April 27, 2022

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in this issue:

Graduating Students- Important Tax Info to Ensure you Get your 2022 W-2
End of Semester Reminders
ISSNews Summer Schedule
OPT & CPT Workshops
Features
Campus Happenings
Other Opportunities
Good Vibes Only
Good Luck With Finals
SEVP Guidance for Academic Year 2022-2023

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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.

SEVP Guidance for Academic Year 2022- 2023

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) would continue to apply its flexible guidance through the 2022-2023 academic year. As a result, international students will be able to engage in distance learning that exceeds existing regulatory limits in light of the pandemic’s ongoing public health risks and safety concerns.

ISS staff will update its website shortly to include this information and will continue utilizing all of the tools and processes that we have in place to make sure that students are properly registered to maintain their status.

If we learn or any new information, we will continue to make updates to the website and send communications to you.

Please contact ISS staff at international@case.edu with any questions or concerns and we will do our best to support you.

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.

Graduating Students- Important Tax Info to Ensure You Get Your 2022 W-2

When CWRU generates your W-2 for the 2022 tax filing year, it will be sent to your Permanent Address as listed in SIS. Please take a moment to verify that your correct Permanent Address is listed in SIS (make any updates as needed by December 15) to ensure that you'll receive your W-2.

If your Permanent Address is current, but you would prefer to have your W-2 sent to another address, it is necessary for you to include that address under the W-2 Override option in SIS no later than December 15. Using the W-2 Override function will maintain the integrity of your Permanent Address information and ensure that you receive your W-2 at the different, preferred address.

Remember it is your responsibility to file taxes each year and that W-2 is a critical document for that process.

Please contact Payroll if you have questions about receiving your W-2.

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.

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

Campus Happenings

Sri Lankan New Year Festival

Sri Lankans celebrate their traditional New Year Festival in April. Symbolically, the Sri Lankan Graduate Student Association (Pearl) is hosting a food table of traditional Sri Lankan sweets on April 28, 2022, 11 am - 1 pm, at Tomlinson Hall (Lobby area and Room 135).

The CWRU community is invited to join the celebration, learn about Sri Lankan cultural festivals, and taste a bite of New Year cuisine.

Other Opportunities

Save the Date & Volunteer at the Cleveland Asian Festival

Cleveland Metroparks Trail Challenge 2022

Welcome to the 2021 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!

How Does an Octoupus' Brain Work?

If you would like to promote your event or opportunity through ISSNews, please make a complete submission (including flyers, images, details, etc.) for consideration by noon on Monday to international@case.edu. ISS cannot guarantee that all submission will appear in the newsletter, as space is limited, but staff will review all timely submissions for consideration.