From: VISA Office
Date: May 3, 2023
Subject: ISS News, May 3, 2023: 2023 Global Citizen Award Winners, End of Semester Reminders, Information for Graduating Students, Graduation Ceremonies, Support Services, Good Vibes, and More

May 3, 2023

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in this issue:

2023 Global Citizen Award Winners
End of Semester Reminders
Graduating Students- Important Tax Info to Ensure You Get Your 2023 W-2
Access to UH&CS Over the Summer
OPT & CPT Workshops
OPT & STEM OPT Students- Follow These Simple Steps for Reporting Updates
How to Request a Cap-Gap I-20
Support Resources
The Safe Eight- Safety Tips
ISSNews Summer Schedule
Features
Campus Happenings
Other Opportunities
Good Vibes Only

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ISS staff members are here to support you!

Please visit our website to learn about the advising options that are available and connect with us so that we can assist you.

2023 Global Citizen Award Winners

Congratulations to the winners of the 2023 Global Citizen Awards! The awards recognize outstanding individuals and organizations that champion internationalization at CWRU, enhance the international student experience, and exemplify the university's values of inclusion and diversity.

This year’s honorees were chosen for their incredible contributions to the CWRU university community.

The winners are:

Spirit of Service - Pradeep Shashidharankumar

Unsung Champion - Mai Rashwan

Outstanding Student Organization - Satrang

Laurie D. Zelman International Undergraduate Student - Zeynep Bastas

Elise Lindsay International Graduate Student - Reema Sen

Outstanding Campus Partner in Collaboration - LGBT Center

International Leader - Brian Gran, PhD

You can learn more about the awards on our website!

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 (This is not Dean Wolcowitz. If you don't know who your dean is, email ugstudies@case.edu to ask) 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. Be sure that you are monitoring all requirements for entry to the United States and complying with university policies related to returning to campus. **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. Some US Embassies and Consulates still 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. 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 2023 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.

Access to UH&CS Over the Summer

As the school year comes to an end, please note that access to University Health & Counseling Services will look a little different, over the summer. If you are a graduating student, please refer to this link. If you are not graduating, please click this link to review your eligibility to access services over the summer.

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

OPT & CPT Workshops

If you're still planning to apply for OPT or CPT, don't forget to complete the required workshop, which goes over in detail the application process, student responsibilities, and other important considerations.

Advisor-led workshops will resume in the Fall. You can always access and complete an online workshop at your convenience.

For more information about OPT and CPT, visit our website. Please be sure to very carefully read all of the information there and to contact ISS if you have any additional questions with which staff can assist.

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!

How to Request a Cap-Gap I-20

If you've properly filed for a change of status to H-1B or been selected to receive an H-1B, you may be eligible for the cap-gap extension. To qualify for the H-1B cap-gap extension:

a petition must be timely filed
the employment start date of October 1 of the current year must be requested
a change of status must be requested
there may be no violations of current F-1 status

The cap-gap extension automatically extends a student's duration of status (time period during which an F-1 student is legally present) in the United States. If a student is on a period of valid post-completion OPT at the time the H-1B petition is filed, employment authorization is also extended. For students who complete their period of valid post-completion OPT and are on their 60 day grace period at the time the H-1B petition is timely filed, their duration of status will also be extended, but does not extend any kind of work authorization during that time.

ISS can help you obtain a cap-gap I-20 if you meet all of the above criteria. Below is some information about our policies for creating your cap-gap I-20.

Please be aware that ISS is not provided any advanced notification of an H-1B petition being selected. SEVIS only contains H-1B information once the USCIS system called CLAIMS properly updates it. CLAIMS also updates the SEVP Portal; students have access to the exact information that staff does.

ISS' ability to generate a cap-gap I-20 is completely dependent on the SEVIS record being properly updated by USCIS' CLAIMS. Cap-gap functionality in SEVIS is directly linked to information being properly transferred from CLAIMS and a student's SEVIS record indicating that the petition is either pending or approved. When the transfer of information and functionality are working properly, a cap-gap I-20 can be provided within about 5 business days. To initiate the request for your cap-gap I-20:

Log in to Terra Dotta via www.visas.case.edu
click on this link.
Complete the electronic form and upload all of the necessary materials. ISS must have these items on file in order to process your request.
Wait to hear from ISS. Please be very mindful of both your timing of this request and the timing that ISS requires (5-7 business days) to process the required paperwork for you. This is an extremely busy time in our office and we appreciate your patience!

In cases where a student has received either receipt information or an approval notice for the H-1B petition but CLAIMS has not properly updated the SEVIS record, an I-20 cannot be generated by ISS since the option to create the I-20 is actually not available in the computer system. A manual update to fix the data must be requested by ISS. These data fixes can take several weeks, even months, before they're resolved and before ISS will initiate one, the student must discuss the process with an advisor.

Once ISS is able to prepare a student's cap-gap I-20, an advisor will send an email when it's ready. If ISS is unable to prepare the cap-gap I-20 for any reason, an advisor will contact the student via email to discuss next steps.

basic human needs shown on wooden blocks

Support Resources

The Dean of Students Office and the Case Western Reserve University community are committed to helping students overcome challenges during their academic careers. A website has been developed to host a variety of resources and services, including information about various food pantries for students who are facing food insecurity.

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.

Features

Campus Happenings

EVENT

The Annual Diversity Achievement Awards!

Wednesday, May 10
12:00pm - 1:30pm

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This event provides an opportunity for the Office for Inclusion, Diversity and Equal Opportunity (OIDEO) to recognize individuals and offices for their contributions to promoting inclusion, equity and diversity at Case Western Reserve University.

Awards to be presented this year include: Undergraduate Student Diversity Excellence Award, Graduate/Professional Student Diversity Excellence Award, Staff Diversity Excellence Award, Faculty Diversity Excellence Award, Department/Office/Unit Diversity Excellence Award, Senior Leadership Diversity Excellence Award and Collaboration Diversity Excellence Award.

Join us in honoring and recognizing the many contributions of CWRU campus members.

RSVP

Celebrate 2023 Graduates with a Clap Out, Wednesday, May 17

Members of the Case Western Reserve University community are invited to celebrate the accomplishments of our 2023 graduates with a university-wide clap out to open commencement week Wednesday, May 17, at 3:15 p.m. on Case Quad. Faculty, staff, students and postdocs are encouraged to fill Case Quad to make commencement week special for our graduates.

The clap out will be held as the graduates process from the Binary Walkway, through the Case Quad, and on to the Veale Convocation, Recreation and Athletic Center for convocation, which begins at 4 p.m. Members of the university community also are invited to attend convocation.

Supervisors are asked to plan ahead and allow employees (both exempt and non-exempt) to attend these events. Those who plan to participate should complete the 2023 Commencement Week Registration Form. For more information on commencement week, as well as a full schedule of events, visit the commencement website.

Graduation Celebrations

EVENT

8th Annual Latinx/Hispanic Graduation Ceremony

Tuesday, May 16
11:00am - 1:00pm

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Latinx Graduation is a pre-commencement ceremony that recognizes, celebrates, and honors the undergraduate and graduate & professional Latinx Graduates. It is an outstanding accomplishment for our Latinx students to receive academic degrees, and increase representation of Latinx professionals in academia and industry in the United States. We are very proud and want to recognize our Latinx graduates for their accomplishments.

This invite is not only extended to graduating students, but also to their family, and friends. Fill out this form for stole selection to https://forms.gle/uY3v4VtzQjjbARur6 by April 23rd.
Guests only need to register for the event and do NOT fill out the form.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Camila, cir11@case.edu. We look forward to celebrating with you!

RSVP

EVENT

8th Annual Black Graduation

Tuesday, May 16
6:00pm - 8:00pm

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Join us for our 8th Annual BSU Black Graduation, as we celebrate the 2023 graduating class of Black undergraduate and graduate students from Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Institute of Music. There will be a ceremony program followed by a reception with refreshments. We hope to see you there!

RSVP

Connect with Case Iranian Society!

What is happening in Sudan, a Message from the African Student Association

The Republic of Sudan is located in North-East Africa and is the third largest country by land mass area in Africa. Sudan has been a victim of some of the most vicious coups d’etats on the continent. The most recent was a successful coup, in 2021, led by the military under the command of General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan. But since then, there have been talks of restoring

the country back to civilian rule.

The transition to civilian rule and the fight for power led to disagreements between the army commander, General Abdel Fattah Al-Burha and his deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, head of the heavily-armed paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). A civil conflict erupted on April 15, 2023 in Khartoum, the capital city of Sudan, which led into intensely violent open

battles in the streets between the army and the RSF with troops, tanks and planes. By the third day, nearly 200 people had been reported killed and at least 1,800 injured. Among the dead were three workers from the World Food Program, triggering a suspension of the organisation’s work in Sudan, despite ongoing hunger afflicting much of the country. The tragedy here is that innocent civilians are also being killed and injured as missiles are targeting residential homes as well. As of 21 April 2023, 413 people have been killed and 3551 people injured, with several health care facilities and city hospitals destroyed leaving people unable to receive urgent and

necessary medical attention.

The Sudanese American Physician Association (SAPA) is accepting donations as a way of providing medical aid to the innocent citizens affected by the present situation. Here is how to donate.

Other Opportunities

Save the Date & Volunteer at the Cleveland Asian Festival

May 20 - 21, 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., AsiaTown | Rain or Shine | FREE Parking at CSU E. 24th & Payne Lots

Good Vibes Only

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 and we're sending them out to you!

All Ears English Presents "Have a Can-Do Attitude in Business English"

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 submissions will appear in the newsletter, as space is limited, but staff will review all timely submissions fo