Very Important DocumentsVery Important Documents

I-20 FormI-20 Form PassportPassport I-94 CardI-94 Card

Please do not lose any of these Please do not lose any of these documents. They can be hard to documents. They can be hard to replace and can be costly.replace and can be costly.

Maintaining your Maintaining your immigration statusimmigration status

Maintain a valid passportMaintain a valid passport Maintain a valid I-20 FormMaintain a valid I-20 Form Maintain full time Maintain full time

enrollmentenrollment No unauthorized No unauthorized

employmentemployment Obtain travel signaturesObtain travel signatures Report address changes Report address changes

over summer sessionover summer session

Maintain a valid passportMaintain a valid passport

Check to insure that your passport is still valid. Check to insure that your passport is still valid. Six months prior to your passport expiring, you should Six months prior to your passport expiring, you should

contact your countrycontact your country’’s embassy in Washington, DC to start s embassy in Washington, DC to start processing an extension. You can find information on your processing an extension. You can find information on your countrycountry’’s embassy contact information at s embassy contact information at www.embassy.org

You should not send your original I-94 card or I-20 form You should not send your original I-94 card or I-20 form when you send your passport for renewal. The cost for when you send your passport for renewal. The cost for replacing a lost I-94 card is $330.replacing a lost I-94 card is $330.

If you have a valid visa in the expiring passport, your If you have a valid visa in the expiring passport, your country will attach the expired passport to your new country will attach the expired passport to your new passport so you are still able to use the valid visa. They will passport so you are still able to use the valid visa. They will invalidate all the other pages. invalidate all the other pages.

Maintain full time Maintain full time enrollmentenrollment

You must be registered as a full time student for every You must be registered as a full time student for every

semester you are enrolled at MHC.semester you are enrolled at MHC. --12 credits per semester for most students12 credits per semester for most students

-8 credits for Foreign and Language Fellows-8 credits for Foreign and Language Fellows

If you need to drop below full-time enrollment (generally If you need to drop below full-time enrollment (generally only only allowed for documented medical reasons), you must allowed for documented medical reasons), you must see Jenny or Donna before dropping below full time. Failure see Jenny or Donna before dropping below full time. Failure to do this will result in our office having to notify the to do this will result in our office having to notify the immigration service that you are out of legal immigration immigration service that you are out of legal immigration

status. status.

I-94 Arrival/Departure I-94 Arrival/Departure CardCard

Please do not lose this card – it costs $330 to Please do not lose this card – it costs $330 to replacereplace

Every time you leave the US, the airline officials Every time you leave the US, the airline officials will remove the card from your passport and you will remove the card from your passport and you will be given a new one when you re enter the US will be given a new one when you re enter the US

US Visa StampUS Visa Stamp

I-20 FormI-20 Form

Travel signatures before Travel signatures before leaving the U.S.leaving the U.S.

You should bring in your I-20 form for a travel You should bring in your I-20 form for a travel signature from either Jenny or Donna at least one signature from either Jenny or Donna at least one week before you will be traveling outside the U.S.week before you will be traveling outside the U.S.

We will send reminder messages about this We will send reminder messages about this during peak travel times (December break, spring during peak travel times (December break, spring break, summer break)break, summer break)

On page 3 of the I-20 is states that travel On page 3 of the I-20 is states that travel signatures are valid for one year. However, we signatures are valid for one year. However, we have found that if you are traveling outside the have found that if you are traveling outside the US more regularly, the immigration officers would US more regularly, the immigration officers would like to see signatures for each semester. like to see signatures for each semester.

No unauthorized workNo unauthorized work On-Campus: If you are at MHC on the F-1 student visa, you On-Campus: If you are at MHC on the F-1 student visa, you

can work on campus up to 20 hours a week when school is in can work on campus up to 20 hours a week when school is in session and full time during J Term and the summer. The session and full time during J Term and the summer. The Village Commons and Stony Brook Childcare Village Commons and Stony Brook Childcare are notare not considered on campus employment.considered on campus employment.

Off-campus Employment: you can not accept any off-campus Off-campus Employment: you can not accept any off-campus employment without permission from the Immigration employment without permission from the Immigration Service or the McCulloch CenterService or the McCulloch Center

There are two types of off campus work permission for F-1 There are two types of off campus work permission for F-1 students but you will not be eligible for either until you have students but you will not be eligible for either until you have been enrolled in F-1 status for one full academic year and been enrolled in F-1 status for one full academic year and have a declared major. Any work you do off campus must be have a declared major. Any work you do off campus must be related to your academic major.related to your academic major.

We will have two information sessions on off campus We will have two information sessions on off campus employment – November 7employment – November 7thth and March 6 and March 6thth. We will send . We will send reminder emails. reminder emails.

Applying for a Social Applying for a Social Security NumberSecurity Number

Needed for applicationNeeded for application-Valid passport-Valid passport-I-20 form-I-20 form-I-94 card-I-94 card-Employment letter from on campus employer. -Employment letter from on campus employer. Please visit our website for the template of this letter. It Please visit our website for the template of this letter. It

must be on must be on the letterhead of the department you will be the letterhead of the department you will be working for.working for.

-Support letter from McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives -Support letter from McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives

Representatives from the Social Security Administration will Representatives from the Social Security Administration will be on campus on be on campus on Friday, September 28Friday, September 28thth from 12:30pm- from 12:30pm-

4:30pm in 318 Blanchard4:30pm in 318 Blanchard to accept applications for social to accept applications for social security numbers. If you can not apply during this time, security numbers. If you can not apply during this time,

you will need to go to the SS Office in Holyoke at 200 High you will need to go to the SS Office in Holyoke at 200 High Street. There are no buses that go to this office and you Street. There are no buses that go to this office and you will need to find your own transportation to get there if will need to find your own transportation to get there if

you are unable to apply on September 28you are unable to apply on September 28thth..

Income TaxIncome Tax

Due Date?Due Date? April 15 or June 15 for April 15 or June 15 for

previous yearprevious year Who Files?Who Files?

All international All international students, spouses and students, spouses and children over 14 years children over 14 years regardless of if you regardless of if you have worked or nothave worked or not

How Much?How Much? Withholding according Withholding according

to W-4to W-4 Tax treaty benefitsTax treaty benefits Social Security Social Security

WithholdingWithholding

Fines?Fines? Underpay, Late filing, Underpay, Late filing,

Fraudulent claimFraudulent claim Pay Too Much?Pay Too Much?

Get it back from Get it back from employer or IRSemployer or IRS

Help?Help? IRS Website IRS Website

www.irs.ustreas.gov Glacier Software Free Glacier Software Free

to International to International Students Students

Box ____Blanchard Student Box ____Blanchard Student CenterCenter

South Hadley, MA 01075South Hadley, MA 01075