September 25, 2019

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in this issue:

1. A New Look to the Newsletter!
2. New Travel Signature Request Process
3. OPT Workshops
4. CPT Workshops
5. Campus Events
6. No Advising Hours- Monday, Oct. 7
7. OPT & STEM OPT Students- Follow These Simple Steps for Reporting Updates
8. Featured Events
9. New Process to Request an I-20 Extension
10. Career Lab
11. Welcome Angie!
12. International Club's Mentor Mentee Program

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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.

Welcome Angie!

ISS and the Center for International Affairs are happy to introduce you to Angie Beca!  Angie started her role as an International Student Advisor at the beginning of September.

Angie actually joined the Case Western Reserve University community in March 2015 working with graduate and undergraduate students in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.  She is excited to bring her passion for working with diverse student populations to the ISS team! 

Angie received her bachelor's in International Business and Economics from Ohio Northern University and her master's in Higher Education Administration from The University of Akron. Angie even studied abroad for a month in Spain as an undergraduate.

Be sure to say, "Hi," to Angie the next time you visit the Center!

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!

New Process to Request an I-20 Extension

Effective October 1, ISS will accept I-20 extension requests through Terra Dotta.  This will be a paper-free process except for the new, extended I-20 that is generated by the end!

Students will initiate the request and fill out some required information within Terra Dotta.  One required field will ask students to identify an advisor who will then be contacted to upload information to the system on behalf of the student. Undergraduates should list their Dean in Undergraduate Studies.  Graduate students should list their academic advisor.

Advisors will review all of the material and contact students by email when their I-20s are ready.

The link to the new request form will go live on the ISS website on October 1.

New Travel Signature Request Process

ISS has created an online process through the Terra Dotta website for students to submit a Travel Signature Request Form. To allow students time to acclimate to this new process, ISS will accept both this new online method and paper submissions of the Travel Signature Request Form through Monday, September 30, 2019. After September 30, 2019, ISS will only accept Travel Signature Request Forms submitted through the website.

The online process will still involve providing the same basic information requested on the paper form, which an advisor will review. Advisors will get in touch with students only as needed. Students should assume that their submission has been received and will be processed unless they are contacted by an advisor. After students submit the electronic request, they will have 7 calendar days to bring their I-20 / DS-2019 to ISS to obtain the travel signature. The options to stop in during walk-in hours, ship the I-20 / DS-2019 to ISS, or drop the I-20 / DS-2019 off outside of office hours are all still available to students. ISS will not review the online request nor process a travel signature unless the I-20/DS-2019 is submitted to the office.

To submit the Travel Signature Request Form online, visit visas.case.edu. Click the link titled "International Student Request Forms" on the left, then choose the "Travel Signature Request Form" button on that page.

If you have questions about this new process, or want to know more, feel free to contact the office (either via email, phone, or walk-in hours).

No Advising Hours
Monday, Oct. 7

ISS staff will be unavailable for advising and appointments on Monday, October 7.  All Center for International Affairs staff will be off-campus that day.

The Center for International Affairs will be open, 8:30 am to 5 pm, and student assistants will know how to reach ISS staff in case of an immigration-related emergency.

Regular business hours will resume on Tuesday, October 8.

Featured Events

EVENT Opportunities to Work in Canada after Graduation Tuesday, October 1 4:00pm - 5:30pm Rockefeller Building, room 309, 10900 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States Link Add to Google Cal,Outlook,Yahoo,iCal CWRU students are invited to learn about opportunities to live and work in Canada after graduation at an event hosted by the Office of International Student Services (ISS). The presentation will feature representatives from the immigration section of the Consulate General of Canada who will discuss options to work in Canada and the process to become a Canadian via the Express Entry program. The event will be held Tuesday, October 1 at 4:00 pm in room 309 of the Rockefeller Building. All CWRU students are welcome to attend. RSVP

Campus Events