May 2015 Published monthly by International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS), a division of the Office of International Initiatives, the International Services newsletter brings you updates on immigration rules and regulations, University services and programs, and conveys opportunities for campus and community involvement. CONTENTS: 1. Support for Nepal 2. Reminder: iStart is Live 3. Student Voices 4. Income Tax Summary - It’s not too late : ) 5. Employment Workshop Schedule 6. Travel Signatures 7. Congratulations 8. ISSS is Moving 9. Like ISSS on Facebook *********** 1. Support for Nepal Vigil held at Woodruff Park in downtown Atlanta on April 30th, 2015. A message from the Georgia State Nepali Student Association: We are Georgia State University students from Nepal. We are trying our best to support our country from here. As you know by now, Nepal suffered a catastrophic 7.9 Richter scale earthquake on April 25. The country is in a state of emergency and the death tolls are near 8000. Nepali people are living in tents with little or no food, communication or electricity. Hundreds of children and their families are missing. Historic buildings are in ruin, and historic monuments listed in world heritage sites are destroyed. Nepal does not have enough resources on its own to manage such an emergency. We request support your support to help provide medicines, food, clothing and other relief materials. All funds collected will be dispatched through trustworthy, established international organizations. If you are in a position to donate, even $1, please do: http://www.gofundme.com/nepsagsu ************ 2. Reminder: iStart is Live! We hope you have heard about iStart by now! Many of you have already begun using iStart to request various ISSS services or visa benefits. We’d love to hear your comments, good or bad. Just email us your thoughts at: [email protected] To Use iStart: All international students on F1 and J1 visas need to activate their Campus ID in iStart. To get started, please watch the introductory video here. ************ 3. Student Voices – Praise for iStart! Ishrat Mahmud, a student in the Robinson College of Business, and former VISA Leader said about iStart, “I loved the iStart system. I didn't have to come to the office to submit paper forms or run around to my professors for signing. It made my life easier! Thank you!” Learn how ISSS is going paperless at and watch a short introductory video about iStart >> here ************* 4. Income Tax Summary - It’s not too late! From our records, 540 Non-Resident Alien tax returns were filed through Glacier Tax Prep (GTP). The average refund received was almost $400. Based on the number of waivers, assistantships and scholarships GSU provided, around 900 tax returns should have been filed. Students with no income are not required to file a tax return, only form 8843. This likely means there is more than $100,000 in TAX REFUNDS still available, to GSU international students & scholars. If you didn’t file a tax return, you will not get a refund. You also won’t know if you owe taxes. Failure to file a tax return based on U.S. income could have a negative effect on future visa applications or change of status requests. You will be required to show a tax return and / or form 8843 for every year you were present in the U.S. for a new visa, visa renewal or change of status. It’s not too late! You can still file your U.S. tax return free with the Glacier Tax Prep access from ISSS. - No penalty if you don’t owe taxes. Small penalty if you still owe taxes. For more information, please review this page ************ 5. Employment Workshop Schedule ISSS offers small group employment workshops designed to answer common questions about applying for CPT and OPT. All workshops will be held in ISSS, Sparks Hall room 248. Below you will final the time and date of the next workshop. Workshop dates for the fall semester will be announced soon. Date Wednesday, May 19 CPT (Part I) 2:00 pm OPT (Part II) 2:30 pm *** PLEASE NOTE *** Workshop completion is mandatory before you can apply for CPT or OPT. You can attend Parts I + II or just the section you’d like. ISSS recommends OPT applicants complete the workshop only in the semester you plan to graduate. There is no cost. A minimum of 4 students must sign up in advance, or the session will be cancelled. Space is limited: To register for an in-person Employment Workshop, please go log-in to iStart and click on “Session Sign-ups”. You may also complete an online workshop >> here ************ 6. Travel Signatures Are you traveling outside the US over the summer break? You’ll need a valid, updated travel signature on your I-20 or DS-2019 if the last signature is more than six months old. HOW? Just log into iStart and fill out the Travel Signature Request eform. When the form has been approved, you will receive an e-mail from the ISSS office. Then, bring your I-20 or DS-2019 to the ISSS office during Walk-in Advising Hours for immediate signature. The 3-5 day processing period is no longer required if you do your part first in iStart the day before. We aware, same day travel signatures are generally not possible. Don’t wait until the day before travelling to request an update. DOCUMENTS TO TRAVEL WITH: Always remember to carry your I-20 or DS-2019, your unexpired passport and student visa. If you leave the US with an expired visa, you must renew it while you are in your home country. If you have any questions about travel, please contact your ISSS advisor. ************* 7. Congratulations! ISSS congratulates you on the successful completion of the Spring semester! Whether you are staying here this summer for classes, traveling home, or graduating from your program, ISSS wishes you the best of luck and looks forward to seeing you soon. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help. ************* 8. ISSS is Moving That’s right! We’re moving. Later this summer, ISSS will move into a newly renovated office on the 3rd floor of Dahlberg Hall, pictured here. It’s just across the street from Sparks Hall. We expect to move on June 15th. The new facility will bring together, ISSS, Study Abroad, International Partnerships and Programs all in one space. The new facility will be called the “International Center”, and ISSS will be a part of it! We’re excited. 9. Like ISSS on Facebook FB is a major communications tool for ISSS with nearly 1200 likes so far. We never post more than 2-3 times per day. Posts include updates and information on future job opportunities, reminders, deadlines, events and more. Just click the FB banner below. No student is required to use Facebook or any other social media; it’s your choice, and we hope it helps you stay informed : ) For questions about any of the information mentioned above, contact: International Student & Scholar Services Office of International Initiatives Georgia State University 252 Sparks Hall 404.413.2070 (phone) 404.413.2072 (fax) isss.gsu.edu Office Hours Monday-Friday 8:30am-5:15pm Walk-in Advising Hours Monday & Wednesday Mornings: 9am-11:30am Monday-Friday Afternoons: 1pm-4:00pm
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