MONDAY, 03 FEBRUARY 2025

Editor鈥檚 Note: The ISSS Newsletter is distributed monthly. Between monthly newsletters, please follow us on Facebook and/or Instagram to learn more about programs, events, and updates.

Contents:

        1. Next International Coffee Hour: Wednesday, February 5 at 3:00pm

        2. Graduating Students: How to prepare your Optional Practical Training (OPT) Application

        3. Snowshoeing or Winter Hike with ISSS: Monday, February 10 at 2:00pm

        4. Cookie Decorating with ISSS and IEGI: Friday, February 14 at 2:00pm

        5. Travel and Immigration Document Reminders

        6. Are Your US Address and Emergency Contacts Current?

        7. 2024 Income Tax Information

        8. Job and Internship Career Boot Camp hosted by the Fleishman Center

        9. International Health Insurance Team is Now Accepting Insurance Fee Waiver Requests

        10. Sign up for ELI Conversation Pairs

        11. Curiosity Workshop and Keynote Conversation with M贸nica Guzm谩n

1. Next International Coffee Hour: Wednesday, February 5 at 3:00pm

Good company! Complimentary refreshments! Come relax at our , 3:00-4:30pm on Wednesday, February 5 in the Old Champlain Atrium (Old Champlain, Room 133). February鈥檚 Coffee Hour sponsor is the Division of Advancement.

Participants will have the opportunity to learn more about the sponsor while mingling with both international and domestic students. There will be games, interactive activities, crafts, and complimentary coffee and snacks! 

If you have any questions about International Coffee Hour, contact Annie Smith, ISSS Programming Coordinator. All are welcome!

2. Graduating Students: How to prepare your Optional Practical Training (OPT) Application

If you plan to graduate in May 2025, you can apply for OPT authorization now! The ISSS Office can begin issuing OPT I-20's for spring 2025 graduates as early as Monday, February 17. The ISSS Office strongly encourages all students graduating in May 2025 to apply for their OPT authorization early because USCIS can take 3.5-5 months to process OPT applications.

How to Prepare Your Optional Practical Training (OPT) Application

This workshop is recommended for international students who are graduating in May 2025. 

During this workshop, participants will learn how to:

    • Prepare and complete all documents needed to apply to USCIS for OPT authorization
    • Understand the two-step application process
    • Learn how to pick an appropriate OPT start date

To better prepare for this workshop, review our OPT webpage prior to participation. Event dates, times, and location can be found below.

Workshop: How to Prepare Your Optional Practical Training (OPT) Application
Date Time Location
3:00 PM Virtual Workshop on
11:00 AM Virtual Workshop on
2:00 PM Virtual Workshop on

If you have any questions about this workshop or registration, please email intlwork@binghamton.edu. 

3.

Monday, February 10  |  2:00-4:30pm  |  Nature Preserve

Join the staff from the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) and Campus Recreation for the event on Monday, February 6 at 2:00 PM! We are planning to snowshoe if there is enough snow OR do a winter hike if there isn鈥檛 enough snow. 

We will meet you with the snowshoes. We will carry a pace that everyone can enjoy as we show you one of the lesser known hikes of our Nature Preserve.  Dress in warm layers, have a hat and gloves. Wear sturdy hiking shoes or boots and meet at the Nature Preserve kiosk near Lot M.

Please register by Wednesday, February 5 at 12:00pm so we can have an accurate headcount. 

If you have any questions about this event, contact Annie Smith, ISSS Programming Coordinator.

4.

Friday, February 14  |  2:00pm  |  Old Champlain, Room 133

Are you interested in connecting with other globally minded students? Do you like cookies? Well then you're in luck! Come to this cookie decorating event, hosted as a part of the Global Networking Group (GNG) event series. You'll get to meet other students and munch on delicious cookies! 

If you have any questions about this event, contact Annie Smith, ISSS Programming Coordinator.

5. Travel and Immigration Document Reminders

As you are planning ahead for spring break or summer travel, here are a few reminders from the ISSS office:

    • ISSS recommends that F-1/J-1 students and scholars (and their dependents) carry a printed copy of their I-94 at all times, as documentation of your current status in the US.
    • If you are planning to travel outside the 绿帽社 area, we encourage you to also carry your printed I-20/DS-2019 and your passport with your F-1 or J-1 visa.
    • If your passport will be expiring soon, make sure that you start the renewal process as soon as possible. Your passport must always be valid at least 6 months into the future.
    • If you choose to travel outside the United States, make sure that you have all of the required documents to return to the US, including a valid passport, a valid F-1 or J-1 visa, and an I-20 or DS-2019 with a valid travel signature. If the signature on your I-20 or DS-2019 will be more than 12 months old (6 months for students on OPT or STEM OPT) when you return to the US, you should visit the ISSS office for an updated signature before you leave or online. Review the detailed instructions on our Travel page for more information. Students who are on OPT or STEM OPT should review our OPT Travel page. 

The ISSS Office recommends that you continue to use caution when planning travel outside the United States. Travel restrictions have the potential to affect your ability to return to the United States. If you choose to travel internationally, your travel plans may be disrupted, and you may be forced to remain outside of the US for an indefinite amount of time.

6. Are Your US Address and Emergency Contacts Current?

All international students and scholars are required to report changes of address within 10 days of moving. Please visit the to check the address that ISSS has on file for you and to provide an update if needed. Note: if you live on campus, your address should be automatically updated in the university database. Students who live on campus should email isss@binghamton.edu if the form displays an incorrect address.

If your emergency contact information has changed since your arrival at 绿帽社 University, please provide an update to ISSS. You can view and update your emergency contact information at any time using the and the .

7. 2024 Income Tax Information

If you were in the US in F or J status between January 1, 2024 鈥 December 31, 2024 you are required to file taxes, even if you earned no income in the United States.  Information and instructions on how to file taxes will be available by mid-February on the ISSS website. A special edition newsletter focused on taxes will also be circulated mid-February to provide additional detailed guidance. If you are a nonresident for tax purposes, you should NOT use other tax software such as TurboTax to e-file; these software options do not provide correct information for nonresidents. Please wait for information from ISSS about tax filing and access to Sprintax software. 

8.

Thursday, February 20  |  12:00pm  |  UU133A

The Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development is holding a Job and Internship Career Boot Camp afternoon that is focused on international students. Lunch and refreshments will be provided. Please register on or Handshake for this event. 

Sessions include:

    • Job Search Strategies
    • Resume & Cover Letter Basics
    • Crafting Your Elevator Pitch
    • Interviewing Do鈥檚 & Don鈥檛s 

If you have any questions about this event, contact Annie Smith, ISSS Programming Coordinator.

9. International Health Insurance Team is Now Accepting Insurance Fee Waiver Requests

The International Health Insurance Team is now accepting requests from those who believe they meet the requirements for an international health insurance fee waiver. In order to qualify for a waiver of the fee you must:

    • Meet ALL of the requirements found here.
    • Upload documents as instructed here.
    • Your policy submission must indicate the services that are NOT paid for under the policy, found in the 鈥淓xclusions and Limitations鈥 section of the policy, plus the deductible charged to you.

RAs/TAs/GAs with health insurance (NYSHIP or Empire Blue) will no longer be automatically waived from the standard SUNY International student insurance policy, as was the case in previous semesters.  Any student with an active I-20 who wishes to file an application for a waiver from the standard international student health insurance plan will need to complete an international health insurance waiver e-form. You will be notified if your waiver is approved and your charges will be adjusted accordingly.

Please note that a submission does not guarantee approval.  A full review of your policy must be conducted to ensure compliance. Approved waivers are valid for one semester only. Students must submit a health insurance waiver request every semester.  The deadline for submission of a waiver request is February 15, 2025. No exceptions are granted.

10. Sign up for ELI Conversation Pairs!

Would you like to practice your English, learn more about American culture, and share your own culture and language with an American student? If so, please consider joining the English Conversation Pairs Program. In this program, a native English speaker is paired with an English language learner and asked to spend approximately one hour a week in conversation.  

on B-Engaged today!  Meet your partner on February 10 from 6:00-7:00pm in the University Union.  If you have questions, please contact conpair@binghamton.edu. 

11. Curiosity Workshop and Keynote Conversation with M贸nica Guzm谩n

As part of the 绿帽社 Common Read Experience, M贸nica Guzm谩n will be leading an interactive workshop and keynote conversation on Tuesday, February 11. 

M贸nica Guzm谩n is a Senior Fellow for Public Practice at Braver Angels, host of the new podcast A Braver Way, and author of The New York Times recommended read I Never Thought of it That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times.

| Tuesday, February 11 | 1:30pm-3pm | UU 215

| Tuesday, February 11 | 7pm-8pm | Mandela Room

 

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