ISO Student News will be taking a vacation this summer season! This will be your last regular ISO Newsletter for the 2012-2013 academic year. Bi-weekly newsletters will resume in September 2013. Please note that the ISO on the 2nd Floor of Morey Hall will maintain normal business hours during the break, with the exception of University holidays.
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Effective 4/30/2013, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has been implementing major changes to the I-94 Admission/Departure Record system. This record will be made electronically at the border and the paper I-94 card will no longer be issued for most people traveling by air or sea. Instead, travelers will access their I-94 Admission Record online at www.cbp.gov/i94 after entering the country. The electronic record should be printed and kept with your other immigration documents to show your current status in the U.S. Paper forms will still be distributed at land borders with Canada and Mexico. If you entered the country more than 2 years ago, your arrival record will not appear in the online system at this time, and your current I-94 card remains valid. The ISO has updated it’s travel page with information about the I-94 record and will continue to post information as we learn more: http://www.iso.rochester.edu/travel/arrive/i94.html.
For any upcoming travel plans you may have, there has been a recent announcement that international students can expect to have their SEVIS record checked prior to entry into the U.S. Please note that some border posts are not equipped to do this at the primary check-point, and may require students to go to secondary inspection which may cause additional delays. Please review the ISO website to make sure you are carrying with you all required documentation for your re-entry to the U.S. (For: F-1 students, F-1 students on OPT, J-1 students).
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Please be sure to notify ISO if any of your addresses change or if you are departing the U.S. and/or will no longer maintain your F-1 or J-1 program through the University of Rochester.
Address Reporting: All F-1 and J-1 students are required to report a new U.S. residential, mailing, or permanent foreign address within 10 days of any change. By using the University systems, the ISO will be notified of the change and be able to forward this information to SEVIS, in compliance with U.S. government reporting requirements. Your address information should be updated as often as necessary to make sure that your U.S. address information is current. Even if your address is only temporary (due to an extended vacation, authorized off-campus internship, In Absentia, etc.), these changes must be reported within the 10 day period allowed. For updates to your U.S. residential or mailing address, please use the appropriate online registration tool for your UR division. More information is available online: Address Reporting Requirements. You must access or contact HRMS, GLACIER, or UR Bursar's Office (for billing) separately to update your records for this these systems/offices.
Departure Form: If you are departing the U.S. and/or will no longer maintain your F-1 or J-1 program through the University of Rochester, please use the ISO’s online Departure Form to notify the ISO that you are departing. The reason may include completion of your studies, transfer to another school, leave of absence or early withdrawal, end of post-completion employment, or an approved Change of Status to another immigration category. The departure form is for notification purposes and other documentation may be required before the ISO can take action. Please review the Student Departure Form page for forms and information that you may need. The Student Departure Form below will notify only the ISO. Please make sure to contact any other University offices that may need to be aware of your departure, such as University Health Service, Residential Life, GLACIER tax software, etc.
Please DO NOT use this form to report a temporary trip home or vacation from UR!
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If you are currently approved for F-1 Optional Practical Training, you are required to report your employment and address information to the ISO throughout the authorization period. Please use our OPT Reporting Form online. Any changes must be reported within 10 days. You may report activities as employment for OPT purposes when they are directly related to your field of study and meet a minimum total of at least 20 hours per week. You may work with multiple employers with your OPT permission.
Some students may be eligible for an extension of their OPT work authorization. If you have been sponsored for the H-1B Temporary Worker category, please provide this information in the OPT Reporting Form. This application may qualify you for an automatic OPT Cap Gap Extension. You will not receive an updated EAD card with your extended employment dates, but the ISO is able to issue a new I-20 documenting your authorization. Please submit a copy of your Form I-797 Receipt Notice or H-1B Approval Notice and your mailing address for the new I-20. If you are eligible and would like to apply for a Stem Extension to your OPT, please review the information online and contact the ISO to schedule a phone appointment at 585-275-2866 if you need to speak with an advisor.
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Sunday, May 19 - 4:00 to 5:00pm
Sloan Auditorium, Georgen Hall, River Campus
Professor Jie Zhang, president of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, will give a talk on the new philosophy in Chinese higher education on May 19. A reception will follow. Shanghai Jiao Tong University is one of China's leading universities. The talk is in conjunction with Professor Zhang receiving an honorary degree from the University of Rochester.
For more information and to RSVP, please visit http://www.rochester.edu/news/Zhang/.
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Friday, May 24 - 3:45 to 5:00pm
Eisenberg Rotunda, Schlegel Hall, River Campus
Faculty, research students, and staff are invited to a networking session to discuss opportunities for research collaboration and researcher mobility with representatives from many of the University’s key international partners. Meet with WUN partner(s) to discuss the Research Development Fund (RDF) which annually awards $365,000 in seed funding for collaborative projects amongst WUN partners, participation in more than 75 WUN research groups, researcher mobility programs to send and receive faculty and research students as visiting scholars, and collaboration through virtual meetings, faculty and student exchange, conferences and symposia.
Senior staff from 12 of the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) partner institutions will visit the University on Friday, May 24 to discuss opportunities for engagement, both through the WUN network and at the bilateral level. The WUN comprises 19 research-intensive institutions spanning six continents. The University of Rochester joined the WUN in February 2012.
For more information and to RSVP, please visit http://www.rochester.edu/global/archive/View/282. Please RSVP by May 20.
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Any students staying on campus for the summer may be interested in participating in paid research studies at the University. Many of these research studies offer payment for participation, which can be a nice bonus. Be on the lookout for any fliers or notices posted around campus if you are interested in participating.
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Congratulations to our many upcoming University of Rochester graduates this year!! With graduation festivities having begun this week and extending through June, we hope you will enjoy the celebrations with family and friends and take pride in your many accomplishments. The ISO wishes you well in your next steps after graduation as well. As always, please let us know if you need anything from us!
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Editor: Lena Ovcharov, International Student Advisor