ISSS Orientation 2015
An overview of F-1 & J-1 student immigration
documents, how to maintain status, on- and offcampus work, and other international student issues
International Student & Scholar Services
Staff
Doris Clausen, Associate Dean (dclausen@stevens.edu)
Elizabeth Gill, Associate Director (egill@stevens.edu)
Caitlin Chavarria, Advisor (cross@stevens.edu)
Karine Nanagoulian, Incoming International Student Advisor
(knanagou@stevens.edu)
Jean Lee, Advisor (hlee4@stevens.edu)
Trinh Nguyen, Coordinator (tnguyen4@stevens.edu)
Student Workers
Shilpi Talukdar
Sushmita De
Location & Office Hours
Howe Center, 5th Floor
Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM
Open office hours: Mon. & Thurs. 1:30-3 PM
Tues. 1:30-4:30 PM
Points-of-Contact
Ms. Elizabeth Gill (egill@stevens.edu), Associate Director:
• Graduate students in the Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of Engineering & Science
• Excluding the following departments: Chemical Engineering & Materials Science,
Mathematical Sciences
Ms. Jean Lee (hlee4@stevens.edu), Advisor:
• All J-1 students and scholars
• All students in the School of Systems & Enterprises (SSE)
• All students in the Department of Mathematical Sciences
Ms. Trinh Nguyen (tnguyen4@stevens.edu), Coordinator:
• All undergraduate students (excluding students in the SSE and Mathematical Sciences)
• All students in the School of Business
• All students in the Department of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science
• All students in the College of Arts and Letters
Check In!
MOST IMPORTANT:
You must have checked in with our
offices during the check-in session OR in
our office before today. For anyone who
missed check-in (tell your friends!), you
must check in at our offices on the 5th floor
of the Howe Center no later than August
31, 2015!
Immigration Who’s Who
• The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) consists of
three main immigration-related agencies: USCIS, ICE, and CBP
• Customs and Border Protection (CBP) manages arrivals to
and departures from the U.S.
• United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
(USCIS) grants immigration benefits (such as work
authorization) in the U.S.
• U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
handles immigration enforcement
• ICE is in charge of the Student and Exchange Visitor
Information System (SEVIS), an online database that
stores all information on individuals with F, J, or M status
• Stevens is required to report on all F and J students
and scholars in SEVIS
Maintaining Immigration Documents
Visa
• “Key” to enter the U.S. to study
• Multiple entries (M) or limited entries (1 or 2)
• Can leave and reenter up to the expiration date
• Ok if it expires while you are in the U.S.; not necessary to
renew it unless traveling outside U.S. and returning
• We recommend you renew your visa in your home country
• If you changed your status to F-1 or J-1 while in the U.S., you
must apply for an F-1/J-1 visa the first time you leave the U.S.
• Name of school on your visa does not have to be
Stevens as long as the visa has not expired and
your SEVIS ID is the same
Visa (cont’d)
• Give time for the visa renewal; don’t do it during spring break! We
recommend you renew your visa at least one month before you plan
to return to the U.S.
• Guidance for renewing your visa is on our website here:
http://stevens.edu/sit/isss/travel.
Passport
• For most students, passport must be valid six months
into the future at all times, so make sure to renew it early!
• Can renew at your country’s embassy or consulate in
NYC or D.C.
• After renewing your passport, you must continue to
carry the old passport that contains your F-1/J-1 visa.
A valid visa in an expired passport is still useable!
I-94
• Says why you are here (F-1 or J-1) and how long you can stay:
D/S (duration of status; you can stay in the U.S. for as long as you are
engaged in full-time study or authorized work)
• Always check I-94 stamp before leaving the Port of Entry (airport or
U.S. border). If anything is incorrect, get it fixed before you leave the
airport.
• Some institutions (like DMV, SSA, USCIS) may require a printout of
your electronic I-94 information; you can make the printout here:
www.cbp.gov/i94.
I-20/DS-2019
• Agreement with the U.S. government regarding your F-1/J-1 status
• Tells where you are studying, what your educational objective is,
how long it will take you to complete that objective, and how you
are supporting the costs of studying and living here.
Any document that changes must
be photocopied for ISSS files.
You should carry copies of your
immigration documents or the
originals with you at all times!
Maintaining Status: Full Course of Study
• Required credits for fall & spring for each program
(summer is not a required term)
• 12 per semester for undergraduates
• 9 per semester for graduates
• 6 per semester for graduate certificate program
• Students must register for the required credits
listed above EVERY fall and spring semester.
• Full course of study equivalencies (with permission from ISSS)
• Final semester of undergraduate/graduate study (must take all
remaining courses)
• Only thesis or dissertation remaining (must register for D-999)
• Other reasons listed on the Reduced Course Load Request form
• Web Courses (online)
• F-1 students can only register for 3
required credits online per semester
• J-1 students must take all required courses
on campus
Full Course of Study (cont’d)
• Class registration is assessed at end of
drop/add period
• If registered for the correct number of
credits, student is registered in SEVIS.
• If not, student will be contacted; failure to register
full-time will result in termination of F-1 record.
• Final grade evaluation
• After final grades have been submitted to Registrar
• Any student who drops below full-time can be
terminated for non-attendance.
• If only one class is remaining in final semester, it
cannot be taken online; it must be on campus.
Reduced Course Load
• All reduced course loads (even during thesis/
dissertation work, etc.) must be authorized by a
Designated School Official (ISSS staff)
• Only for a very specific list of academic issues
• For medical conditions with documentation from a
medical doctor, clinical psychologist, or doctor of
osteopathy
• A student who reduces his/her course load without
ISSS authorization will have his/her record terminated
in SEVIS!
Changes to the I-20/DS-2019/SEVIS
Record
• Types
• Change of address:
You MUST change your
address in your My Stevens
account
• Change of name (must provide proof)
• Change of financial support/sponsorship
• Change of major
• Addition of minor or second major
• Report change within 10 days of its occurrence
• Most changes should also be reported to
Student Services or via your
MyStevens account
Travel
• Within the U.S.
• Take your passport, student ID card, and
Form I-20/DS-2019. Make sure all your
immigration documents are always in a safe place.
• Outside the U.S.
• Passport valid for at least 6 months into the future from date of entry
• A valid F-1/J-1 visa (unexpired– if expired, you will
need to anticipate additional time for visa renewal)
• Form I-20/DS-2019 with a valid travel signature from ISSS
•
•
I-20: The travel signature (2nd or 3rd page of I-20) is valid for one year,
so you will need one the first time you travel and a new one whenever it
expires.
DS-2019: The travel signature (1st page) is valid for either 1 year or the
duration of your program, whichever is shorter.
• If you have a paper I-94 card, see our website.
• Academic transcripts and documentation of your financial
support are highly recommended.
• Travel to Canada, Mexico, or
contiguous islands
http://stevens.edu/sit/isss/travel
Concurrent Enrollment
• F-1 students are permitted to take
courses at other SEVIS-approved schools
• Consult with the ISSS and your academic
adviser BEFORE registering for a
course(s) at another school; you must
submit an application to ISSS to do this!
Leave of Absence & School Transfer
Leaves of absence and school transfers have
specific deadlines and procedures in the
SEVIS system. If you need to take a leave or
wish to transfer to another school, please
contact ISSS before moving forward with
either of these processes so that we can
properly assist you.
Program End Date
• If you decide to leave before your program end date, you must
apply for Authorized Early Withdrawal (contact us!)
• If you need more time to complete your program (i.e., you
changed your major or added a second major), you must apply
for a Program Extension. You should apply for an extension
if you think you will not graduate; you cannot extend your
I-20 or DS-2019 after your program end date.
• If you will graduate early, you must request that your I-20/DS2019 be shortened and must provide proof of anticipated
graduation date.
Program End Date (cont’d)
ONLY options in the 60-day grace period
(F-1 students) or 30-day grace period (J-1 students)
after your program end date:
• Depart the U.S.
• Transfer to another school
• Change education level or program
• Start post-completion OPT or Academic Training
Violations of Status
• What are some examples of violations of status?
• Not pursuing a full course of study or not
getting permission to reduce course load
• Working without permission or exceeding the
limitations of your authorized work
• Not complying with immigration’s procedures
for transferring schools, changing levels, extending
the time you need to complete a program of study,
or departing the U.S.
• If you violate your status, arrange to meet with an ISSS
staff member immediately so you may be advised of your
options.
• Violations of status must be reported to immigration in
SEVIS by the ISSS staff.
Deadline Overview
Please see our “Deadline
Overview” handout here
for a helpful guide to the
various timelines you must
follow in order to maintain
your F-1/J-1 status!:
http://www.stevens.edu/sit/isss/forms
On-Campus Work
• 20 hours per week
• During fall and spring semesters
• Total among all departments, including
R.A./R.D. positions, assistantships, etc.
• Full-time work
• During official school breaks included in the program (Includes
winter holiday, spring break, and summer break)
• Organizations that operate within the college to serve
students, such as the cafeteria, are counted as “on-campus.”
• Volunteer Positions (such as orientation leaders) not counted,
but please check to make sure you are allowed to volunteer.
• F-1/J-1 students in their first semester cannot start working
more than 30 days before the first day of classes
• No on-campus work after completing your program of study
Off-Campus Work
F-1:
• Optional Practical Training (OPT)
• Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
• Employment with an International Organization
• Economic Hardship Employment
Information and online workshops for OPT and CPT are located here:
• CPT: http://www.stevens.edu/sit/isss/f1-students#cpt
• OPT: http://www.stevens.edu/sit/isss/f1-students#opt
J-1:
• Academic Training
• Economic Hardship Employment
Both paid and unpaid work/internships require work
authorization!
J-1-Specific Issues
• Health Insurance
• All J-1 students, including any J-2 dependents, are required to
have health insurance that meets certain standards of coverage
for sickness, accident, medical evacuation, and repatriation of
remains throughout the duration of their program. Please
contact Caitlin Chavarria if you have any questions about this
requirement.
• On Campus Employment
• Any on-campus employment, including assistantships,
fellowships, and work in conjunction with scholarships, must be
authorized by the ISSS/program sponsor in the SEVIS system
before J-1 students can begin working and authorization must
be renewed every 12 months, if employment
is on-going.
Social Security
• You must have a job to receive a Social Security #.
• Social Security number is required to get paid for
employment but not to start working.
• You can get an SSN letter (for your on-campus
employer to sign) and information about applying for
the SSN from our website:
http://www.stevens.edu/sit/isss/life-in-the-us.
Driver’s Licenses
• Commonly used as a form of U.S. ID
• Information located on our website:
http://stevens.edu/sit/isss/life-in-the-us
• You can also contact the Department of Motor
Vehicles:
1-888-486-3339 or http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/
• If you are living in NY and attending Stevens,
you will probably not be eligible for a driver’s license
in either NY or NJ, but you are welcome to try.
• Important: To apply for an SSN or driver’s license, your F-1/J1 record must be registered in SEVIS (made “active”). New
students’ F-1 records will not become active until ~9/29/2015.
IRS Reporting
• Information about filing your taxes
is located here:
http://www.stevens.edu/sit/isss/life-in-the-us
• Form 8843 (for all F1/J1 students)
• Required by U.S. law to be completed
by students every year
• Deadline to file: June 15 (postmark)
• Form 1040 NR/NR-EZ (for students who worked)
• For a non-resident (NR) who had
any U.S. source of income
• Deadline to file: April 15
• We will e-mail more information
about tax filing early
in the new year.
Helpful Resources & Best Wishes
Resources:
• ISSS Website: http://stevens.edu/sit/isss
• Facebook Page (Stevens Institute of Technology
International Student & Scholar Services)
•
www.one-to-world.org
• Conversation beyond Borders
• Phone- 201-216-5189
We wish you the best of luck in your studies here,
and we’re happy to answer any of your questions to
help you maintain your immigration status!