Changes to the Practical Training Seminar this Friday

Due to events taking place as part of the Chancellor’s Inauguration, this Friday, April 11, 2014, the time and location of the Practical Training Seminars will be changed. Both seminars will be held in Kittredge Auditorium in HBC (Huntington Beard Crouse).

• CPT Seminar will begin at 1:00pm
• OPT Seminar will begin at 1:45pm

We will resume the regular Practical Training Seminar schedule next week at the Slutzker Center.

Additional OPT Step 2 Processing Times

THIS WEEK

To help accommodate the high demand, the Slutzker Center has scheduled more OPT Step 2 Processing times for this week. Please see the schedule below for specific dates and times:

• Thursday, April 10 from 10am-12pm

All Step 2 Processing takes place at the Slutzker Center on a first-come first-served basis. Please make sure that you have all your application materials with you when you come for processing. For more information, please visit the OPT section of our website.

Important Tax Information

The Tax Relief Act of 1997 states that if you are filing a United States Income Tax Return for 2013 you may be eligible for an educational income tax credit.   The necessary forms to include with your tax return are available upon request from the Bursar’s Office located in 101 Archbold. 

We suggest you first visit this website  http://comptroller.syr.edu/html/SU1098T.htm  for further details regarding eligibility.  If you are filing a US Income tax return, please remember to include your Social Security number.   If you have additional questions you may call the Bursar’s Office at 315-443-2444.

Avoid Immigration Scams

The Slutzker Center has been made aware of several incidences across the country in which international students and scholars have become the target of immigration-related scams.  These scams often involve a phone call from an individual claiming to be from the state police, the IRS, USCIS, ICE, or some other government agency.  The individual may know specific information about you, such as your Social Security Number, Alien Registration Number, or the schools you have attended and degrees earned.  Most often, the scammer will threaten you or your dependents with deportation unless you pay a certain amount of money.

Please be aware that no one from a US governement agency would ever threaten deportation and demand money over the phone.  If you receive a similar phone call, you should not give out any of your personal information.  Ask the person for their name, who they are working for, and their phone number.  Tell them you will call them back or simply just hang up. Then visit the USCIS Report Scams website for information on how to properly report the scam. Remember reporting scams will not affect your immigration status, applications, or petitions. Also, many states allow you to report scams anonymously.

For more information on how to avoid becoming a scam victim, please visit the USCIS Avoid Scams website.