June 3, 2020

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in this issue:

Need a Fresh Travel Signature?
Applying for the SSN While Social Security Office are Closed
Campus Events
Good Vibes Only
ISSNews Summer Schedule
Tax Information for 2019- New Filing Deadline of July 15, 2020
OPT & CPT Workshops
OH BMV Locations Reopen
Other Opportunities

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ISS Staff is available to students, without an appointment, on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday during virtual advising hours,11am to 3pm.

There are no virtual advising hours on Wednesday.
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Appointments through Zoom or by phone can be requested by emailing international@case.edu. Please provide your full-name and a brief description of the nature of your appointment when you contact us.

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.

startrooper meme about forgetting a travel signature

Need a Fresh Travel Signature?

If you need a travel signature, don't panic! ISS can help. Read about what to do on our Travel and Reentry pages for F-1 and J-1 students.

You can also request a travel signature using our electronic form here.

Tax Deadline Extended to July 15, 2020
Sprintax Still Available to Help You File

If you haven’t filed your taxes for 2019 yet- all international students have to file taxes whether they've earned income of not- it’s not too late! ISS makes Sprintax available to help you.

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 and assist you in preparing Form 1040NR or 1040NR-EZ.

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

Register and follow the simple instructions
Complete the online questionnaire
Enter Case Western Reserve University’s unique code. This code was sent to you via email on February 12.
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 you have any questions, the Sprintax team will be happy to help via their 24/7 live chat facility.

In response to the effects of COVID-19 and the cancellation of many onsite tax support services, Sprintax is also offering this 35 minute tax webinar, which explains the core tax obligations for international students. Please use the link to access the video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rr_6rniyDWDcQDHqCeI4tf4qqF-_cqQ4/view?usp=drive_web

For more information, visit our Information on Filing Taxes page.

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

Applying for the SSN while Social Security Offices are Closed

While Social Security offices are closed due to COVID-19, it might be very challenging for students to apply for the SSN. ISS is looking into this issue and exploring resources to provide to you. As soon as we know more, we will provide an update.

In the meantime, ISS strongly discourages you from taking any steps that would involve applying for the SSN by mail and sending your original passport as part of the application. Sending your passport through the mail is always risky- it could easily be lost and is not easily replaced. During this very uncertain time, you do not want to do anything that could result in your passport being lost or create more stress for you.

We know that these closings are inconvenient for you (and your employers); however, ISS strongly feels that it is in your best interest to wait for additional guidance at this time.

Campus Events

Tap into the Hidden Job Market

According to Payscale.com, there could be as much as 80 percent of new jobs that are never listed but are instead filled internally or via networking.

On Wednesday, June 3 from 7:30 to 8:15 p.m. EDT, CWRU Post-Graduate Planning and Experiential Education and ICAway will join hands to launch a special webinar for International Students to discuss:

The latest trends of the job market in the US
Three winning strategies to help you find your career advocates and a hidden job market
Tools and templates that will help you break through cultural and language barriers

Click here for more information and registration.

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!

woman recreates famous artwork from https://www.boredpanda.com/83-yo-grandma-daughter-recreate-historical-artwork/?cexp_id=29038&cexp_var=5&_f=featured

Mother & Daughter Recreate Iconic Artwork in Quarantine

San Diego at night from https://www.boredpanda.com/stay-home-2020-photography-contest-agora/

Incredible Photos From Around the World Show What "Stay at Home" Looks Like

New Cleveland Leadership Center Virtual Summer Programs for College Students!

Cleveland shines in the summertime, and the Cleveland Leadership Center wants to make sure that our college-aged students don’t miss out on engaging with our city.

CLC is offering two opportunities for college students to make the connections they need to become our next generation of leaders. These sessions will allow students the chance to connect with community leaders, network with each other, and learn valuable skills as they move their career forward. They’ll be able to ask questions directly to leaders, take part in active learning sessions with facilitators, and build a network of leaders to help them navigate their future.

The two options are:

Fully Virtual Option

Gatherings through online platforms will be held twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Blended Option

Gatherings will be held both virtually and in-person twice a week. Tuesdays will offer virtual programming, while Fridays will allow for small in-person opportunities to explore different Cleveland neighborhoods and assets. All in-person sessions will adhere to guidelines designed to keep participants safe and socially distant.

With all that has interfered with students’ spring semesters, we want to make sure that they do not miss out on making the connections they need to become our next generation of leaders.

Registration is Open!

Registration for Campus Cleveland Summer is now open on the CLC website! Registration only takes a few minutes and is the first step in letting us create an outstanding Cleveland experience for your students.