS, will present information on the new regulation as part of the Wednesday April 9th workshop titled “Post Graduation Employment Issues.” See the full workshop announcement below, article #4. We hope to be able to answer many of your questions at that time.
2. GSO Elections are April 7 and 8
The Election committee of the Graduate Student Organization will hold elections for the position of President, Vice President, Treasurer, Graduate Vice-President for Multicultural Affairs (GVPMA) on April 7th and 8th from 10:00am to 5:00pm outside the GSO Lounge, on the first floor of the Library Tower.
All graduate students are allowed and requested to come in and vote in support of their candidates.
3. Spring '08 Academic Advising and Scheduling Fest For Undergraduates is April 8
Undergraduates who are planning their Fall 2008 semester schedule are invited to attend the Spring 2008 Academic Advising and Scheduling Fest on Tuesday, April 8 from 4:00pm to 6:00pm in the University Union Mandela Room.
Faculty and academic advisors from all five undergraduate schools will be on hand to assist students with course scheduling for the Fall 2008 semester as well as to provide guidance related to all majors. Other academic affairs and student affairs offices will also be present.
Get help scheduling your fall 2008 courses from academic advisors and faculty from:
CCPA, Discovery, DSON, Harpur, SOM, and Watson
♦ Bring your DARS
♦ Bring your laptop (if possible)
♦ Bring your questions about scheduling
4. Essential Workshop on the New OPT Rule, Post-Graduation Employment Issues and H-1B Visas Wednesday, April 9
For several weeks now, we’ve been advertising our workshop scheduled for Wednesday, April 9 as “the most important immigration workshop we will offer each year” and that it is “essential.” With the announcement of the Department of Homeland Security’s interim final rule on F-1 Post-Completion Optional Practical Training, the workshop has become even more essential and important! It will be held Wednesday, April 9 at 4:30pm in Academic A, Room G008. Will you be seeking employment in the United States after graduation? Do you have questions regarding the new OPT regulation, H-1B visas, labor certification, PERM and employment-based permanent residency? Are you confused about the H-1B “cap”? What will happen if all the available H-1B visas are taken soon after April 7, 2008, which is the earliest date for submitting an H-1B petition with an October 1, 2008 start date? What about those 20,000 extra H-1B visa slots for those with U.S. master’s degrees or higher? You do not want to miss this workshop!
Learn about your options under U.S. immigration law from special guest and featured speaker, immigration attorney Rosanne Meyer from the law firm of Miller Mayer in Ithaca, New York. This workshop is co-sponsored by the Office of International Student and Scholar Services and the Career Development Center.
5. New Office Assists Students with Identifying and Applying for External Awards
The Office of External Scholarships, Fellowships & Awards has been formed to provide assistance to Binghamton undergraduate and graduate students who are looking for external scholarships. Their office is located in College in the Woods, Tuscarora Hall, Room 107. 607-777-4324. Their website is: http://scholarships.binghamton.edu/
The Graduate School encourages enrolled graduate students to explore this new resource.
6. Latest News on H-1B Cap Filings
Today, April 7, 2008, is the final day for the Service Centers at US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to receive “cap-subject” H-1B applications. There are two separate groups that are being counted; those from applicants with U.S. master’s degrees or higher, and those with bachelor’s or higher degrees from any country, known as the “general” cap.
There are 20,000 H-1B visas available for qualified applicants with U.S. master’s degrees or higher. If more than 20,000 applications for this category are received by the close of business on April 7 (and it is expected that there will be), there will be a random selection process conducted among all applications received in this group to identify 20,000. Those not selected will then be placed with those who qualify under the “general” cap. A second random selection process will then be conducted.
For full information on what this all means, please refer to our Q & A on H-1B at:
http://isss.binghamton.edu/imm/FAQ_H-1B.html
USCIS is expected to publish preliminary numbers once it completes the tallying of petitions it has received. Then will come the task of individually reviewing and sorting each petition. The process of closely reviewing and sorting each petition will continue over the next several weeks. USCIS plans to provide regular updates at http://www.uscis.gov, and we will include those updates in ISSS-BU News.
7. The Deadline for Filing Federal and State Income Tax Forms is Tuesday, April 15!
Do you need to know how to properly assemble and mail your federal and New York State income tax forms? Go to: http://isss.binghamton.edu/taxes/taxaddress.html
Are you using CINTAX? Nearly 800 current and former BU students and scholars who are non-residents for tax purposes have requested CINTAX access passwords, but only 560 have gone onto the CINTAX website as of Sunday, April 6. Of those 560 individuals who have accessed CINTAX, more than 500 have completed their income tax forms.
CINTAX is reporting that the average federal refund for BU CINTAX users, for those students entitled to a refund, is $531.00.
For the most up-to-date information on services available to help you with your income tax forms, visit: http://isss.binghamton.edu/taxes/taxsem.html
8. Fall 2008 International Student Orientation - Leadership Volunteers Needed
Are you interested in helping new international students during Orientation and adding Leadership and U.S. Culture Training experience to your resume? Then, become a Leadership Volunteer!
Leadership Volunteers are a select group of Binghamton University students, who join ISSS staff to welcome new international students during Fall International Student Orientation. Leadership Volunteer recruitment is now underway.
Leadership Volunteers engage in a 5-day training program to help prepare them for their role during Orientation. Leadership Volunteer Training will take place Monday, August 11 to Friday, August 15, 2008. International Student Orientation starts Monday, August 18 and ends on Wednesday, August 20, 2008.
The Training Program includes activities that give all Leadership Volunteers the opportunity to:
Many new students tell the ISSS how important the Leadership Volunteers were to their initial experience at Binghamton University. Many Leadership Volunteers tell the ISSS how valuable the training was to their own professional and personal development.
Interested in participating? Send an e-mail message expressing your interest and providing your contact information to isss@binghamton.edu Be sure to use “Leadership Volunteer” for the subject line.
9. Do You Need to Extend Your I-20 or DS-2019?
Students whose I-20 or DS-2019 will expire in May, but who will continue at Binghamton for Summer 2008 and/or Fall 2008 are reminded that they must complete the required paperwork for an extension before their I-20 or DS-2019 expires! A student whose I-20 ends in May, but who continues to take classes during the 2008 summer session will be out of status, with very serious immigration ramifications unless they apply for an extension of stay in a timely manner. All students with I-20s or DS-2019s with ending dates of May or Summer 2008 will be sent e-mail messages later this week regarding extension procedures. Do not let the deadline pass!
10. Income Tax Information: How to Apply for an Extension If You Need More Time to File Your Income Tax Forms
All individuals in F or J status, including F and J dependents, who were in the United States during any part of 2007 must file federal income tax forms, even if they did not have any U.S. earned income!
The deadline for filing income tax forms is Tuesday, April 15, 2008. What happens if you have income and are unable to file your federal and state income tax forms by the April 15 deadline? You can file for up to a six-month extension of your federal income tax form by completing form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File a Tax Return. You can obtain a similar extension from New York State by filing form IT-370. Supplies of federal form 4868 and New York State form IT-370 are available in the ISSS, in a special file drawer. You may also download them from the link below.
For instructions on how to complete the forms, and for the links for downloading the forms, go to: http://isss.binghamton.edu/taxes/taxexten.html
Forms 4868 and IT-370 should be used if you are unable to meet the April 17, 2007 filing deadline for federal and New York State tax returns. Forms 4868 and IT-370 provide an automatic six-month extension. However, forms 4868 and IT-370 do not allow for an extension of any taxes owed. If you owe tax to the U.S. government or the State of New York, you must enclose payment (or an estimated payment) with forms 4868 and IT-370. Do not attempt to file the 4868 or the IT-370 electronically. File them as paper forms. Both forms include instructions.
Students sometime ask whether there are any consequences to not filing tax forms. There can be immigration consequences for failing to file tax forms. For example, applicants wanting to change from F-1 to H-1B (the specialty occupations visa) can be asked by the Immigration Service to submit copies of previous years' income tax forms as part of their H-1B application. Applicants for permanent residency ("green cards") can be asked to show copies of tax forms filed for previous years. A person who appears at a U.S. consulate abroad for consular processing of a permanent residency visa application may be asked to produce U.S. income tax forms from their previous years in the United States.
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