ISSS News 13 July 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: There will be no issue of ISSS-BU News on Monday, July 20. ISSS-BU News will resume publication on Monday, July 27.

July is the height of the visa-processing season for new students coming to the United States to study. At Binghamton, we anticipate having another large class of new undergraduate and graduate students. We are hearing positive news about visa issuance from students in most countries.

Federal regulations permit new international students in F or J status to enter the United States as early as 30 days prior to the start date on their I-20 or DS-2019. The start date for this coming fall is August 24, 2009, the first day of International Student Orientation. The start date for exchange students and Dual Diploma students is August 23, 2009. Thus, we expect to see some early arrivals in just a few weeks.

If you are assisting a new student, please bring them to the ISSS so that we can greet them, note their arrival, and give them early arrival information.

2. Be Sure To Have Your Passport, I-94 and I-20 With You When Traveling within New York State, Especially When Using Public Transportation

The Office of International Student and Scholar Services reminds BU international students and scholars that it is essential that you have your passport, signed I-20, and I-94 departure card with you when you travel, even if your travel is within New York State. In addition, if you have an application pending with US Citizenship and Immigration Services (for employment authorization or a change of non-immigrant status) be sure to carry your receipt notice with you.

“Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, there has been heightened security not only at all border crossings, but also at bus terminals, train terminals, and airports throughout the United States. Police from multiple agencies; federal, state and municipal, may be patrolling these areas. People may be stopped and questioned randomly. Therefore you are urged to be sure to have your passport, visa documents (I-94 card and SEVIS I-20 or DS-2019), and BU student ID card with you for ALL distance travel, even travel within New York State. In addition, be sure that your current I-20 or DS-2019 has an authorizing signature for travel that will be less than one year old on the date you will return to Binghamton.

Why does the ISSS want to be sure its readers know this is very important? It’s because U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Upstate New York (Buffalo, Rochester, Oswego and Syracuse) are on patrol at Amtrak train stations and Greyhound bus stations, as well as airports, and are legally permitted to stop and demand that any foreign national produce a passport and proof of legal status in the United States. Border officers can work within 100 miles of any US border, and the four upstate New York cities mentioned above fall within that distance. Similar patrols have been reported at New York City’s Penn Station and at the Greyhound Station in New York City’s Port Authority Bus Terminal. CBP officials have boarded busses and trains and have interviewed all individuals on board.

A foreign national, including an international student, may be in legal status in the United States, but if the person does not have his or her passport and US immigration documents that prove legal status when stopped by a CPB official, the student can be taken into custody and held until the documents can be produced, or be required to post bond.

Approximately 45,000 H-1B cap-subject petitions and approximately 20,000 petitions qualifying for the advanced degree cap exemption had been filed. USCIS will continue to accept both cap-subject petitions and advanced degree petitions until a sufficient number of H-1B petitions have been received to reach the statutory limits, taking into account the fact that some of these petitions may be denied, revoked, or withdrawn.

USCIS will provide regular updates on the processing of FY2010 H-1B petitions. The updates can be found on the USCIS’ Web site at www.uscis.gov/h-1b_count

ISSS-BU is a listserv owned and managed by the Office of International Student and Scholar Services, Division of Student Affairs, at the State University of New York at Binghamton. It is the publisher of ISSS-BU News . Permission is granted to freely distribute the information posted to this list as long as its contents remain unchanged.

To sign on to ISSS-BU from an e-mail account on the Binghamton.edu server, send an e-mail message to listserv@listserv.binghamton.edu
Leave the subject line blank. In the message text, type:
subscribe ISSS-BU first name last name
Replace “first name last name” with your name.

If your e-mail account is on a server other than Binghamton.edu,
send an e-mail message to isss@binghamton.edu
In the message text, type: Please subscribe isss-bu, your e-mail address, your first and last name.

If you are a registered student and don't have an e-mail account, you may claim an e-mail address and password from https://buonline.binghamton.edu/banner Be sure to read and follow the instructions carefully. If you encounter difficulty, visit the Help Desk in the lobby of the Computer Services building.