From: VISA Office
Date: October 6, 2021
Subject: ISS News, October 6, 2021: Travel During Fall Break, OPT & CPT Workshops, Culture Stress, Flu Shots, Choices Fair, Study Abroad Sessions, Good Vibes, and More


IS

October 6, 2021

____________________________________________________________________

in this issue:

  1. OPT & CPT Workshops
  2. Features
  3. Campus Happenings
  4. Good Vibes Only
  5. Traveling During Fall Break?
  6. Feeling the Effects of Culture Stress?
  7. OPT & STEM OPT Students- Follow These Simple Steps for Reporting Updates
  8. Orientation with ISS

____________________________________________________________________

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.

____________________________________________________________________

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.

fall break clip art

Traveling During Fall Break?

Read up on how to be best prepared to take those Fall Break getaways and return to campus as an F-1 or J-1 student visa holder!

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.

opt wordle

OPT & STEM OPT Students- Follow These Simple Steps for Reporting Updates

Reporting related to your personal contact and employment information is a critical part of maintaining status while authorized for either OPT or STEM OPT. Here are instructions for you to follow to ensure that both ISS and the U.S. Government receive the information that they need. Follow these simple steps to ensure that your visa status is protected!

world map from orientation presentation

Orientation with ISS

Did you miss orientation with ISS or just want to refresh your understanding of the information we shared? 

The orientation session reviews the most fundamental rules and regulations as well as resources that ISS provides in order to help you maintain your status and enhance your time at Case Western Reserve University.

At any time, you can access orientation material by:

  • logging into your Terra Dotta account at visas.case.edu,
  • clicking on your "International Student Check-In" record, and
  • clicking on the "Learning Content" tab where you'll find your "ISS Orientation Presentation"  under the "Post-Decision" heading.
clip are of people holding up the letters to culture

Feeling the Effects of Culture Stress?

This is the time of year when culture shock begins to settle in. Please pay attention to your stress levels and your emotions. Make sure you are getting plenty of sleep, eating healthy foods, and taking at least the occasional break from your work to relax. If you are feeling stressed, overwhelmed, frustrated, sad, or any other negative emotion that you'd like to talk about, you are welcome to visit ISS. We have some resources on our website that you might find helpful too.

Remember that University Health and Counseling Services are free and you can go there as well. We care about you and hope you learn a great deal and develop your resilience while you're here!

Features

social sciences abroad info session
research abroad info session
Cleveland Bucket List Flyer

Campus Happenings

donuts with deans
night of networking flyer

EVENT

Game Night at KSL

Thursday, October 7
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Kelvin Smith Library, Freedman Center, 1st Floor, 11055 Euclid Ave , Cleveland, OH 44106, United States
Link
Add to Google Cal,Outlook,Yahoo,iCal

Put away laptops and phones and play old fashioned board games with friends. Refreshments will be provided to keep you fueled and competitive through the night.

A full list of games offered by KSL can be found here: https://researchguides.case.edu/KSLGameNight
RSVP

EVENT

Fall 2021 Choices Fair

Friday, October 8 at 9:00am
to Friday, October 15 at 11:55pm
Private Location (rsvp to display)
Link
Add to Google Cal,Outlook,Yahoo,iCal

The annual Choices Fair is an opportunity for students to learn about nearly 100 majors, minors and concentrations across a range of disciplines.

Attendees will also have a chance to discover some of the extracurricular activities Case Western Reserve University offers, as members from student academic groups, multicultural clubs and community service organizations will be in attendance. Staff representing opportunities for study abroad, undergraduate research, career services and more will also be present.

First-year students may be expected to attend as part of their SAGES First Seminar. Undeclared upperclassmen also are encouraged to attend.

If your department or organization usually hosts a booth at the Choices Fair, please contact the planning team at choicesfair@case.edu.
RSVP

EVENT

Navigating Virtual Volunteering: Getting Involved Online Info Session

Friday, October 8
4:30pm - 5:30pm
Private Location (register to display)
Link
Add to Google Cal,Outlook,Yahoo,iCal

Are you looking for ways to stay engaged with the community, but are you unsure of how to do so remotely? Come to this zoom info session to learn about the ways you can incorporate volunteerism into your life from the comfort of your computer. Whether it’s finding a few times to volunteer during the semester, or making a commitment to serve on a regular basis, CCEL can help you find the right volunteer fit for you. You'll learn more about the various volunteering opportunities and get tips on how to navigate CCEL’s Virtual Volunteering Hub. Please check your CampusGroups reminder email that you’ll receive after registering for the Zoom connection details.
RSVP
LGBTQ Month calendar
apples on a tree, ripe for picking

International Students Fellowship's Apple Picking Adventure


Join friends, new and old from all over the world, in the great autumn tradition of apple picking, Saturday, October 9, 12-4 pm, at Eddy's Fruit Tree Farm in Chesterland, OH.

You'll be able to pick your own apples (or grapes); take pictures surrounded by pumpkins; and enjoy the out outdoor pavilion where you can learn some fun facts about apples, play some games, and eat apple pie à la Mode. 

COVID safety guidelines, including masking, will be practiced.

For more information and registration, email isfcleveland@gmail.com

Follow ISF on
Facebook: International Students Fellowship- CWRU
Instagram: isf_cwru

Spoken English Seminars
flu shot flyer

Free Flu Shots Available

Get your free flu shot at one of the free walk-in clinics.

All participants need to bring their CWRU ID.

Please wear an outfit that allows the upper part of your arm to be easily exposed.

This schedule will be updated with various locations on campus where you can get your flu shot.

sparty on a homecoming float

Save the Date: Homecoming Weekend: October 21-24, 2021

Case Western Reserve University is looking forward to welcoming you back to campus this fall for Homecoming Weekend.

Fall feast flyer
Hispanic Heritage month calendar
3MT 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!

new yorker covers done by students

A professor asked his students to create post-pandemic covers for The New Yorker.  Here are their creations.