From: VISA Office
Date: April 13, 2022
Subject: ISS News, April 13, 2022: ISS Staff Unavailable Today 11am to 3pm, The Center for International Affairs' 10-Year Anniversary Events, Tax Filing Deadline April 18, End of Semester Reminders, Ukraine Conversations, Summer Course Offerings, Good Vibes, and M


IS

April 13, 2022

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in this issue:

  1. Beware of Scams
  2. End of Semester Reminders
  3. OPT & CPT Workshops
  4. Tax Information for 2021- Filing Deadline is April 18
  5. Features
  6. Campus Happenings
  7. Other Opportunities
  8. Good Vibes Only
  9. ISSNews Summer Schedule
  10. The Center for International Affairs' 10-Year Celebration
  11. ISS Staff Unavailable Today
 

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

11am to 1pm- through virtual advising available online

1pm to 3pm- through in-person advising in the office

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.

pink post it note with schedule change written on it.

ISS Staff Unavailable Today, Noon to 3 p.m.

Staff will be participating in a 10-Year Celebration event today, April 13, and unavailable from 12 p.m. until 3 p.m.  

Staff will also be unavailable tomorrow, April 14, from 8:30 until 11 a.m.

Please plan your visit to ISS when staff members are in the office and able to assist you. 

Tax Information for 2021- Filing Deadline is April 18

Forms & Sprintax Availablity

Sprintax is a tax-return-preparation software program designed primarily for international students and other educational visa holders. It can help you prepare your U.S. federal income tax return, which you are legally required to file to the Internal Revenue Service.  ISS has arranged free access to Sprintax for your federal tax filing needs.

You may access Sprintax and begin preparing your tax return by following these steps:

  1. Register and follow the simple instructions
  2. Complete the online questionnaire
  3. Enter Case Western Reserve University’s unique code. This code was sent to you via email on February 1.
  4. Sprintax will prepare your tax return

If Sprintax determines that you are required to file state taxes, you will have the opportunity to prepare those state taxes. You are not required to use Sprintax to file state taxes but, remember, it is your responsibility to comply with the law and properly file all taxes.

If by now, you haven't received your W-2 from CWRU, contact Payroll at payroll@case.edu. If you were authorized to work for another employer, you should contact their payroll department.

For more information regarding the 1098-T, please visit Financial Services website to download the Nonresident Alien 1098-T Request Form.

1042-S forms will be prepared by mid-March and sent to students by Payroll. Please contact Payroll if you have questions about the issuance of your 1042-S.

For more information, visit our Information on Filing Taxes page and if you have any questions, the Sprintax team will be happy to help via their 24/7 live chat function or email hello@sprintax.com. ISS staff members cannot advise you on your questions, which is why we partner with the experts at Sprintax.

Sprintax logo

Final Sprintax Tax Webinar to Prepare for Tax Filing Season 2021

ISS partners with the tax experts at Sprintax who offer tax filing services to international students that are considered non-resident aliens for tax purposes. The Sprintax team will be hosting a series of free open tax webinars to provide helpful information around non-resident tax filing obligations.

You can find the details and registration links below for each:  The informational webinars will cover the same topics on each occasion:
  • An overview of tax for nonresident students and scholars
  • Who must file a 2021 US tax return
  • What income forms students may receive
  • Forms that need to be completed and sent to the IRS
  • Terms like FICA, ITIN, and Form 1098-T
  • What happens if students don’t file or misfile
  • State tax returns
  • Sprintax overview
Sprintax also released a new blog, How to Prepare for the 2021 US Tax season, which you are welcome to view.
keep calm the semester is about to end meme

End of Semester Reminders

If you have thoughts about traveling abroad during the break, be sure to ask yourself these questions:

Do I need to extend my I-20 or DS-2019? If you do, read more under the Frequently Asked Questions Section. Undergraduates, be sure to list your Dean in Undergraduate Studies on your request and graduate students, you should list your academic advisor.

Do I need to transfer my F-1 or J-1 SEVIS record? If you do, read more under the Frequently Asked Questions Section.

Do I need to get a new travel signature on my I-20 or DS-2019? If you do, you can read about that process and other factors related to travel and reentry for F-1 and J-1 students.

Also,

  • be aware of all travel-related policies. Travel requirements are changing as the situation with COVID-19 evolves, including a Presidential Proclamation requiring travelers to be fully vaccinated in order to enter the US.  Be sure that you are monitoring all requirements for entry to the United States and complying with university policies related to vaccination and travel to minimize the risk of disrupting your education at CWRU. **If you have any doubts or concerns about your ability to return to the United States by the start of the next semester, ISS recommends that you consider remaining in the United States and not traveling abroad.**
  • check the validity of the visa in your passport. US Embassies and Consulates have limited services available and there could be significant delays in visa issuances. This delay could significantly affect your ability to return to the United States.
  • make sure your passport is valid at all times. Many government agencies are reducing and suspending services. Passport issuance could be an issue in your home country. Please prepare as early as possible if you need to apply for a new passport.  There are certain benefits for which F-1 students apply when they are in the United States and the agencies that oversee those benefits often require applicants to have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months into the future.

Do you have more questions that you need help answering? Get in touch with ISS staff during advising hours or by email before you leave campus.

summer schedule change with sun clipart

ISSNews Summer Schedule

After Commencement, ISS will continue to publish and send ISSNews to all international students, but not every Wednesday since activity slows significantly during the summer.  Please continue to check your CWRU email regularly and read through any ISSNews publications that we do send out. They will include information that is important to be aware of as student visa holders!

ISS will resume its weekly ISSNews publication in August as we all prepare for the Fall semester.

scam spelled out on keyboard

Beware of Scams

During the spring, particularly around tax time through university commencement dates, scams are very common. ISS wants to make sure that international students are aware of these scams and know how to protect themselves.  Visit our website for more information.

OPT and CPT workshop branding telling students that workshops are available online

OPT & CPT Workshops

ISS is offering Optional Practical Training (OPT) and CPT Workshops to go over in detail the application process, student responsibilities, and other important considerations.

Being well informed before applying for either authorization is extremely important and applying early is critical!

USCIS is publishing that it takes 3-5 months to process submitted OPT applications. Plan to complete a required OPT workshop as early as possible to be best prepared. Remember, you do not need to have a job offer to apply for OPT!

You do need to have a job offer before applying for CPT authorization and you are not eligible to begin your experience until you have proper authorization in place. It can take several days to become authorized.

Virtual workshops led by an advisor have been scheduled and information about required registration, attendance, and the application process can be found on our website under the OPT and CPT sections.

Features

10 year celebration emblem

The Center for International Affairs' 10-Year Celebration

Join us as we celebration the 10-Year milestone of the Center for International Affairs at Case Western University.

See our full list of 10-year celebration events.

free tshirt and other gift marketing
free passport and visa photo marketing
isac office hours flyer
grad cap decorating flyer

Campus Happenings

Ukraine Conversations Flyer

EVENT

UPBeats Spring Concert!

Friday, April 15
7:00pm - 9:00pm
East Bell Commons, 10900 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
Link
Add to Google Cal,Outlook,Yahoo,iCal

UPBeats presents bbno$ on Friday, April 15th from 7-9pm on East Bell Commons! Doors open at 6:30pm, so come early to Tune In and Turn Up.

This show is open to CWRU undergraduates and graduate students. Each student is allowed one guest. Attendees must register on CampusGroups prior to entry, no walk-ins allowed.
RSVP
legacy week logo

Celebrate Legacy Week, April 18 - 23

Legacy Week was established in 2017, to observe and showcase the history of Case Western Reserve University's momentous history. During this week various departments, offices, student organizations, staff and faculty members, and individual students will host various programs and events to bring to light the unique history of CWRU.

To learn more about Legacy Week 2022 and planned events, visit Student Activities and Leadership's Campus Traditions website.

Healthy Minds Study Flyer

Other Opportunities

Dyngus Day flyer
Engl 146 flyer
Engl 147 flyer
asian festival flyer

Save the Date & Volunteer at the Cleveland Asian Festival

Trail Challenge Logo

Cleveland Metroparks Trail Challenge 2022

Welcome to the 2022 Trail Challenge, a guest led program where you discover new trails throughout Cleveland Metroparks on your own, move to better health, discover the wonders of nature, and earn awards along the way! 

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!

cats and dominos

Cats and Dominos