ISSS-BU News  06 April 2009   ISSS-BU News

An electronic news service for international students and scholars, owned by the Office of International Student and Scholar Services at Binghamton University, State University of New York

Visit ISSS on the Web!   http://isss.binghamton.edu

Editor’s Note:  Spring break continues through Monday, April 13, 2009.  Classes resume Tuesday, April 14.  University offices are open during Spring break.

CONTENTS:
1.Honoring Those Who Died at the American Civic Association on Friday, April 3
2.Health Insurance Walk-In Appointments Cancelled for Wednesday, April 8
3. In-Person Income Tax Assistance Ends Friday, April 10
4. Updates From the Career Development Center
5. Latest News on H-1B Cap Filings
6. The Deadline for Filing Federal and State Income Tax Forms is Tuesday, April 15!
7. Do You Need to Extend Your I-20 or DS-2019?
8. Critical Skills for Graduate Success Course for Summer 2009
9. Income Tax Information: How to Apply for an Extension If You Need More Time to File Your Income Tax Forms

1. Honoring Those Who Died at the American Civic Association on Friday, April 3

This has been a very difficult period for everyone at Binghamton University, as we mourn those who died last Friday at the American Civic Association.  As we announced on this listserv during the weekend, a number of members of the BU international community were present at the American Civic Association when the attack took place.

Mr. Almir Alves from Brazil, and Ms. Li Guo, from China, both research scholars, and Ms. Layla Khalil from Iraq who was the mother of recent graduate Ban Mohammed Saleh have been confirmed as deceased by the Binghamton Police.  A second research scholar from China and the spouse of an international graduate student remain hospitalized, but are expected to recover.  A total of fourteen people died, including the killer.

Several memorial services have currently been scheduled. 

The first service is a vigil and is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Thursday, April 9 in the amphitheater located between Dickinson Community and the old University Union.  This is being sponsored by the Chinese Student and Scholars Association, the Graduate Student Organization and the Southern Tier Chinese Cultural Association.  It will honor the memory of all who were killed that day.

The second is a memorial service that will be sponsored by the University.  It is still in the planning stages, however, the current day and time is Tuesday, April 14 at 4:30pm in the Memorial Courtyard or the Fine Arts Grand Corridor, depending upon weather.  This is the first day of classes after spring recess.  There will be public announcements about this event soon.

The third memorial service is being sponsored by the Student Association at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14 in the area between the library fountain and the University Union.

A fourth service for the Public Administration program in memory of Li Guo is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, April 15.

More information on the services for next week will appear in Monday’s edition of ISSS-BU News.

2. Health Insurance Walk-In Appointments Cancelled for Wednesday, April 8

There will be no walk-in hours for health insurance questions on Wednesday, April 8.  Walk in hours will resume on Wednesday, April 15 from 1:30pm to 3:15pm.

3. In-Person Income Tax Assistance Ends Friday, April 10

Mr. Jim Rollo’s last day for providing assistance with income tax filing as Friday, April 10 from 11:00am to 1:00pm.  As has been previously announced, there are no walk-in hours for income tax assistance on Wednesday, April 8.

4. Updates From the Career Development Center

Smart Moves Success Story: Meet Jennifer!

We’ve been sharing our “smart moves in a tough economy” suggestions throughout this semester and wanted everyone to know that following those suggestions does pay off!

Meet Jennifer!
Jennifer is a sophomore accounting major who, so far, has won an award and has been accepted to two highly-competitive summer leadership development programs, with more interviews scheduled. CONGRATULATIONS JENNIFER!

How did she do it? She made multiple smart moves, including keeping her grades up, getting involved with campus groups, volunteering, networking with employers at the Job & Internship Fair, attending employer information sessions coordinated through CDC, utilizing CDC resources for resume and cover letter writing and reviews, and participating in an internship. Whew! On top of that, she’s remained very organized so she doesn’t miss deadlines and cool opportunities. WAY TO GO JENNIFER!

What advice does Jennifer have for other students? Meet people every day, be optimistic and friendly, find a mentor – upperclassmen can help guide you. Be sure to get involved with things like organizations and/or teams so you gain more experience working in groups. Get a job – combining that with other activities and classes helps you to manage your time better. And talk to the people who can help you, like your professors, counselors, and advisors.

Have your own Smart Moves success story to share? Let us know! Visit CDC during Counselor-on-Call hours to tell us what smart moves YOU’RE making!

Cdc Hours During Spring Break – Yes! We Are Open!

Yes, our doors are open during spring break! Please check our spring break schedule below for hours and Counselor-on-Call times:

Hours open to the public:
10:00 am – 3:00 pm, 4/6-4/13

Counselor-on-Call Hours:
Wednesday 4/8: 1:00-2:45
Thursday 4/9: 1:00-2:45
Monday 4/13: 1:00-2:15

Additional Credit-Bearing Internships For Fall 2009 Posted!

CDC’s Academic Internships Program has additional internships listed for fall 2009. To apply: contact Laura O’Neill, Internship Programs Coordinator, 607-777-2545. Undergraduate students from ANY MAJOR are invited to apply for any of the following:

·           Educational Programming Intern, Volunteer Coordination Intern, Administrative Intern, Activity Leader Intern, Development Intern: Boys and Girls Club of Binghamton (listed under Counseling/Social Work/Human Services)
·           Youth Counselor: Broome County Gang Prevention (listed under Counseling, Social Work, Human Services)
·           Community Outreach and Recruiting: BU Asian Cultural Outreach (listed event planning, human resources)
·           Marketing Intern: BU Career Development Center (listed under Higher Ed, Marketing)
·           Peer Advisor: BU Harpur Academic Advising (listed under Higher Ed, Public Relations)
·           Website Services Intern: BU OCC Transport (listed under Higher Ed, Technology, Web Design)
·           Office Representative: Chris Palmer State Farm Insurance (listed under Finance, Marketing)
·           Marketing and Clerical Intern: Jim Rollo State Farm Insurance (listed under Finance, Marketing)
·           Student Assistant: NYS Senate Sen. Tom Libous (listed under Government, Political)

Upcoming CDC Programs

Research Associate – Democracy Program

Research Associate – Democracy Program (application deadline 5/3/09)
(This is an entry level position; lawyers and individuals with advanced degrees should not apply.)

The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law is seeking one full-time Research Associate for the Center’s Democracy Program. The Democracy Program seeks to change the ways in which citizens participate in their government by fixing the systems that discourage voting, hinder competition and promote the interests of the few over the rights of the many. To advance these goals, the Center employs research, policy analysis and publications, media outreach and public education, legislative counseling and advocacy, and legal action in six project areas: Campaign Finance Reform, Fair Courts, Voting Rights & Elections, Voting After Criminal Conviction, New York Reform, and Redistricting.

Research Associates assist with substantive projects as well as those aspects of administration, communications, and development for which the Democracy Program is responsible. Research Associates typically combine a concentration in one or two project areas with general duties, including providing legal and factual research; drafting, and editing publications; and providing administrative, clerical, and paralegal assistance. Full position description and application instructions can be found on the Brennan Center for Justice website.

Union Research Summer School At Cornell University

The AFL-CIO and Cornell University are sponsoring a Strategic Corporate Research Summer School on June 7-12, 2009 in Ithaca, New York.  The course (credit or non-credit) is designed for undergrad and grad students who are interested in working as union researchers and campaigners.  The registration deadline is May 1.  Credit scholarships are available. 

To obtain a registration form and other information, go to http://www.sce.cornell.edu/ss/courses/on/special/scr.php, or contact Kirstine Armstrong at (607) 254-4749 or kaa14@cornell.edu.

eRecruiting: Over 250 Jobs/Internships Are Posted And Accepting Applications!

Employers Are Still Hiring!!  Apply Today!  The Career Development Center has hundreds of positions listed on eRecruiting, and new opportunities are posted daily! Students may view and apply for positions through their eRecruiting account. All matriculated students have a personal eRecruiting account.

Current Sample Job/Internship Titles:

5. Latest News on H-1B Cap Filings

Tuesday, April 7, 2009, is the final day for the Service Center at US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to receive “cap-subject” H-1B applications.  There are two separate groups that are being counted; those from applicants with U.S. master’s degrees or higher, and those with bachelor’s or higher degrees from any country, known as the “general” cap. 

There are 20,000 H-1B visas available for qualified applicants with U.S. master’s degrees or higher.  If more than 20,000 applications for this category are received by the close of business on April 7 (and it is expected that there will be), there will be a random selection process conducted among all applications received in this group to identify 20,000.  Those not selected will then be placed with those who qualify under the “general” cap.  A second random selection process will then be conducted.  For more information, visit:
http://www.uscis.gov/files/article/H-1B_Filing_20mar2009.pdf

USCIS is expected to publish preliminary numbers once it completes the tallying of petitions it has received.  Then will come the task of individually reviewing and sorting each petition.  The process of closely reviewing and sorting each petition will continue over the next several weeks.  USCIS plans to provide regular updates at http://www.uscis.gov, and we will include those updates in ISSS-BU News.

If you are currently on OPT and your employer has filed a H-1B petition on your behalf, the Department of Homeland Security has posted a fact sheet for F-1 students to give to their employer to explain the nature of the H-1B cap-gap extension of optional practical training (OPT), assuming that your application is selected for consideration. See SEVP Provides F-1 Cap-Gap Fact Sheet For Employers at http://www.nafsa.org/capgapforemployers

6. The Deadline for Filing Federal and State Income Tax Forms is Tuesday, April 15!

Do you need to know how to properly assemble and mail your federal and New York State income tax forms? Go to: http://isss.binghamton.edu/taxes/taxaddress.html

Are you using CINTAX?  More than 1000 current and former BU students and scholars who are non-residents for tax purposes have requested CINTAX access passwords, but only 689 have gone onto the CINTAX website as of Sunday, April 5.  Of those 689 individuals who have accessed CINTAX, more than 600 have completed their income tax forms. 

CINTAX is reporting that the average federal refund for BU CINTAX users, for those students entitled to a refund, is $600.00.

For the most up-to-date information on services available to help you with your income tax forms, visit: http://isss.binghamton.edu/taxes/taxsem.html

7. Do You Need to Extend Your I-20 or DS-2019?

Students whose I-20 or DS-2019 will expire in May, but who will continue at Binghamton for Summer 2009 and/or Fall 2009 are reminded that they must complete the required paperwork for an extension before their I-20 or DS-2019 expires! A student whose I-20 ends in May, but who continues to take classes during the 2009 summer session will be out of status, with very serious immigration ramifications unless they apply for an extension of stay in a timely manner.  All students with I-20s or DS-2019s with ending dates of May or Summer 2009 have been sent e-mail messages later this week regarding extension procedures.  Do not let the deadline pass!

8. Critical Skills for Graduate Success Course for Summer 2009

GRD 593 is a 4 credit graduate course offered during Term I of summer session, May 26 to June 26, 2009 as a hybrid course (part on-line and part workshop sessions).
Writing, research and oral communication skills top the list of topics this course will explore.  Students we will work with many forms of academic discourse you will use:
·        Conference abstracts and presentations
·        Abstracts, research and development for articles
·        Targeting and contributing to publications
·        Curricula vitae:  the research C.V., the teaching C.V.
·        Thesis and Dissertation proposals
We will work in class and online, in peer groups and one-on-one with the instructor, to tailor the course to your immediate needs and to prepare you to tackle future academic and professional challenges. This course invites you to gain significant experience in academic work and methodology.  You will also enjoy positive feedback and a supportive environment to explore your interests and push the frontiers of your own goals. Whether beginning students or ABDs, students have given this course rave reviews. And if you are stuck with your writing, this is a “must take” course.
Information about registration can be found at http://banner.binghamton.edu/using/entry.cgi?view=2 or contact Will Everett, Program Director of Graduate Community of Scholars [GCOS] at weverett@binghamton.edu

9. Income Tax Information: How to Apply for an Extension If You Need More Time to File Your Income Tax Forms

All individuals in F or J status, including F and J dependents, who were in the United States during any part of 2008 must file federal income tax forms, even if they did not have any U.S. earned income!

The deadline for filing income tax forms is Wednesday, April 15, 2009. What happens if you have income and are unable to file your federal and state income tax forms by the April 15 deadline? You can file for up to a six-month extension of your federal income tax form by completing form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File a Tax Return. You can obtain a similar extension from New York State by filing form IT-370. Supplies of federal form 4868 and New York State form IT-370 are available in the ISSS, in a special file drawer.  You may also download them from the link below.

For instructions on how to complete the forms, and for the links for downloading the forms, go to: http://isss.binghamton.edu/taxes/taxexten.html

Forms 4868 and IT-370 should be used if you are unable to meet the April 15, 2009 filing deadline for federal and New York State tax returns. Forms 4868 and IT-370 provide an automatic six-month extension. However, forms 4868 and IT-370 do not allow for an extension of any taxes owed. If you owe tax to the U.S. government or the State of New York, you must enclose payment (or an estimated payment) with forms 4868 and IT-370. Do not attempt to file the 4868 or the IT-370 electronically. File them as paper forms.  Both forms include instructions.

Students sometime ask whether there are any consequences to not filing tax forms. There can be immigration consequences for failing to file tax forms. For example, applicants wanting to change from F-1 to H-1B (the specialty occupations visa) can be asked by the Immigration Service to submit copies of previous years' income tax forms as part of their H-1B application. Applicants for permanent residency ("green cards") can be asked to show copies of tax forms filed for previous years. A person who appears at a U.S. consulate abroad for consular processing of a permanent residency visa application may be asked to produce U.S. income tax forms from their previous years in the United States.

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