ISSS-BU News . 14 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
Visit ISSS on the Web! http://isss.binghamton.edu
Editor’s Note: There will be a brief spring recess later this week, to coincide with the Passover holiday. Classes will recess at 1:00pm on Friday, April 18 and resume Tuesday, April 22. University offices will maintain regular hours during the recess.
CONTENTS:
1. Last Minute Instructions for Income Tax Filers
As a helpful guide to our readers, we would like to remind you that the deadline for filing federal and state income tax returns is Tuesday, April 15, 2008. Income tax forms must be mailed by this date.
Non residents for tax purposes (F and J students and their dependents who have been in the United States for five or fewer years in that status—entered the United States in 2032 or later, and J scholars who have been in the United States for two or fewer years in that status – entered the United States in 2006 or later, are eligible to use CINTAX, a free web-based tax preparation product for filing federal tax forms.
If you have not yet obtained a CINTAX access password, you may still request one by going to the following link:
http://isss.binghamton.edu/taxes/cintax.htm
If you already have a CINTAX access password and are ready to log into CINTAX, go to the following link: http://www.cintax.us
If you had no U.S. income for calendar year 2007 (other than bank interest) and are a non-resident for tax purposes, file form 8843.
If you had U.S. income for calendar year 2007 and are a non-resident for tax purposes, you file form 1040NR EZ or form 1040NR
Please note that federal non-resident income tax forms cannot be e-filed. You must mail in the forms.
CINTAX will chose the correct federal income tax forms for you, and complete them based on the information you provide. You will then be able to print them from the web and mail them to the Internal Revenue Service.
If you had any New York State–sourced income for 2007, and your total income (from NYS and other states) as reported on your federal tax return was more than $7500, you must also file a New York State tax return. If your income was less than $7500 but New York State tax was withheld and you would like a refund of that tax, you should also file a New York State tax return.
It is strongly recommended that you view one of the ISSS on-line web workshops for complete instructions on completing your New York State income tax return. There is also an on-line web workshop on federal income tax and CINTAX. All workshops and the New York State income tax forms may be accessed from the following link:
http://isss.binghamton.edu/taxes/webworkshp.htm
Need more time to complete your tax filing? You may request up to a six-month extension of your filing deadline, if you complete the appropriate extension form by Tuesday, April 15. See the following link for full details:
http://isss.binghamton.edu/taxes/taxexten.html17-Month STEM OPT Extension
Late last week, the Department of Homeland Security announced that an updated version of SEVIS will be launched on Friday, April 18, and if all goes well, schools should be able to begin processing applications for the 17-month post-completion STEM OPT extension now permitted under new regulations beginning Monday, April 21, 2008.
In order to obtain a 17-month STEM extension of post-completion OPT, the applicant must have already graduated, obtained their initial 12-month period of OPT, and be employed. In addition, the applicant’s field of study must be in the one of the approved STEM fields, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Please note that business curricula (including management information systems) as well as systems science, are not currently listed as approved STEM fields. Another key requirement is that the employer must be already registered in the Federal Government’s E-Verify employee verification system.
Currently, fewer than one percent of all US employers are registered in E-Verify. Four states have passed legislation mandating E-Verify be used by employers in the state – Georgia, Colorado, Oklahoma and Arizona.
Form I-765 Application for Employment Authorization
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has changed form I-765 to reflect the new OPT requirements. The new form is now required, and is available on the USCIS Web site at http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/I-765.pdf
The prior version of the form will be accepted only through May 8, 2008. The form and instructions have been changed to implement the new OPT regulations. Changes include:
(c)(3)(A) for pre-completion OPT
(c)(3)(B) for post-completion OPT
(c)(3)(C) for a 17-month STEM OPT extension.
New DHS Q & A
Also DHS has updated its Q & A on the new regulation, which can be found at:
http://www.uscis.gov/files/article/OPT_4Apr08.pdf
ISSS Information
The ISSS has updated its OPT checklist to reflect some of the new requirements. The new version is available at:
http://isss.binghamton.edu/emp/opt_list.htm
Please see our previous article at:
http://isss.binghamton.edu/emp/newOPT08rule.html for full information on the new regulation.
Still to Come
USCIS will issue new operating instructions to schools describing the new OPT procedures on April 18. As additional information becomes available, it shall be posted to ISSS-BU News.
3. Memorial Service for Victims of Virginia Tech Shootings on April 15
Wednesday, April 16th, 2008 marks the one-year anniversary of the shootings at Virginia Tech. Accordingly, a program has been organized that will pay tribute to all those lost. This program will also inform you of the security precautions implemented by Binghamton University and what you can do to help keep our campus safe. Students will also have the opportunity to share their concerns or thoughts regarding this tragedy by writing on a "memorial chain" at LateNite this coming week.
Event Information:
· The Memorial Chain will be available to students at LateNite on Thursday the 10th and Saturday the 12th, from 9pm-12am.
· The Memorial will take place on Tuesday, April 15th, at 6:30pm, in the Mandela Room (In the Old Union). Scheduled speakers include VP of Student Affairs, Brian Rose; Director of the University Counseling Center, Dr Elizabeth Droz; & Lt Mady Bay of the University Police Department.
For more information, please contact either Shmuel Bushwick (Sbushwi1@Binghamton.edu) or Taris Burgess (Tburges1@Binghamton.edu).
4. Turkish Scholar to Speak April 17
Umit Cizre, the Levin Distinguished Scholar in Turkish Affairs, SUNY, and professor of politics at Bilkent University, Ankara, will speak from 3:30-5 p.m. Thursday, April 17, in the Reinhardt Room, Library North Ground Floor Room 332. Cizre's talk is titled "Contemporary Turkish Politics: Demystifying Secularism and Political Islam." .
5. Traveling During the Next Spring Break?
Do you plan to travel during the Spring break? The second Spring break begins after classes on Friday, April 18 and continues through Monday, April 21. Classes resume on Tuesday, April 22. Whether you will travel within the United States or to another country during the second Spring break, be sure to read the ISSS article titled “Traveling During Spring Break”, available on the ISSS website in the “Travel” section. The direct link is http://isss.binghamton.edu/travel/springbrk.html
6. Latest News on H-1B Cap Filings
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has published two updates on H-1B cap filings.
The first update, published on April 10, 2008, announced that it had received nearly 163,000 H-1B petitions during the filing period of April 1, 2008-April 7, 2008. Of that number, 31,200 petitions were for individuals eligible for the US master’s degree or higher category.
The second update, published on April 14, 2008, announced that the random selection process for both the 20,000 US Master’s degree or higher cap, and then for the 65,000 general cap. Petitions that have made it through the random selection process should receive a receipt notice no later than June 2, 2008. Unselected petitions will be returned to the filer with the fee. Duplicate filings will be returned without the fee. The total review process is expected to take eight to ten weeks. For those who have made it through random selection and have requested 15-day premium processing, that period begins today, April 14.
USCIS has also announced that it has placed some H-1B petitions into a “waiting list” category, in the event that some petitions that make it through random selection are found to be ineligible. Those selected for the waiting list will receive a letter informing them of their status.
To read the text of both announcements, visit the following links:
http://www.uscis.gov/files/article/USCIS%20Update_H1B_Preliminary%20Count1_10Apr08.pdf
http://www.uscis.gov/files/article/Update_USCIS_Runs_H1-B_Random_Selection%20Process.pdf
7. Will the Travel Signature on Your SEVIS I-20 or SEVIS DS-2019 Expire Soon?
Later this week, the ISSS will begin publishing its annual Spring travel series, with up-to-date information on what you need to know if you are an international student who will travel this summer.
A large number of international students have SEVIS I-20s or SEVIS DS-2019s that are in need of an updated travel signature. Do you need a new travel signature from the ISSS? Take a look at your most recent I-20 or DS-2019. If you have an I-20, look at page 3. If you have a DS-2019, look at the travel signature in the lower right hand corner of page 1. If the date that the ISSS staff person signed the I-20 or DS-2019 for travel will be more than one year old upon your return to the United States, bring in the I-20 or DS-2019 to the ISSS for an updated signature. If you have a spouse and/or children with a dependent I-20 or DS-2019, the travel signature on that form should be updated as well.
Students traveling to Canada, or students already on authorized Optional Practical Training, require a travel signature on page 3 of the I-20 that will be less than six months old upon your return to the United States.
Note: If you have submitted an application to the ISSS for curricular practical training, optional practical training or extension of stay, you will receive an updated SEVIS I-20 with a new signature as part of the CPT, OPT or extension process.
8. Have You Submitted Your Practical Training Application Yet?
International students in F-1 status who will be graduating in May 2008 and plan to apply for optional practical training are reminded to file their practical training applications well in advance of the date they would like practical training to begin. Currently, the USCIS Vermont Processing Center is taking approximately twelve weeks to process EAD cards for practical training.
In general, the ISSS recommends that practical training applications be filed at least twelve weeks (three months) in advance of the requested starting date. Thanks to new regulations published on April 8, 2008, your application must be received by the USCIS Vermont Processing Center no later than sixty days following your degree completion date, which is May 17, 2008 for Spring 2008 graduate students, May 18, 2008 for undergraduate students. However, remember that an application filed that late will take an additional 12 weeks to process, and you cannot be employed until you have the Employment Authorization Document in hand. Applications are available in the ISSS. Please allow 7 to 10 days for ISSS processing. Still have questions? Then make an appointment with Karen Keefe-Guzikowski, Assistant Director or Amelia Shafer, International Student Advisor.
9. Early Registration for Fall 2008 Continues
Fall 2008 Early Registration is now underway, and will continue until May 9, 2008. The system is available from 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 a.m. (22 hrs. per day) seven days a week. Students’ time tickets (registration times) may be obtained from BU Brain, the student portal at http://bubrain.binghamton.edu You will need your BU user ID and pods password to sign-in.
Students are assigned times for early registration according to their total cumulative credits, including in-progress courses. Students can check their total cumulative credits by going to the BUSI web center http://busi.binghamton.edu and clicking on “View Grades and Credits.”
Before signing in to BU Brain, please read this important message that explains some of the new features you will encounter when advance registering: http://banner.binghamton.edu/students/
Check the Registration Times link from the BUSI Web Center for a list of the starting times. For full details, visit: http://registrar.binghamton.edu/newinfo.html#regdates
The Schedule of Classes for Fall 2008 is now available at http://bubrain.binghamton.edu/ The online schedule is the most up to date and accurate source of course information and is the only published version of the Schedule of Classes.
Students with outstanding financial obligations and students who haven't complied with health requirements to the Health Service office will be blocked from registering. Students can also view their account balances and pay any outstanding debts through the BUSI Web Center: http://busi.binghamton.edu.
10. Career Development Center Recommends OptimalResume
What it is:
OptimalResume is a service provided by the Career Development Center for designing a professional resume. The website allows students to create documents in multiple formats, including Word Compatible, Plain Text, PDF, and HTML and manage up to five unique resumes
Why we love it
How to access:
All Binghamton students have access to OptimalResume by visiting https://binghamton.optimalresume.com
Students, faculty and staff of Seneca Hall in College-in-the-Woods are partnering with Soles4Souls Inc., http://www.soles4souls.org/ a nonprofit organization from Nashville, Tenn., to collect 10,000 pairs of shoes to benefit victims of natural disasters and others in need.
Donation drop boxes have been placed in every residence hall across campus and the six-week drive will conclude May 9, the last day of classes. Soles4Souls has donated more than 3 million pairs of shoes to residents of nearly 60 countries since its 2004 inception, beginning with the original drive that collected 250,000 pairs of shoes for survivors of the Southeast Asia tsunami.
Soles4Souls collects shoes of every style, size and for any event, although sneakers are often the most needed. For more information about the Binghamton drive, contact Jessica Gahring at 777-5122 or email jgahring@binghamton.edu
12. Career Development Center Recommends OptimalResume
With the passage of April 15, 2008, this year’s income tax season will come to a close. The ISSS wishes to thank Mr. Jim Rollo for providing volunteer income tax services this year. For students who used CINTAX, your CINTAX tax records remain available to you until June 15, 2008, at which time all files will be deleted. Be sure to print and save a copy of all income tax returns, and keep them in a safe place with your important records. The ISSS will continue to provide CINTAX access codes to any student who is filing late, and will maintain its supply of income tax forms for several more weeks, to allow for students who need to file amended returns or those who are filing late. Then, the forms will be placed in storage.
To sign on to ISSS-BU from an e-mail account on the Binghamton.edu server, send an e-mail message to
listserv@listserv.binghamton.edu
Leave the subject line blank. In the message text, type: subscribe ISSS-BU first name last name
Replace “first name last name” with your name.
If your e-mail account is on a server other than Binghamton.edu, send an e-mail message to isss@binghamton.edu
In the message text, type: Please subscribe isss-bu, your e-mail address, your first and last name.
If you are a registered student and don't have an e-mail account, you may claim an e-mail address and password http://busi.binghamton.edu/welcome.html Be sure to read and follow the instructions carefully. If you encounter difficulty, visit the Help Desk in the lobby of the Computer Services building.