From: VISA Office
Date: August 12, 2020
Subject: ISS News, August 12, 2020: SEVP's Fall 2020 Guidance, Important Quarantine Update, New Student Check-In Process, Transportation & Move-In, Virtual Advising, Furniture Giveaway, Good Vibes, & More!



IS

August 12, 2020

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in this issue:

  1. SEVP's Fall Guidance- What You Need to Know!
  2. Chat With ISS Staff During Advising Hours
  3. BMV Reopens
  4. Applying for the SSN While Social Security Office are Closed
  5. Tuition Payment Information
  6. Good Vibes Only
  7. Check In with ISS
  8. Campus Events
  9. Other Opportunities
  10. Important Quarantine Update
  11. Airport Transportation & Moving Into On-Campus Housing

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ISS Staff is available to students, without an appointment, on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday during advising hours:

11am to 3pm- through virtual advising available online

There are no advising hours on Wednesday.

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If you need to speak with an advisor outside of our advising hours, please send an email to international@case.edu to schedule an appointment. Please provide your full, legal name and a brief description of the nature of your appointment when you contact us.

sevp logo

SEVP's Fall Guidance- What You Need to Know! 

All students should have received an email from ISS on July 28 with information about SEVP's guidance and how it relates to the Fall 2020 semester.  The email contained detailed information about how students are eligible to maintain status and what students can expect if maintaining status is not currently an option. This communication can be found in its entirety on our website along with other communications we have sent throughout the summer.

We know that you may have questions. We welcome you to send them to us at international@case.edu and we will do our best to provide you with answers. We will continue to monitor the guidance and communicate with you as needed throughout the semester!

check in on a computer screen

Check In with ISS

If you are beginning a program at CWRU this semester or received a check-in message from ISS, you need to check in online as part of the process to maintain your visa status.

If you will be on campus this semester to begin your program, please access the Instructions on How to Check In with ISS and complete the process.  Please note that you: 

  • check in online AFTER you arrive in the US with your valid I-20 or DS-2019
  • can check in up to 30 days before the program start date listed on your I-20 or DS-2019
  • must check in by the start date listed on your I-20 or DS-2019If there is a delay, please notify us immediately
We cannot process any on-campus employment or Social Security Number paperwork until you have been checked in.

If you will not be coming to the United States this fall, and are either attending courses remotely from abroad or deferring your admission to a future semester, report your plans using this form. DO NOT check in using the instructions above.  

Once you submit the form, your information will be logged and an ISS advisor will work with you later in the Fall to ensure that steps are taken so that you can begin your studies on campus in the future. You do not need to take any other action besides submitting the form and replying to any follow-up emails we send to you later.

ISS will begin reaching out to students after we have completed mandatory reporting requirements for all students who arrive for Fall 2020.  This process will take several weeks to complete after classes begin on August 24.
cdc logo

Important Quarantine Update


We want to make sure you are aware of recent federal changes regarding quarantine. Earlier this month the Centers for Disease Control lifted quarantine requirement for all people traveling from a location outside of the U.S. As a result, those coming from other countries—whether international students or citizens here—no longer have to quarantine for 14 days.  That said, the requirement that all students living on campus be tested for COVID-19 as part of move-in continues.

A message about changes to quarantine requirements was sent to all international students on August 11 and that can be viewed on our website.

Students coming from within the United States may be subject to quarantine based on Ohio Department of Health guidance.  A message was sent by the university on July 31 and can be viewed here.
aerial view of North Campus

Airport Transportation & Moving Into On-Campus Housing 

There are multiple transportation options available from the airport, including Uber, Lyft, and taxis. Taxis are available at the taxi entrance at the South end of Baggage Claim, and ridesharing pick up (Uber/Lyft) can be coordinated for outside the lower roadway in the Baggage Claim area.

Once you arrive on campus, the North Residential Village Area Office/Wade Commons (11451 Juniper Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106), is where you will go to gain access to your dorm room. It will be open during the following times:

  • Monday, August 17 - 9:00 am - 8:00 pm
  • Tuesday, August 18 - 9:00 am - 8:00 pm
  • Wednesday, August 19 - 9:00 am - 8:00 pm

In order to make your move-in process smoother and more efficient, please sign up for a move-in time slot on MyHousing. Students moving in on August 17, 18, and 19 need to sign up for a move-in time.

If you arrive on campus when the North Residential Village Area Office/Wade Commons is closed (after 8:00 pm), we are partnering with CWRU Police and Security officers who will be glad to provide you with assistance in safely finding your dorm once you arrive on campus! Simply follow the instructions provided through our email communication about transportation and move-in sent on August 11. You can read the full communication on our website as well.

virtual advising chat box

Chat with ISS Staff Online During Advising Hours
We Are Here All Summer

Virtual Advising is available Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., EST.

If you have a question or concern that you need to address during that time frame, reach out to an advisor through the chat box. The chat box (it looks just like the picture) will be available on our website.

tuition payment information sign

Tuition Payment Information

The SIS Financial Guide at https://case.edu/studentaccounts/your-student-account/sis-financial-guide will help students navigate and manage their finances through the SIS Finances.

Payments towards tuition and fees may be made through Flywire (also referred to peerTransfer), CWRU's partnered international payment processor, using the student's local currency. Flywire supports various payment methods depending on the local currency (direct bank to bank transfers, UnionPay Online Payments, Visa/Mastercard, or Alipay.com, which is an equivalent service to PayPal in the United States). Any and all transaction fees are disclosed up front and the currency conversion rate and fees are guaranteed to be lower than competing banks.

Students should not use other third-party payment provider, except those outlined at https://case.edu/studentaccounts/billing-payments/payment-options, to pay their tuition bill.

bmv offices reopen
get in line online for BMV
ssa logo

Schedule an Appointment to Apply for SSN

While Social Security offices are closed due to COVID-19, you will need to schedule an appointment to submit your application for the SSN.  ISS staff has spoken with staff at the Shaker Heights office and here is the protocol to follow:

  1. Call 1-877-635-3546, then press "2" as an option for the first menu, then press "0" to speak with a staff member.
  2. Tell the staff member that you would like to meet with a manager to apply for the SSN.  Managers are generally available on Monday and Tuesday mornings.
  3. The staff member will ask for your full, legal name to enter your appointment in the system. Speak very slowly and clearly.  It will be helpful to spell your name using examples ( C for Charlie, A for Apple, T for Turtle, etc.).
  4. A 30 minute appointment will be scheduled for you. You MUST be prompt.  ISS recommends that you arrive 5-10 minutes early.
  5. On the day of your appointment, you must have all of your documentation in order and completed:
  6. When you arrive for your appointment, go to the front door of the office, wearing a mask, and be ready to hand your completed paperwork to the manager.
  7. The manager will take your documents inside to process and return to let you know when everything is complete.
  8. You should expect to receive your SSN at the address that you list on your SS-5 when it is ready.

We hope this information is helpful to you.  If you need to visit a different Social Security Administration, you can find a location near you by visiting their website.  Call that office and ask what their SSN application process is.

Campus Happenings

Other Opportunities

furniture give away flyer

Good Vibes Only

During this very challenging time, ISS staff wants you to know that we are thinking about you- hoping you are safe, healthy, staying positive- and sending out good vibes!

In this section, we are including some things that we hope will make you laugh and smile, help you relax, be entertaining, give you something to do, etc.

This is a good vibes only section!

fork calligraphy

Fork Calligraphy is AMAZING!

dotillism paintings by Elspeth McLean

Tiny Dots = Mesmerizing Art!