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| In Loving Memory | |
| Immigration & Administration | ||||||||
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DIRECTOR'S NOTE ON THE TRAGEDY AT VIRGINIA TECH UNIVERSITY
Dear International Students and Scholars: Syracuse University and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry join the rest of the world in mourning the passing of the students and faculty members who were the victims of the recent tragedy at Virginia Technical University. The University has provided assistance through the Counseling Center and Hendricks Chapel, and a very moving candlelight vigil was held on Tuesday evening (4/17) at 6 p.m. in Hendricks Chapel. Further information which might be of interest to you is available at this website: http://sunews.syr.edu/vt/index.html.
We, at the Slutzker Center for International Services, are especially concerned about you, our international students and scholars. Because of the nature of the tragedy, and the extensive media coverage with speculations and reflections appearing on the internet, we worry that you might be dealing with difficult emotions. Common symptoms after a tragedy include shock, suffering, sadness, anger, anxiety, and fear. Keep in mind that these reactions are normal.
We are here for you. Please give us a call (443-2457)or send us an email (lescis@syr.edu). Set up an appointment with one of our advisors. Keep in mind that our graduate assistant, Ms. Kyoung-Mi Choi, is a Ph.D student from South Korea, and she has been providing individual and group support programs for the Syracuse University and SUNY ESF international community for several years. You can reach her directly at kmchoi01@syr.edu or kyoungkiwi@yahoo.com.
In addition to the staff at the Slutzker Center, Hendricks Chapel, and the Counseling Center, Mr. Amit Taneja, Assistant Director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transgender Resource Center, and Ms. Tae-Sun Kim, Assistant Director in the Office of Multicultural Affairs, have offered to provide support as well. We will host an evening discussion on Monday, April 23 at 5 pm at the Slutzker Center for International Services. You can gather together and talk about the issues, anger, anxiety, and fears you might be experiencing, and share these emotions with us, with Tae-Sun Kim, and with other students. Sometimes this is a very healing process. If you would prefer to meet on a one-on-one basis, you can also call to make an appointment to talk with us (443-2457). We care about how you are doing-and how this tragedy has affected you.
Join with us and others across the world as we try to find light in a world which has been darkened by inexplicable tragedy. Care for each other just a little more today than you did yesterday. Let someone you love know that you love them-through email, a card, a letter, a phone call or a touch. Today is so precious. Enjoy it and live your life to the fullest !! We hope to hear from you.
With our caring thoughts,
Dr. Patricia A. Burak, Director and all the staff of the Slutzker Center for International Services CANCELING OR WITHDRAWING AN OPT REQUEST
Students are advised that OPT authorization cannot be withdrawn or canceled once OPT is approved by Immigration. Slutzker Center staff contacted Immigration on this issue and were advised that there are no provisions of law that allow USCIS to revoke or cancel any previously authorized Optional Practical Training.
A student may cancel or withdraw an OPT request prior to final approval.
Withdrawal requests should then be mailed to the Vermont Service Center. Please be advised that there is no guarantee that the withdrawal/cancellation request will be honored by Immigration—it will often depend on where the OPT application is in the approval process. H-1B "LOTTERY" COMPLETED USCIS has completed the random selection process to determine which H-1B petitions will continue to final processing. Applicants who submitted properly filed petitions accepted for adjudication will receive a receipt notice dated on or after April 12, 2007. All petitions not chosen will be returned with the fee(s) to the petitioner or their authorized representative. The total process is expected to take approximately four weeks. H-1B CAP FOR FY 2008 REACHED U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services estimates that it received 150,000 H-1B petitions as of the close of business Monday, April 2. Because the number of petitions exceeds the number of H-1B visa numbers available, USCIS will use a random selection process for all cap-subject filings received on April 2, 2007 and April 3, 2007. USCIS will reject and return, along with filing fee(s), all petitions from April 2 and 3 not randomly selected and any H-1B petition filed on or after Wednesday, April 4, 2007. The official press release is available online. OPTIONAL PRACTICAL TRAINING PAYMENT GUIDELINES
The fee for submitting an I-765 application for Optional Practical Training employment authorization for a qualified F-1 academic student is currently $180. U.S. Immigration has proposed to increase this fee to $340, which could become effective as early as April 2007. At this time, we do not know if or when this increase will occur. The Slutzker Center will announce when this increase goes into effect, if at all, as soon as we are made aware of the date. Currently, checks or money orders should be made payable to "Department of Homeland Security" for the amount of $180.
U.S. Immigration instructions regarding payment of the fee are as follows: "If a fee is required, it will not be refunded. Pay in the exact amount. Checks and money orders must be payable in U.S. currency. Make check or money order payable to the 'Department of Homeland Security'."
Recently, students have reported that Immigration has returned applications due to alterations or improper dollar amounts on personal checks. For example, if your personal check has a former address and you cross it out and write your current address you must sign/initial the change. Please also take care when writing the exact dollar amount on your check. If you have concerns about using your personal check, money orders are a good alternative since you are able to write your correct address on the money order.
If your application is returned to you, please carefully read the reasons provided by Immigration and follow their instructions for resubmittal. Return of your application will likely increase the time it takes to receive your work authorization since processing time would run from the date of your resubmittal.
FINAL NOTE -- Immigration will accept OPT applications up to 120 days prior to your program completion date or employment start date; applications should not be submitted prior to the 120 day mark as they will likely be returned to you.
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| Events & Notices | ||||||||
| CAMPUS EVENTS FOR THE UPCOMING WEEK
INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL: SCHEDULE OF FILMS BY COUNTRY A listing of international films by country or interest can be accessed online at: http://www.syrfilmfest.com/visit2.php?title=Visitors&content_file=special_interest/special_interest.txt A SERIES OF FRENCH/FRANCOPHONE, AFRICAN, AND QUEBEC FILMS AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY AND AT THE SYRACUSE INTERNATIONAL FILM AND VIDEO FESTIVAL-APRIL 19TH & 20TH
Tournées Festival/ African Perspectives Date: April 19 Vues du Québec Date: April 19 Date: April 19 Date: April 20 Tournées Festival Date: April 19 SPECIAL EVENT INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL RECEPTION: APRIL 20TH You are invited...
The Slutzker Center for International Services is hosting a welcome reception on Friday, April 20, from 12:30-1:30 p.m. for international filmmakers attending the Syracuse International Film Festival and interested students. This event is a great opportunity for students to meet filmmakers from their home countries and countries around the world. Filmmakers attending the film festival are from countries such as India, China, Japan, Korea, Israel, Senegal, Czech Republic, Argentina, Iran, Albania, Armenia, Italy, Hungary, and Russia!
For more information on the Syracuse International Film Festival, access: http://www.syrfilmfest.com/. NEGOTIATING YOUR FUTURE: SELF-ASSESSMENT AND PROFESSIONAL PLANNING: APRIL 20TH This event has been organized by the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE), the Future Professoriate Program (FPP) and Career Services and
will be held on April 20th from 4-6 p.m. in 369 Link Hall.
There will be a panel of managers and directors from companies including
Gentex Corporation, Lockheed Martin, Innovative Automation, and more.
"Interact with women engineers and scientists from industry, learn about
options after your degree, practice Negotiating Your Future!"
RSVP: skudesia@syr.edu or jkjohn01@maxwell.syr.edu EMPTY BOWLS FUNDRAISING DINNER: APRIL 21ST
For a $10 donation participants choose one bowl from a selection of 1,000 handcrafted ceramic bowls and receive a simple meal of soup and bread. Participants then take their chosen bowl home as a reminder of those who truly do have Empty Bowls. Location: Community Folk Art Center, 805 East Genesee St. Price: $10 Sponsoring department/organization: S U. Ceramics Department, IFC, CFAC Contact: Monica Leap mleap@syr.edu HIKING AT TINKER FALLS: APRIL 21ST Join Recreation Services as we go Hiking at Tinker Falls!
Date: Saturday April 21, 2007 Bus leaves from College Place at 12:00pm and returns around 5:30pm Bring a daypack with lunch, water, trail snacks, etc. To register, come to: For more information, call 315-443-4386 or visit http://outdoored.syr.edu THE BIG EVENT-APRIL 21ST
The Big Event is a one-day community service initiative that is student-run as a means to give back to the surrounding community and way of saying thank you to a community that continually supports SU. Last year, more than 500 student volunteers and more than 20 non-profit sites in the Syracuse community participated in the Big Event and made enormous strides in their community. The Big Event has become an SU tradition of hard working, dedicated volunteers committed to the welfare of the Syracuse area. MAYFEST AFTER DARK INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL: APRIL 24TH
Join us for an evening of excitement and entertainment… Date: April 24 For a schedule of the International Fesitval events, access:http://mayfest.syr.edu/AfterDarkIndex.htm. ANNUAL EARTH DAY COMMUNITY WIDE CLEAN UP-APRIL 28TH
Every year nearly 100 Syracuse University and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry students and Syracuse residents gather to pick up litter in the University neighborhood. Please join us again this year at the Westcott Community Center. Volunteers are needed from 10 am-2:30 pm. (Lunch will also be served.) If you would like to volunteer to help, please complete the online form. TEN TONS OF LOVE- APRIL 30TH-MAY 18TH Ten Tons of Love is Syracuse University and SUNY ESF's annual food and clothing drive. Last year over 11 ½ tons of donated goods were collected. The drive runs from April 30-May 18, 2007. To assist with collection, donation bins are placed in all residence halls and several other locations on and off campus. The bins are emptied daily from April 30-May 18 and the items collected are taken to an off-site agency for distribution. Ten Tons of Love is a collaborative effort between the Office of Off-Campus Student Services, Lutheran Campus Ministry, Students Offering Service, Department of Recreation Services and the University RAPE Center. Ten Tons of Love is only possible with the assistance of many volunteers, like you, to help load, move and sort all the donated items.
Volunteers are needed for the following:
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| Advisor's Corner | |
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Earth Day, a day for awareness, protection, and appreciation of the environment, was first celebrated on April 22, 1970. United States Senator, Gaylord Nelson, of Wisconsin called for the “environmental teach-in” or “earth day” to be held as a response to widespread environmental degradation. Over 20 million people participated in the first Earth Day and Senator Nelson directly credited the observation of it with persuading U.S. politicians that environmental legislation had a substantial, lasting constituency. Many important laws were passed by the Congress in the wake of the 1970 Earth Day, including the Clean Air Act, laws to protect drinking water, wild lands and the ocean.
Earth day is now observed each year by more than 500 million people and national governments in 175 countries. It is the largest secular holiday in the world. Grassroots groups have sought to make Earth Day into a day of action which changes human behavior and provokes policy changes.
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| Copyright
© 2007 LESCIS. All rights reserved.
The Lillian and Emanuel Slutzker Center for International Services. Syracuse University |
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