International Student Orientation University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Fall 2013.

International Student Orientation University of Wisconsin Oshkosh

Fall 2013

OIE OfficeDempsey Hall

(Second Floor)

Office of International Education

• Jenna Graff, Office of International Education Director

• Vicki Anderson, Front-line Advisor

• Amy Jacobson, Intensive English Language Coordinator

• Sarah Christensen, International Student Advisor

• Mary Reinke, Program Manager

• TBA, Study Abroad Advisor

• Emily Hoffman, National Student Exchange & Hessen Program Coordinator

Academic Calendar

FALL SEMESTER 2013

Monday-Friday

August 26-30New International Student Orientation Week

Monday September 2 LEGAL HOLIDAY – LABOR DAY

Wednesday September 4 Begin 1st 7-week; 14-week term

Tuesday October 22 End 1st 7-week term

Wednesday October 23 Begin 2nd 7-week term

Wednesday – Sunday

November 27 – December 1

Thanksgiving RecessNote: Recess begins after evening classes on November 26

Monday December 2 Classes Resume

Friday December 13 End 2nd 7-week; 14-week term

Saturday December 14 COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY

Monday* January 6, 2014 Begin 3-week Interim

Monday January 20LEGAL HOLIDAY – MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY – NO CLASSES

Monday January 24End 3-week Interim; end of semester -- Official Graduation Date

*Fall Interim: classes will meet on January 6, 7, 8, 9, 10; 13, 14, 15, 16, 17; 21, 22, 23, 24.

Contact and Telephone InformationOffice of International Education TEL: +1 (920) 424-0775

FAX: +1 (920) 424-0185

EMAIL: [email protected]

WEBSITE: www.uwosh.edu/oie/iss

University Police(920) 424-1212 EMERGENCY

(920) 424-1216 non-emergencies

Important Telephone Numbers 911 – General Nationwide Emergency Telephone - FREE CALL within

the U.S. to call for an ambulance, fire truck, or police for a life

threatening emergency.

0 – Operator

411 – General information on telephone numbers and addresses within

your area code

Student Services

UW Oshkosh Student Email

Email

•Check your campus email OFTEN!

•OIE will send out e-newsletters, announcements, and important information regularly – these are the most important emails to read!

•Please see Sarah at a break if you have not already logged into your Titan Mail account.

Student Services

• University ID

• Meal plan card

• Library card

• Free city bus pass

• Access card for the Student Recreation

and Wellness Center (SRWC)

• ATM and PIN based Debit Card (Optional U.S. Bank Account)

• Door access card for some Residence Halls and computer labs

• Sports pass for regular season Titan athletic events

• Declining balance (debit) account for on campus purchases

Titan CardCampus ID 0123456

STUDENT

Student Services

Do I have to live on-campus?

You are required to live on campus if you are one of the following:

•Freshman student and/or sophomore students, who have not earned 60 or more credits as of the first day of classes.

•If you are not a veteran, married, or living with parent(s) or guardian.

•Exchange student

Student Services

Off-Campus Housing•Some students prefer to live off campus, but you are responsible for finding this on your own.

YOUR RESONSIBILITY AS A RENTERYou are responsible for the following: •Cleaning your own apartment/room•Removing trash •Recycling all necessary materials. •Observe quiet hours after 10:00 PM by lowering the volume on radios, TV, audio equipment, and your voice.

Student Services – Postal Services

• On Campus– Titan Central – serves as the United States Postal Service mail

and shipping center• 7:30am – 9pm Monday through Thursday, • 7:30am – 8pm Friday• 9am – 8pm Saturday• 12pm – 9pm Sunday, except during University holidays

– Each dorm has mailboxes, one for each room, located near the front desk.

• Students will be given a key to their mailbox at check-in.• Each student will be responsible for turning in the key at the

end of the semester or year. • If you receive a package and live on-campus, the front desk

will put a notice in your mailbox and you can pick up your package by showing them your Titan ID.

Financial Information

IT IS NOT SAFE TO CARRY LARGE AMOUNTS OF CASH.– Deposit your money in a CHECKING ACCOUNT so that you may

write checks or use a debit card as you need cash.

UW Credit Union– Bank on campus

– Titan Card will be connected for ATM withdrawals

STATE SALES TAX– In the state of Wisconsin, this is 5.0%.

• This is added to the purchase price of most articles; the tax IS NOT included on the price tag.

• Please note that counties or municipalities may add an extra tax to this in addition to the 5.0% state sales tax.

Financial Information: U.S. Currency

Coins

Penny = 1¢ Nickel = 5¢ Dime = 10¢ Quarter = 25¢

100¢ = $1.00

One Dollar NoteGeorge Washington

One Dollar NoteGreat Seal of the United States

Currency

Two Dollar NoteThomas Jefferson

Two Dollar NoteThe Declaration of

Independence

Five Dollar NoteAbraham Lincoln

Five Dollar NoteThe Lincoln Memorial

Ten Dollar NoteAlexander Hamilton

Ten Dollar NoteU.S. Treasury

Twenty Dollar NoteAndrew Jackson

Twenty Dollar NoteThe White House

Fifty Dollar NoteUlysses S. Grant

Fifty Dollar NoteU.S. Capitol

One Hundred Dollar NoteBenjamin Franklin

One Hundred Dollar NoteIndependence Hall

Employment

Employment

On-Campus Employment

•International students in valid F-1 or J-1 status are allowed to work up to 20 hours per week on-campus while enrolled as full-time students. •On-campus employment is not guaranteed.

•In order to work on campus, you will need a social security number.

Employment

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER

Talk to Sarah if you get an on-campus job and need to get a Social Security Number. You CANNOT get a Social Security Number if you do not get a job.

Employment

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER

Off-Campus Employment

• Curricular Practical Training (CPT):An F-1 student is eligible to engage in temporary employment, which is an

integral or important part of his/her curriculum. Curricular practical training (CPT) may include internship, cooperative education, or any other type of required internship or practicum, which is offered by sponsoring employers through cooperative agreements with the school.

• Eligibility for CPT: Student must have been in lawful status for at least one academic year.

The work must be related to the major field of study and be an integral part of your college program


Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

Talk to Sarah if you find an off-campus job related to your major after you have studied in the U.S. for one or more years. You will also need to:

Complete a CPT Application form which needs to be signed by a faculty/academic advisor.

Receive an Employment Letter from your supervisor with specific details about the job position.

You must obtain written authorization from the Office of International Education before you begin work.

UNATHORIZED EMPLOYMENT IS AN AUTOMATIC SEVIS TERMINATION, AND A

RED FLAG IN THE SEVIS SYSTEM.


Optional Practical Training (OPT)

An F-1 student may be eligible to engage in temporary employment for practical training in her/his field of study after completion of studies. The following conditions must be met to be eligible for OPT:

Student must have been in lawful status for at least one full academic year

Employment must be directly related to your major field of study and degree

Application must be made within the period of 90 days before and 60 days following degree completion date

Student must have a valid passport

NOTE: Students apply for CPT while in school after they have received a job offer. Students apply for OPT in their last semester of school and do not need to have a job offer at the time of application.


CPT vs. OPT

CPT: Students apply for CPT while in school after they have received a job offer in a field related to their course of study.

CPT: The application process and update in SEVIS takes approximately two weeks.

OPT: Students apply for OPT in their final semester of school and do not need to have a job offer at the time of application.

OPT: The application process and update in SEVIS takes approximately two to three months. YOU MUST PLAN AHEAD!!!

US Immigration Regulations

SEVIS: The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System

SEVIS Questions & Answers

What is SEVIS?

SEVIS is an internet-based system

that allows schools and the U.S.

Department of Homeland

Security to exchange data on the

visa status of international

students. Accurate and current

information is transmitted

electronically throughout an F-1 or J-1 student's academic career and J-1

scholar's stay in the United States. U.S. embassies and consulates also have

access to SEVIS.

IN GENERAL TERMS: SEVIS is the immigration database that authorized employees can view and update your immigration record.

SEVIS: The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System

How does SEVIS work?

1. UW Oshkosh admits an international student and creates an individual SEVIS record which generates an I-20 or DS-2019.

2. The student visits the U.S. consulate/embassy abroad, and the visa officer confirms through SEVIS that the I-20 or DS-2019 is a valid document.

3. A Department of Homeland Security officer at the airport reports in SEVIS that the student legally entered the U.S.

4. The student reports to their International Student Advisor with proper documentation, and the school updates the SEVIS record.

5. The International Student Advisor continues to update SEVIS as necessary throughout the student's academic career.

Basic U.S. Immigration RegulationsMaintaining Lawful Status

In order to maintain lawful F-1 and J-1 student status, you must:

• Keep your passport valid at all times• Attend the school you are authorized to attend• Continue to pursue a full course of study (Audited classes do not count as earned hours.)• Follow DHS procedures for moving from one educational level to another (i.e., from Bachelors to Masters), and for transferring from one school to another.• Limit on-campus employment to 20 hours per week when school is in session.

• Refrain from off-campus employment without proper authorization.


Things to remember to keep you in status:

You must be a full-time student every semester with the possible exception of your final semester.

You may not attend other schools without proper authorization.

You are responsible for the dates on your I-20/DS-2019 and to apply for a transfer or program extension in a timely manner.

You are responsible to follow the employment regulations.

You must report changes such as an address, name, major, etc. change within 10 days of the change to Sarah.

.


Full-time studentEarn a minimum of hours each semester (except summer) 12 credit hours for Undergraduate Students 9 credit hours for Graduate Students without a Graduate Assistantship 6 credit hours for Graduate Students with a Graduate Assistantship You are allowed to be less than full-time in your final semester

but need proper authorization. See Sarah for this document which needs to be signed by a faculty or academic advisor.

Possible Consequences

You will be out of status which means you must apply for reinstatement or leave the country.

Denial of re-entry to the U.S.

Inability to move from undergraduate to graduate status

Denial of requests for practical training and denial of requests to change visa status

Possible denial of all future visa applications

Basic U.S. Immigration Regulations

Change in Level of Study

If an F-1 student will be moving from one level of study to another at the same institution (i.e., from Bachelors to Masters) a new I-20 form is required. Admission processing, including issuing a new I-20, for graduate students is done by the Graduate School.

Transfer of Schools

After a student has completed the application process and been admitted to a new school, the student should contact the International Student Advisor about his/her intention to transfer. The student will need to provide a copy of the official admissions letter and complete a SEVIS Transfer Form.


Visits Outside the U.S.:

If you plan a trip outside the U.S. and plan to return to the U.S. using your student visa, you must make sure that all of the necessary documents are in order.

You will need:

(a) A passport valid to cover the planned return date

(b) A visa valid to cover the planned return

(c) You must have a current travel signature by the International Advisor on your I-20 or DS-2019 form (every 6-9 months).


Recommended supporting documents when traveling abroad

UW Oshkosh unofficial transcript to verify school enrollment

Financial documents

You should especially bring these items if you are applying for a new visa.

In many cases, you will need to obtain a visa to enter countries other than the U.S. You should contact the Embassy of the country you plan to visit as far in advance as possible.

You may even need a special visa to transfer planes in some countries.

The Office of International Education cannot help you plan personal trips or advise you on how to obtain visas to other countries.

Using the ISS Websitewww.uwosh.edu/oie/iss

ANY QUESTIONS???

http://www.uwosh.edu/oie/iss

International Student Orientation University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Fall 2013.

Documents

Transcript of International Student Orientation University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Fall 2013.