From: VISA Office
Date: February 2, 2022
Subject: ISS News, February 2, 2022: Changes in ISS Availability on Feb. 3 & 4, OPT & CPT Workshops Scheduled, Important Tax Filing Information, Call for Global Citizen Nominations, H-1B Workshop, Dressing for Winter Weather, Good Vibes, and More


IS

February 2, 2022

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in this issue:

  1. OPT & CPT Workshops
  2. Orientation with ISS
  3. Features
  4. Campus Happenings
  5. Other Opportunities
  6. Good Vibes Only
  7. OPT & STEM OPT Students- Follow These Simple Steps for Reporting Updates
  8. Tax Information for 2021 Filing Year
  9. Winter Weather 101
  10. Commencement 2022 Information
  11. Changes in Advising Hours Thursday, February 3 & Friday, February 4

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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.

schedule change banner

Change in Advising Hours Thursday, February 3 & Friday, February 4


Staff in ISS will offer virtual advising hours from 11am to 3pm on Thursday, February 3 and Friday, February 4.  Advisors will not be available for in-person advising.  Please keep this in mind as you make your plans to connect with ISS.

In-person advising, 1 to 3 pm, will resume on Monday, February 7.

Note: ISS does close when the university closes for scheduled breaks and inclement weather. If you're ever in doubt about ISS staff's availability, we strongly recommend that you call in advance of visiting the office; we don't want you to be out in the cold, snowy weather if we're not available to help you! If you have an immigration-related emergency when we are not in the office, contact CWRU Security at 216.368.3300 and dispatch will know how to reach an ISS staff member.

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!

winter weather infographic from weather.gov/cold

Winter Weather 101

Tax Information for 2021 Filing Year

w-2 image

Tax Deadline in April: 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

Sprintax Offers Tax Webinars 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.
world map from orientation presentation

Orientation with ISS

Did you miss Orientation with ISS? 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

Log into Terra Dotta (visas.case.edu), find your Check In Record marked "Committed," and then look for the item called "ISS Oreintation Presentation."

commencement image from https://case.edu/commencement/

Commencement, May 15

Make sure you're keeping track of all the important dates and steps for graduation this semester!

Visit the Commencement website and follow the instructions in SIS to apply for graduation too.

Features

global citizen awards nominations flyer
isac office hours flyer
h1b flyer
global citizenship program flyer
Cleveland Bucket List Flyer

Campus Happenings

career fair image

Get Experienced! Career Fair (Virtual)

Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022 — Noon to 4 p.m.

Get a jump start on your semester by registering to attend the CWRU Spring 2022 Get Experienced! Virtual Career Fair. This event is open to all majors.

Employers who attend this event are interested in recruiting CWRU students and alumni who are seeking careers in all industries and interest areas. Participants who attend this event will learn important information on internships, co-ops, practicum, and full-time employment. This event will also serve as a great opportunity to network with CWRU alumni and industry professionals.

Learn more and register in Handshake.

EVENT

Credit Scores and Reports

Friday, February 4
12:45pm - 1:45pm
Add to Google Cal,Outlook,Yahoo,iCal

In this workshop, participants will...
• Explore the importance of credit scores and reports.
• Learn how to access information about credit scores and reports.
• Discuss strategies to build and improve credit.
• Identify how to protect credit from incorrect claims and fraud.
RSVP
Lunar New Year Flyer
professional development flyer from GSC
committee clip art

GSC Committee Opportunities

If you would like to help shape the campus experience and boost your resume consider joining a Graduate Student Council committee this semester. The workload is very reasonable and can help you connect to professors and faculty on campus.

The list of possible committees is here. To apply or for more information please email the GSC Director for Advocacy, Ashely Mueller at aem176@case.edu

3MT flyer
book with feather quill

Submit Nominations for the 2022 Wittke and Jackson Awards


Nominations are being accepted for the J. Bruce Jackson Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Mentoring and the Carl F. Wittke Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.

The Jackson Award celebrates faculty and staff who have developed sustained mentoring relationships with students. These individuals have guided a student in their academic and career paths; fostered the student's long-term personal development; challenged the student to reflect, explore and grow as an individual; and supported and/or facilitated the student's goals and life choices.

The Wittke award is given to outstanding classroom teachers who have demonstrated excellence in undergraduate teaching and who are engaging, invested and stimulate enthusiasm for their area of study.

To nominate a faculty or staff member for one of the awards, please complete the following nomination form. Nominations are due March 1, 2022.

For more information, contact The Office of Undergraduate Studies at ugstudies@case.edu

Other Opportunities

health care images

CWRU Beijing & Shanghai Chapters Present: Changes and Opportunities in the Healthcare Industry

 
On Thursday, February 10, 8:30–10:30 p.m. (China Standard Time) and
7:30–9:30 a.m. (Eastern Standard Time), the Beijing and Shanghai alumni chapters of Case Western Reserve University invite all Chinese-speaking alumni, parents and friends to a discussion on the healthcare industry. You can register here.

*Please note this will be a Chinese-speaking event, thank you.*

This virtual event will feature Case Western Reserve faculty, alumni and friends.

Lin Mei, MD, PhD, professor and chair of Case Western Reserve’s Department of Neurosciences;

Hua Ai, PhD, professor of biomaterials in the National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials at Sichuan University; secretary general of the Chinese Society for Biomaterials; fellow of Biomaterials Science and Engineering, fellow of American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering; and a former Case Western Reserve University Department of Biomedical Engineering postdoctoral fellow (2002–05) and entrepreneurship certificate student at Weatherhead School of Management (2003–04);

Jichun Zhao, MD, PhD, chief physician of vascular surgery and director of vascular surgery department at West China Hospital of Sichuan University; president of the Vascular Disease Management Branch of the Chinese Geriatric Society; vice president of the Vascular Surgeons Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association; and a former visiting scholar, CWRU School of Medicine (2002–03);

Yiping Rong, PhD (GRS '08, pharmacology), vice president, head of discovery at Harbour BioMed; and

Kan Chen, PhD (GRS '09, cell biology), healthcare partner at Qiming Venture Partners.

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 coffee affects your brain

How much coffee is too much coffee?