ISS Listserv
MAR 27, 2008
ISS LISTSERV MENU: Jamaican Cultural Dinner / SUAB Movie / Cultural Night this weekend / USCIS Rules on H1-B Visas / Last two TAX workshops / Regina Henry International Student Scholarship application / Dangers of Accepting Public Assistance / NASA Event / Mom’s Day craft Show coming soon
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JAMAICAN CULTURAL DINNER......................TONIGHT!!!
The Jamaican Cultural Dinner will be held on Thursday, March 27 in the Student Union Starlight Terrace. It begins at 5:30 PM and ends at 7:30 PM. The cost of the dinner is $7.50 and bursar, meal plan, and cash are accepted! The menu will include:
-Spicy Jamaican Slaw
-Jamaican Curried Chicken
-Jerked Pork
-Jamaican Beef Pattie
-Rice & Peas
-Succotash & Okra
-Tangy Pineapple Cabbage
-Jamaican Jungle Bread (dessert) _____________________________________________________________________
SUAB MOVIE
SUAB will be showing Charlie Wilson’s War http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472062/ will play at the Student Union, March 28th and 29th at 7:00 and 9:30 pm.
As Always admission is $2 per person! Check out the SUAB website for more info on their upcoming events. http://www.orgs.okstate.edu/suab/
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This week at iSo……..Cultural Night on Friday &Saturday!
iSo would like to invite you to the biggest event of the year: Cultural Night: 7pm on Fri, March 28 and Sat, March 29 at Seretean Center.
The Emcee for the evening festivities will be our own “Mr. International” Akshar Awalgaonkar!!!
Tickets are available at:
1. ISS office- 076 Student Union
2. Chi-o-clock or in front of SU bookstore (from 11am-2pm)
3. Adams Market (from 5pm-7pm)
Buy 1 ticket get 1 permanent discount card from Kyoto Restaurant. Tickets are $8/person on Sat and Fri and $3/person under 18 (only on Fri).
More information, check out www.orgs.okstate.edu/iSo
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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.
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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.
| Thursday | April 3 | CLB Computer Lab | 7.00 PM |
| Saturday | April 12 | CLB Computer Lab | 1.00 PM |
SPONSORED BY VITA FOR INTERNATIONALS
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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
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ACCEPTING U.S. 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.
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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
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The Mom's Day Craft Show will be held on April 5, 2008 in the Student Union Atrium on the OSU-Stillwater Campus from 10:00a.m. until 3:00p.m.
Vendors will offer unique handmade items including; quilts, kitchen linens, candles, soaps, food items, scrapbook pages, clothing, handbags and accessories, jewelry, home decor, art work, Greek letter items and much more.
Everyone in the campus and community is invited to join us for FREE coffee and donuts until 11:00am and a chocolate fountain from 11:00am until 2:00pm.
For more information please visit the OSU Parents Association website at http://union.okstate.edu/ParentsAssociation/index.htm Or call 405-744-5406.