ISSS News 26 January 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: The Monday edition of ISSS-BU News is publishing one day late this week. We apologize for the inconvenience. Monday was the first day of classes for the Spring 2009 semester. ISSS-BU News wishes all our subscribers a successful Spring semester.

Have you moved recently? International students and scholars in F or J status can fulfill their federal SEVIS requirements by reporting their change of address using the ISSS’s web form:
http://isss.binghamton.edu/forms/addrChange.html
Student address changes will then be updated in the University’s database, as well as in SEVIS.

Remember to Confirm your Enrollment for Spring 2009! Students who have registered for the Spring 2009 semester but do not confirm their enrollment by 4:30pm on January 30 will have their registration cancelled. To confirm your enrollment, go to http://bubrain.binghamton.edu

The Office of International Student and Scholar Services welcomes new staff member Elaine Rapaport, Secretary, who joined the staff on January 22. Visitors to the ISSS will find Elaine at the front desk. Elaine has worked at Binghamton University for many years, most recently in the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs.

*Courses meeting less than the full semester have proportionately adjusted deadline

Although classes begin Monday, January 26, not all new international students have checked in with the Office of International Student and Scholar Services, and some are still arriving. If you are assisting a new student, be sure to bring them to the office of International Student and Scholar Services beginning today so that ISSS can photocopy their passport and visa documents and give them their orientation packet. As a service to late-arriving students, the following orientation activities are being repeated this week:

Required International Student Appointment: New international students in F-1 or J-1 status who did not attend the orientation meeting on Friday afternoon, January 23 will need to attend a mini-orientation on Friday, January 30, 2009 from 11:00am to 12 Noon with Amelia Shafer, Assistant Director. Please come to the ISSS office a few minutes before 11:00am. The group will then walk to the meeting room. If you are unable to make this session, you must schedule another mini-orientation session with Amelia Shafer. Contact the ISSS office by visiting or by phoning 607-777-2510 to make an appointment.

4. Did You Travel Abroad During Break?

Many continuing international students were able to travel abroad during the inter-session break. If you obtained a new visa while you were away or entered the United States using a new I-20 or DS-2019, please come to the Office of International Student and Scholar Services with your passport and visa documents so we can make copies for your files.

Walk-in hours for international health insurance questions will shift for this week only from Wednesday, January 28 to Thursday, January 29 from 1:30pm to 3:15pm. Regular Wednesday walk-in hours for international health insurance questions from 1:30pm to 3:15pm resumes Wednesday, February 4, 2009.

If you are a funded student who has enrolled in employee health insurance and needs an adjustment to your Spring 2009 health insurance fee, please request the adjustment by using the on line form available at:
http://isss.binghamton.edu/forms/insurance/insurance.cgi

7. Lecture on Undocumented Immigrants and Higher Education Wednesday February 4

Alejandra Rincón, Ph.D visits Binghamton University on Wednesday, February 4, 2009 at 7:00pm in Lecture Hall 2 to speak on “Undocumented Immigrants and Higher Education: ¡Sí se puede!” which is also the title of her recent book. Dr. Rincón’s visit is jointly sponsored by Binghamton University and New York University. She will speak at New York University the following day.

Dr. Rincón will discuss “the struggle by undocumented immigrant students to gain access to college by paying in-state tuition rates. These efforts, which have been successful in ten states, can be characterized as a human and civil rights struggle based on the fundamental premise that no group should be subjected to discrimination. Undocumented students seek equality under the law while affirming their humanity and thus their rights as human beings. They also seek to overturn government and media images that portray them as aliens and “illegals,” devoid of all rights simply because they are working and living in a country other than the one in which they were born.” – Amazon.com

Dr. Rincón is the 2006 recipient of the Human Relations Award conferred by the National Association of College Admissions Counseling (NACAC). The NACAC award celebrates someone who dedicates themselves to making postsecondary education opportunities available to historically underrepresented students. In 2006, Dr. Rincón also received the Advocacy Award granted by the Chicano/Latino Law Student Association at the University of Texas at Austin for her work in that state to support the passage and implementation of legislation that allows undocumented high school students to attend Texas colleges at in-state tuition rates.

Binghamton sponsors of Dr. Rincón’s lecture include: Harpur College of Arts & Sciences, International Student and Scholar Services, GSO Graduate Vice President for Multicultural Affairs, Chinese Student and Scholars Association, European Students Association, Binghamton University Globalistas (BUGS), Fernand Braudel Center, and Languages Across the Curriculum/Global Studies Minor.

8. Summer On-Campus Employment Opportunity for Undergraduates: Become an Orientation Adviser!

Orientation adviser informational meetings for interested BU undergraduate students will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 3 and Wednesday, Feb. 4, in LH-12. For more information, go to http://orientation.binghamton.edu

Do you want to make connections with current faculty, staff, and students on campus? Looking for ways to gain great leadership experience? Consider becoming an Orientation Advisor! You can find more information about the position, as well as how to apply, by visiting the Orientation Advisor Selection section of the Campus Life webpage. Stop by the Campus Life Office in University Union 145 to pick up an application. Applications are due by Friday, February 20, 2009.

This month's International Coffee Hour will be held on Friday, February 6 from 3:30-5:00pm in the President’s Reception Room, Anderson Center for the Arts. This is a great occasion for all international students, both new and continuing, to enjoy food and beverages in a relaxing atmosphere.

The Coffee Hour strives to be a space where the entire Binghamton University community, including international students, U.S. students, faculty/staff, and community members are welcome. The coffee hours are informal and provide an opportunity to meet and learn more about each other in a relaxed atmosphere. Each coffee hour has free hot and cold beverages, breads and cookies, sponsored by a different department on campus.

The sponsor of this month's International Coffee Hour is the Office of Residential Life.

10 Ireland’s Premier Touring Band, The Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra To Perform at the Anderson Center on Saturday, February 14

Treat your valentine to “An Evening of Celtic Traditional and Folk Music” featuring the Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra on Saturday, February 14, 2009, at 8 p.m. at Binghamton University’s Anderson Center for the Performing Arts.

Ireland’s premier touring band, the Dublin Philharmonic features some of the country’s leading pop stars such as fiddler Frankie Gavin, who played a St. Patrick’s Day Gala at the White House in 2008. The program will include elements of traditional Irish folk music in new arrangements by Ireland’s best composers including Bill Whelan, composer of Riverdance. Vocalists and a traditional Irish dancer will round out the evening’s program. Tourism Ireland will be present to promote tourism in Ireland and there will be an opportunity to win a trip for two.

Tickets are $21.00 students, $36 Seniors & BU Faculty and Staff, $41 General Public. Groups of 10 or more receive a 10% discount. Call the Box Office at (607) 777-ARTS or visit http://anderson.binghamton.edu

The Office of International Student and Scholar Services has received a number of inquires regarding the federal regulations that govern on-campus employment. Students in F-1 or J-1 status are reminded that when classes are in session, employment on-campus cannot exceed 20 hours per week. If a student works for more than one on-campus employer, the total number of hours worked from all jobs cannot exceed 20 hours per week. Keep in mind that Graduate Assistantships, Research Assistantships and Teaching Assistantships are all considered to be on-campus employment, and a full assistantship is considered to have a 15-20 hour per week obligation.

If you are a J-1 student, remember that all employment, including on-campus employment, must be authorized in advance. If you are a J-1 student and will be employed on-campus for the Spring 2009 semester, and have not yet obtained work authorization from your J-1 responsible officer, you need to take care of that matter immediately. If your DS-2019 was issued by Binghamton University, you may request the required letter by completing the form at the following link: http://isss.binghamton.edu/emp/jempframe.htm

12. ISSS Tax Webpages Updated and CINTAX Income Tax Preparation Software Available Soon

Thanks to the efforts of Snehal Patel, ISSS student assistant, the ISSS website tax pages have nearly all been updated for the 2008 tax year, which has just concluded. You can view the pages by going to http://isss.binghamton.edu and clicking on "Taxes." We recommend that you visit the Tax section of the ISSS website and familiarize yourself with some of the rules for tax filing.

The Office of International Student and Scholar Services plans to announce the availability of CINTAX income tax software in the next two weeks. This web-based software product will make it very easy for international students to fulfill their U.S. Federal income tax filing obligations for calendar year 2008. Watch for an upcoming e-mail message. Once ISSS receives its supply of income tax forms, an announcement will be posted in ISSS-BU News. A series of Income Tax Webinars will become available in mid-February. Watch ISSS-BU News for the announcement.

Also, please read the very important information about Income Tax Filing (below)

Many international students have begun to receive their W-2 forms and other tax forms, and are anxious to file their income tax returns. This is usually because most students want to determine if they are eligible for a tax refund. If so, they want their money as quickly as possible.

But, before you get to work on your income tax returns, WAIT! You’ll avoid mistakes that way. Here’s why.

Most International Students Cannot E-File Their Income Tax Returns
Non-resident income tax returns (forms 8843, 1040NR EZ and 1040NR) cannot be e-filed. They must be printed and mailed through the Postal Service.

Most international students in F-1 or J-1 status are non-residents for tax purposes, if they have been in the United States in F-1 or J-1 status for five years or less (2004 or later).

CINTAX, which is the web-based income tax software for non-resident tax filing, is what BU international students who are non-residents for tax purposes should use. It’s free, it’s an excellent product, and based on the information you provide, it populates the required federal income tax forms, prints them so that you can mail them, and determines whether or not you are eligible for a tax refund.

International Students Who Complete Non-Resident Federal Income Tax Returns Cannot E-File Their New York State Tax Returns
Some students will also need to file a New York State income tax return, either because:

Although New York State strongly encourages e-filing, it can only be used if the federal income tax form is e-filed. Since non-resident federal forms cannot be e-filed, you must fill out the New York State non-resident income tax forms yourself, based on the information printed on your federal non-resident form. CINTAX does not prepare New York State tax forms. Watch ISSS-BU News for information on upcoming Webinars that will assist you with filing NYS non-resident income tax forms.

Don’t File Your Income Tax Forms Until You Have All of Your W-2s
If you worked for more than one U.S. employer during calendar year 2008 (for example, Sodexo Dining Services and the State of New York) you must wait to file your income tax returns until you have a wage and tax statement (usually a W-2 form, but sometimes a different form) from each employer. If your former employer(s) do not have your current mailing address, you need to contact them and request that the wage and tax statement be sent to you.

If You Will Be Issued Form 1042-S, You Cannot File Your Income Tax Form Until the 1042-S Arrives
Form 1042-S is also known as “Foreign Person’s U.S. Source Income Subject to Withholding.” This form has multiple purposes. It is used to report Tax Treaty-eligible income, as well as scholarships. By law, form 1042-S may be issued as late as mid-March. If you are the recipient of an athletic scholarship, dissertation year fellowship, or a US sourced scholarship such as a Fulbright or Muskie grant, OR if you worked for the State Payroll or Research Foundation Payroll and were able to claim the benefits of a tax treaty based on wages, a form 1042-S will be issued to you in March. This form is an essential part of your income tax filing. Do not file your income tax form until you have received it.

Getting Help with Your Income Tax Forms
The ISSS is in the process of developing a series of tax webinars, which will assist you with filing New York State forms, since all international students and scholars who were non-residents for tax purposes during 2008 can use CINTAX for their federal forms. Watch for an announcement after mid-February.

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Classes begin	Mon	January 26
Course drop/delete deadline *	Fri	February 6
Course-add deadline*	Fri	February 6
Last day for seniors to submit an application for degree for Fall 2009	Fri	February 6
No Classes (Washington’s Birthday)	Mon	February 16
Course withdraw (with a "W") /Change grade option deadline *	Fri	March 27
Registration and academic advising for Fall 2009		TBA
Residence halls close 9 a.m.	Sat	April 4
Spring Recess (Passover, Easter)	Sat-Mon	April 4-13
Residence halls open 2 p.m.	Mon	April 13
Classes resume	Tue	April 14
Last day of classes	Fri	May 8
Reading period	Sat-Sun	May 9-10
Final examinations. Residents must vacated residence hall 24 Hours after last exam	Mon-Fri	May 11-15
Graduate School Commencement Ceremony	Sat	May 16
Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony	Sun	May 17