ISS Listserv
MAR 21, 2008
ISS LISTSERV MENU: Holi / U.S. Public Assistance / TAX workshops / Regina Henry International Student Scholarship Fund / Loans for Latin Students / Cultural Night / USCIS Rule on H1-B Visa / Study in Costa Rica / NASA Event ________________________________________________________________
Holi - March 23, South Side Library Lawn (Near the Atherton Hotel Parking Lot)
The South Side of the Library Lawn has been reserved for the celebration of Holi. You may use that area to play Holi, please note ISA will not be providing the colors, you will need to get them yourself. We are merely providing you with a location to celebrate and enjoy with your friends. Water hoses will be made available.
For any questions please contact ISA President, Shireen Hyrapiet at shireen.hyrapiet@okstate.edu.
_________________________________________________________________
ACCEPTING US. GOVERNMENT PUBLIC ASSISTANCE OR PUBLIC BENEFITS…………………please be aware of the consequences!
Just a reminder as an F-1 and J-1 student or scholar you and your families are not eligible for “public aid or assistance” as non-immigrants in the U.S. Common forms of “public aid or assistance” are subsidized housing, food stamps, medical care, and nutritious foods for pregnant women and children.
When you accept “public aid or assistance” benefits it may cause you to lose your legal status in the United States and prevent your lawful re-entry into this country. At the time you applied for an F or J status you certified to the U.S. Consulate that you and your family had sufficient funds to support yourselves while pursuing the degree in the U.S.
At present cooperation between state social service agencies and the Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) and Department of State make it possible for a Port of Entry inspector or U.S. Consular officer to verify that a student and his/her family have accepted “public aid or assistance” benefits. The acceptance of “public aid or assistance” benefits is interpreted that the student is unable to meet his or her financial obligations and which makes him or herself ineligible for F-1 or J-1 status.
You may have heard from other international families that social service agencies, hospitals or public housing administrators may offer such assistance and not realize that non-immigrants are ineligible for “public aid or assistance” benefits. Additionally, even though U.S. born children of non-immigrant parents may be eligible for pre and post-natal public benefits, the non-immigrant parents may still be denied visas or re-entry based upon the child’s receiving those benefits. Again this could be interpreted as the non-immigrant family not being able to meet their financial obligations despite the child being born as a U.S. citizen.
In order to avoid financial difficulties it is suggested that you and your family:
1) purchase health insurance
2) carefully budget your financial resources during your educational period
3) seek advice about financial concerns before a crisis arises.
Women who become pregnant before medical insurance is purchased will not be covered under most insurance plans because the pregnancy is a pre-existing condition. If the family cannot afford the birth of the child in the U.S. another option would be to return home for the duration of the pregnancy and the delivery.
If you have additional questions or concerns please contact the ISS office at 405-744-5954.
___________________________________________________________________
TAX HELP FOR INTERNATIONALS 2008 WORKSHOPS TO SHOW YOU HOW TO USE SPECIAL SOFTWARE AND HOW TO COMPLETE OKLAHOMA TAX FORMS
Bring any tax forms you have such as W-2 or 1042-S or 1099. You must know your passport number. Please also bring a hard copy of your last year’s tax return.
| Tuesday | March 25 | CLB Computer Lab | 7.00 PM |
| Thursday | April 3 | CLB Computer Lab | 7.00 PM |
| Saturday | April 12 | CLB Computer Lab | 1.00 PM |
SPONSORED BY VITA FOR INTERNATIONALS
___________________________________________________________________
REGINA HENRY INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP FUND
This scholarship will award $250 for the Fall semester 2008 to a full-time international student selected by a committee appointed by the Director of the Oklahoma State University Student Union. All application packets must be received by 5:00pm on April 07, 2007. Application packets must be brought, in person, to 076 Student Union. Use this link to download the application packet: http://union.okstate.edu/iss/Resources/Forms.htm
____________________________________________________________________
RESOURCES ON INTEREST-FREE STUDENT LOANS
Applications accepted year-round. The Rowe Fund is the student loan program of the Organization of American States. It awards interest-free loans to qualified persons from Latin American and Caribbean countries to help finance graduate, postgraduate, and the final two years of undergraduate studies at accredited universities within the United States.
For more information visit the website at http://www.oas.org/rowe/purpose.asp
____________________________________________________________________
This week at iSo
Have a good and safe Spring Break!
The International Student Organization is hosting its BIGGEST event of the year: Cultural Night 2008 to welcome students back after Spring Break. The event will be held at 7pm Friday, March 28th and Saturday, March 29th in the Seretean Center. This two night extravaganza is an opportunity for our 14 International Area Clubs to display their respective cultures and spotlight the tremendous diversity found right here in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Cultural Night is the culmination of both fall and spring semesters’ long list of international events across campus. This year, our theme is “Unity in Diversity.”
Tickets are NOW available at Chi-O-Clock or in front of Student Union Bookstore (11am -2pm) and Adams Market (6pm- 7pm) (not including Spring break March 17- March 21). To reserve tickets, call us at 405-744-6506 or e-mail iso@orgs.okstate.edu. On Friday, tickets are $8/person and $3/ person under 18. On Saturday, tickets are $8/person. Cash and Bursar Charge are accepted.
Check out our Web site at www.orgs.okstate.edu/iSo
_____________________________________________________________________
USCIS Announces Interim Rule on H-1B Visas
Rule Modifies Selection Process and Prohibits Multiple Filings
WASHINGTON - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) transmitted an interim final rule to the Federal Register today that prohibits employers from filing multiple H-1B petitions for the same employee. These changes will ensure that companies filing H-1B petitions subject to congressionally mandated numerical limits have an equal chance to employ an H-1B worker. To ensure a fair and orderly distribution of available H-1B visas, USCIS will deny or revoke multiple petitions filed by an employer for the same H-1B worker and will not refund the filing fees submitted with multiple or duplicative petitions.
This rule does not preclude related employers (such as a parent company and its subsidiary) from filing petitions on behalf of the same alien for different positions, based on a legitimate business need. The interim final rule becomes effective upon publication in the Federal Register. Last August, President Bush announced that the Administration would be undertaking a series of immigration and border security reforms. The changes to the H-1B filing process under this rule are an important part of that initiative.
On April 1, 2008, employers may file petitions requesting H-1B workers for fiscal year 2009 employment starting on October 1, 2008. For fiscal year 2009, Congress has set a limit of 65,000 for most H-1B workers. Additionally, the first 20,000 H-1B workers who have a U.S. master’s degree or higher are exempt from the cap. Under current procedures, which are not changed by this rule, once USCIS receives 20,000 petitions for aliens with a U.S. master’s degree or higher, all other cases requesting the educational exemption are counted toward the 65,000 cap. Once the 65,000 cap is reached for a fiscal year, USCIS will announce that the cap has been filled and reject further petitions subject to the cap.
This rule also stipulates that if USCIS determines the number of H-1B petitions received meets the cap within the first five business days of accepting applications for the coming fiscal year, USCIS will apply a random selection process among all H-1B petitions received during this time period. If the 20,000 advanced degree limit is reached during the first five business days, USCIS will randomly select from those petitions ahead of conducting the random selection for the 65,000 limit. Petitions subject to the 20,000 limit that are not selected in that random selection will be considered with the other H-1B petitions in the random selection for the 65,000 limit. The rule further clarifies that USCIS will deny petitions that incorrectly claim an exemption from any H-1B numerical limits. Those filing fees will not be returned.
_________________________________________________________________
STUDY IN COSTA RICA
Dear Students:
The College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources would like to invite you to participate in a nine-day Study Abroad program in Costa Rica . This course presents an opportunity to make new friends and experience the wonders of Central America .
Costa Rica Study Abroad Course – AG 3080 (I) / AGEC 5990
Earn three Graduate Credits and Visit Costa Rica
Date of Travel: Monday June 16, 2008 – June 24, 2008
Three Undergraduate/Graduate Credits: You will earn three undergraduate credits from OSU (satisfies the “I” international dimension of the general education requirements at OSU).
Course Cost: Total $2,690 (trip cost which includes international airfare, tuition, room and board, admission fees, local transportation). This is one of the lowest study abroad courses offered!
Scholarships: You will be eligible to apply for $500.00 scholarships from the Study Abroad Office at OSU on a first-come-first-served basis (more detailed info is attached). Also, check with your academic advisor for the availability of college-level scholarships.
If you are interested, in order to save your spot, fill out the application form from the website given below and pay the deposit of $150.00. The full payment needs to be at my office by March 25. The application is available on the following website:
http://internationalagprograms.okstate.edu/studyabroad/Faculty_Advisors_Page.htm
Go to the last item: “Click Here for An Application Form to Give To Interested Students”. Please mail your application to my address below.
Dr. Shida Henneberry, Dept. of Agricultural Economics, 308 Ag Hall.
Contact me (srh@okstate.edu, 744-6178) if you are interested.
____________________________________________________________________
NATIVE AMERICAN STUDENT ASSOCIATION EVENT
The NASA is hosting a Stompdance and Stickball Exhibition Saturday, March 29. The Schedule of events is as follows:
1:00Pm Stickball OSU Rugby Fields
6:00Pm Dinner SU Starlight Terrace
7:00PM Stompdance SU Starlight Terrace
For more information contact: Ashleigh Coser, at 405-413-3938 acoser@okstate.edu or Robin Williams at 405-744-0401 robin.starr.williams@okstate.edu