ISSS News 16 February 2009

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

Editor’s Note: Today is Presidents Day in the United States, a federal holiday. Banks and Post Offices are closed. BU classes are not in session and most University offices will re-open on Tuesday, February 17.

The Office of International Student and Scholar Services has opened access to CINTAX, the income tax preparation software for filing your federal tax forms. E-mail messages were sent out early last week. If you did not receive an e-mail message, go to the following link to read the message text and request a CINTAX access code: http://isss.binghamton.edu/taxes/cintax.htm

The ISSS has received its supply of income tax forms. However, if you are using CINTAX, it will print all the necessary Federal forms. The ISSS has a supply of New York State tax forms, but those can also be accessed on line. For more information on tax filing, read today’s income tax articles, below.

1. International Student Grant-In-Aid Applications Available Beginning February 17

Each semester, awards of up to $500 are made to a small number of international students who have a severe financial need. To be eligible, students must be in F-1 or J-1 status, have been in attendance at Binghamton University at least one yearn (began their studies at Binghamton University in Spring 2008 or earlier), document need, have no outstanding obligations to the university, and be full-time students in good standing.

Some students may find themselves in financial difficulty through no fault of their own. Examples can include reduced support from a sponsor, or unanticipated expenses. Applicants are strongly advised to carefully document their financial situation when submitting the application form, as there are always more students seeking assistance than there are funds.

Applications are available now in the Office of International Student and Scholar Services and must be submitted no later than Wednesday, March 11, 2009.

Are you familiar with the fact sheet that the Office of International Student and Scholar Services has prepared that summarizes various sources of financial assistance for BU international students? Copies are available in the ISSS, or you can read the fact sheet on line at:
http://isss.binghamton.edu/pubs/stuFinNeed.html

3. Applying for Off-Campus Employment Due to Economic Hardship If You Are In F-1 Status

The fact sheet on financial assistance mentioned in the previous article includes information on “Off-Campus Employment Due to Economic Hardship.” This is an employment benefit available to F-1 students based on an application filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Take Note! There is a significant level of documentation that USCIS requires for this application, including:

The regulations require that students make a good faith effort to locate employment on campus before applying for employment authorization based on economic hardship.

The regulations offer examples of unforeseen circumstances which may cause economic hardship, including:

Now that it is February, students who have been in F-1 status for at least two complete consecutive semesters and who are interested in applying for this benefit will want to file their applications this month so that they will receive their Employment Authorization Cards from USCIS in May, in time for Summer employment. These applications must first be reviewed and processed through the ISSS.

F-1 students who believe that they meet the requirements for this employment benefit and who can furnish the detailed documentation that is required to apply are encouraged to contact the ISSS to schedule an appointment with Ms. Karen Keefe-Guzikowski, Assistant Director.

Binghamton is a safe campus but the potential for violence can exist anywhere. In an emergency, Binghamton University participates in the SUNY NY-Alert program to provide students, staff and faculty emergency messages during critical incidents, including when classes are suspended due to weather conditions. Registration is voluntary and can be done through the BU-Brain portal.

This system allows you to receive emergency messages via email, as voice mail to your cell phone, or as a text message to your cell phone. You can even receive the emergency message as a fax. You choose the options for receiving messages. The system is only used for essential communication during critical incidents and is not used for other purposes. If you do not register for this system, you will not receive emergency messages. You are strongly encouraged to register for SUNY NY-Alert to stay informed during urgent situations. Visit http://bubrain.binghamton.edu, log in and from “My Information”, select Emergency Alert Contact Information (NY-ALERT)

You must register for the service to receive it. Registration is free of charge!

5. Undergraduate Admissions Seeks Tour Guides

Are you an undergraduate student who loves Binghamton University and want to tell others about it? Applications to become a campus tour guide are now available at the Undergraduate Admissions Office, front desk in Academic A. Applications are due by 5 p.m. March 6, 2009. Questions? E-mail mailto:buguides@binghamton.edu

6. News From the Career Development Center

Why we love it: Green jobs are an area of potential growth, which is welcome news in this economy. Greencollarhiring.com provides job links and outlines career information for various green opportunities, including ecotourism, green building, green brand development, environmental management and land use planning. And it’s not just for scientists – it’s for anyone who wants to explore opportunities that will both provide a paycheck AND support the environment.

How to access: The website is linked in multiple locations on the CDC website, but can be accessed directly at http://www.greencollarhiring.com/

Upcoming CDC Programs

Employers Are Still Hiring!! Apply Today! New positions are posted to eRecruiting on a daily basis. Students may view and apply for positions through their eRecruiting account. All matriculated students have an account and there is great diversity in the types of employers/positions available.

Participating students had such a positive experience that we’re offering this opportunity once again. Students must apply by submitting documents through eRecruiting. Once the application is approved, they will be matched with an alumni volunteer to conduct a practice interview by phone. Complete information and application document summary is available on the CDC website. Applications for the program will be accepted until 3/5/09.

Binghamton Students Are Invited:
Cornell’s 2009 Not-For-Profit And Government Career Fair

The event is open to Cornell and area college students who have a current student identification card; student registration is not required. Business casual attire is recommended.

Over 60 local, state, and national organizations attended the 2008 fair to discuss full-time positions, volunteer roles, internships, and summer jobs. Student registration is not required. Business casual attire is recommended. The list of employers 2009 participating organizations provides an overview of the event.

Binghamton Students Are Invited:
Not-For-Profit/Public Service Career Fair

Friday March 6, 2009, 12pm - 4pm
Columbia University
Roone Arledge Auditorium, Alfred Lerner Hall

Binghamton students and alumni are invited to explore a wide variety of career fields, employers, and types of employment. Discover all the ways you can make an impact. Business attire required. Job seekers are not required to register. http://www.cce.columbia.edu/nfp

7. I Keep Receiving E-mail Messages Titled “Part-Time Job Opportunity.” Can I Do It?

We offer the opportunity for home workers, nationwide to perform entry-level assignments. Our company is committed to providing quality, professional services to our clients.

We seek honest, self - motivated people with a desire to work in the home typing and data entry field area. The preferred applicants should be at least 18 years old. No experience is needed. Average weekly earnings start at $1000 to $3000 in the first couple weeks and increases as you continue to work with our agency.

You will not have to devote full time hours. These assignments can be done on your time. They may be done in Internet cafes or where ever you can get Internet access.

If you are interested in making money using your computer at home or at school just reply to my email!”

Work from home job postings are everywhere. There are listings for data entry jobs, research positions, multi-level marketing opportunities, and a variety of other ways to make a lot of money fast. In fact, there are so many of them that work at home schemes are on the (U.S.) National Consumers League's list of Top 10 Frauds.

Most work-at-home jobs don't guarantee regular, salaried employment. Many neglect to mention that you have to work many hours without pay. Others require that you spend your own money for products or instructions before finding out how the offer works. And the "work" may entail getting others to sign up for the same job--which continues the fraud. Work-at-home scams have cost victims thousands of dollars.

For international students, “working from home” even if the opportunity was from a legitimate company, requires prior authorization. Since federal regulations governing F-1 and J-1 students only permit employment if certain criteria are met, the vast majority of F-1 and J-1 students cannot accept employment that involves “work-at-home.”

If you have a question whether or not a job opportunity is legal, always contact the Office of International Student and Scholar Services.

The Office of International Student and Scholar Services is frequently asked by students about the H-1B “specialty occupations” visa and the special US Master’s quota of 20,000 H-1B visas available each year. This quota is in addition to the usual 65,000 H-1B visas available.

To be eligible to use the US Master’s quota, you must have been awarded your US Master’s degree at the time your H-1B petition is filed, or have completed all of your graduation requirements at the time your H-1B petition is filed. If you will not have all of your graduation requirements completed before the April 1, 2009 H-1B filing date, then you will not be eligible to use the US Master's quota for H-1B visas. You are still eligible to be considered under the larger, regular visa quota if you have at least a Bachelor’s degree at the time of filing.

If you are a currently enrolled graduate student who has not yet been awarded the Master’s degree, but you will have all of your Master’s degree requirements completed before April 1 (including thesis or project), then your department will need to submit the necessary certifications to the Graduate School on or before that date, and then Ms. Shawne Hartnett, the Graduate School's secretary for Graduate Degree Completion, is then able to provide you with a letter verifying that you have completed all requirements for your degree.

The ISSS will be offering its annual workshop on “Post Graduation Employment Issues” in early March. Our guest speaker will be an immigration attorney from the law firm of Miller Mayer in Ithaca, New York. Watch for an upcoming announcement in ISSS-BU News.

A number of students have asked questions about CINTAX. This is a web-based tax preparation product designed for use by international students and scholars who are attending US-colleges and universities. Several hundred US schools provide CINTAX for their students’ use. The ISSS purchases a yearly license for CINTAX and then makes it available free of charge to eligible international students and scholars. CINTAX is for any international student or scholar, and their dependents, who was in the United States for some portion of calendar year 2008 and needs to file an income tax form as a non-resident for tax purposes.

Non-residents are F-1 and J-1 students who have been in the United States for five or fewer years in that status (entered the United States in F-1 or J-1 status in 2004 or later), and J-1 scholars/faculty who have been in the United States for two or fewer years (entered the United States in J-1 scholar/professor status in 2007 or later).

Even if you earned no U.S.-source income during 2008, you still need to file an income tax form. Non-residents with no U.S.-source income just need to file federal form 8843. Non-residents with U.S. source income will need to file either federal form 1040NR EZ or federal form 1040NR (CINTAX will automatically select the correct form for you). All of these federal forms can be completed by using CINTAX.

In the January 26, 2009 issue of ISSS-BU News, we cautioned our readers to not be hasty in filing their income tax forms. You can read the article at: http://isss.binghamton.edu/news/isssbu2009/Jan262009.html#13

Be sure you have Wage and Tax Statements (form W-2) from all of your 2008 U.S. employers before filing your income tax forms. Also, if you will be issued form 1042-S, you cannot file your income tax form until the 1042-S arrives.

If during calendar year 2008 you were employed in New York State and had state income tax withheld that you would like to have refunded to you, OR if you were employed in New York State and earned more than $7500 from all income sources (even jobs outside of New York State) during 2008, you must file a New York State tax return as well. The New York State forms that non-residents file are form IT-203, IT-203B and IT-2. In the next week, ISSS will be posting income tax webinars that provide line-by-line instructions for completing the New York State forms.

The ISSS website contains helpful information on income tax. Visit http://isss.binghamton.edu and click on “taxes.”

The ISSS has received some excellent questions from students who have started to use CINTAX. Since the answers may be of interest to our readers, we are presenting edited versions of those questions below.

Question
I thought I could fill and send income tax forms on line. Do I have to come to the ISSS? Why should I use CINTAX if I need to come to the ISSS?

Answer

Non-resident income tax forms (for those in F or J status for five or fewer years, since 2004 or later) cannot be filed on-line. The U.S. government offers the on-line filing option for resident tax payers only. CINTAX computes your tax liability, pre-fills the required federal income tax forms, allows you to print the forms for postal mailing, and provides instructions for mailing the forms. The ISSS will have the paper versions of the non-resident income tax forms available, for both federal and New York State filing. But, if you use CINTAX, you will not need the paper federal forms. Plus, CINTAX does all the tax computations for you.

Question
I did register for CINTAX, but I don't understand what CINTAX is. How will CINTAX help me submit the required tax forms. Do I need to pay to use CINTAX? Can I just submit my tax forms myself?

Answer
CINTAX is a non-resident tax preparation software that is used by students and scholars at hundreds of colleges and universities in the United States. Binghamton University purchases a license each year so that BU international students who are eligible to file as non-residents can comply with their income tax obligations. CINTAX is offered to BU international students and scholars for free, and removes much of the complexity of completing income tax forms by taking the income tax information you provide and doing all the work for you. While you can attempt to complete your income tax forms yourself, most students find it to be a very complicated process and appreciate the convenience of using CINTAX.

Question
Last semester I received a tuition scholarship as part of my funding as a graduate assistant. Will I receive a form 1042-S for the tuition scholarship? Do I need to report the tuition scholarship as income on my tax return?

Answer
Tuition scholarships are neither taxable nor reportable as income. So, you do not report your tuition scholarship as income, nor will you receive any tax form for your tuition scholarship. At Binghamton University, students do not receive a tuition scholarship as income. Instead, it is listed as a credit on your student semester bill.

Question
I am a research assistant and I filed my tax return for 2008 using CINTAX software. The calculated tax that I have to pay is $256.00. Why do I need to pay more federal tax when such tax was already withheld from my paycheck?

Answer
There may be several reasons why a student may owe additional income tax. If the student is from a country that has no tax treaty with the United States, then depending upon the amount of money earned, the student may owe additional tax. Or, if too little tax was withheld from a student’s earnings during the year, the student may owe tax. Lastly, if a portion of a student’s earnings came from income that was not taxed at all, then taxes may now be due on that portion of earnings that were not taxed at the source.

Students who have already obtained a CINTAXaccess code and are using the product and find that they have technical questions are encouraged to write to the CINTAXhelp desk at support@cintax.us Replies are usually received within 48 hours.

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Tuesday, February 17 4:40 pm-5:40 pm Downtown Center 220A	*Smart Moves In a Tough Economy: EXPLORE JOB OPTIONS WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT!*	Nearly 193,000 ‘mission critical’ jobs with the federal government need to be filled in the next two years! Learn how to find positions and the procedure for applying! Co-sponsored with the GSO of the MPA Program
Wednesday, February 18 4:00 pm-4:30 pm LSG 500 - CDC	Express Program: Tell me about yourself	Develop an effective answer to this tough interview question!
Thursday, February 19 4:40 pm-5:40 pm Downtown Center 220A	**Smart Moves in a Tough Economy: THINK BEYOND CORPORATE AMERICA**	Whatever your passion, you can find any position in the not for profit sector that exists in the corporate world. Attend this session to find out how to focus in on and find short and long-term opportunities that will allow you to create a positive change in the world. Co-sponsored with the GSO of the MPA Program
Friday, February 20 1:00 pm-2:00 pm UUW 324	**Smart Moves In A Tough Economy: EXPLORE JOB OPTIONS WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT!**	The Federal Government is hiring thousands of new employees! Interested in jobs with the federal government, but don't know how to find and apply for them? Attend this session to learn how to navigate the process.

Organizer for Social Justice	Foreign Service Financial Management Officer
Summer Analyst – Finance Division	National Park Congressional Internship Program
Business Analyst	Sales & Marketing Associate
Jewish Student Life Coordinator	Case Manager
Actuarial Summer Internship Program	Day Treatment Counselor
Risk Manager Trainee	Advertising/Marketing Intern
Photography Intern	Stockbroker Trainee
Data Analyst	Software Developer
Youth Work Counselor	PR Specialist