An electronic news service for international students and scholars, owned by the Office of International Student and Scholar Services at Binghamton University, State University of New York
Visit ISSS on the Web! http://isss.binghamton.edu
CONTENTS:
1. Arrival of New International Students
2. OCCT Summer Service Ends August 11, Fall Service Begins Friday, August 26
3. Use the On-Line Form If You Need an Adjustment of Your International Health Insurance Fee
4. Now Available for All BU Students: Personal Property Insurance Coverage
5. Does a F-1 or J-1 Student Need a Social Security Number Before Beginning Employment?
6. Most Recent H-1B Visa Cap Count
1. Arrival of New International Students
International Student Orientation begins in two weeks, on Monday, August 22. The Office of International Student and Scholar Services thanks the many students who have assisted our new arrivals. International Student Orientation check-in will be in the University Union Old Union Hall from 10:00am to 2:30pm on August 22. There are different orientation schedules for graduate students, undergraduate students, exchange students and Dual Diploma students from Turkey. All of the orientation schedules will be posted very soon. The link to orientation information and orientation registration is:
http://www2.binghamton.edu/isss/orientation/index.html
The orientation program features special presentations on the immigration regulations that all new students are required to know. We wish our new students "welcome" and much success with their academic program.
Although Orientation is still two weeks away, many new international students have begun to arrive on campus. If you happen to meet a new student, please be sure to direct them to the office of International Student and Scholar Services. Although ISSS will not be photocopying visa documents until Orientation, ISSS is recording new student arrivals and distributing their very helpful early arrival information sheet. ISSS looks forward to welcoming another large entering class of new international students this Fall!
2. OCCT Summer Service Ends Friday, August 11, Fall Service Begins Friday, August 26
OCC Transport’s summer service will conclude Friday, August 11. Service will begin again on Friday August 26th with a limited schedule, and Monday August 29th with OCCT’s full Fall schedule. The Fall service schedule will be posted next week at this link:
http://occt.binghamton.edu/
3. Use the On-Line Form If You Need An Adjustment of Your International Health Insurance Fee
If you are an international graduate student who will have a Graduate Assistantship, Teaching Assistantship or Research Assistantship for the Fall 2011 semester, you generally receive health insurance as an employee benefit. However, your student bill may include a charge for the international student health insurance policy, which for the Fall 2011 semester is $477.00.
First, check your Fall 2011 student bill, which will be sent
to returning international students’ Binghamton.edu email accounts and posted
on BU Brain very soon. If you are receiving health insurance as an employee
benefit but have also been billed for the international health insurance, you
may request an adjustment to the international student health insurance fee by
completing an on-line form. The form is on the ISSS home page at http://isss.binghamton.edu in the “News”
section. The direct link is:
http://www2.binghamton.edu/isss/health-insurance/waiverinfo.html
This form may be used by students with GA/TA/RA funding who have enrolled in their employee health insurance program, students who are doing research in their home countries for the current semester, or students who were incorrectly billed or who are otherwise eligible for an adjustment.
By completing the on-line form, you request is received in International Student and Scholar Services. If you are on GA/TA/RA funding, your funding will be confirmed with the appropriate University office before an adjustment is made to your student bill. Please note that funded international graduate students are still charged for mandatory medical evacuation and repatriation insurance at a cost of $42.60 per semester, since that benefit is not included in your employee insurance. Funded F-1 students who did not have health insurance as an employee benefit during summer 2011 will be charged $94.10 for Fall 2011. This charge includes “bridge” insurance coverage until your employee health insurance takes effect, plus the medical evacuation and repatriation insurance policy.
After funding is confirmed, or if not funded, after your eligibility for an adjustment is determined, please allow seven business days for processing. After seven business days (do not count Saturday, Sunday or holidays), re-check your current account on BU Brain http://bubrain.binghamton.edu to see if an adjustment has been made. If you are not eligible for an adjustment, you will be so notified by email.
4. Now Available for All BU Students: Personal Property Insurance Coverage
A special personal property insurance coverage to protect your possessions is being offered by the University to registered students. Based on the value of your items, you can select insurance coverage with policy amounts ranging from $2000 to $20,000. The cost to purchase the insurance varies according to the coverage you select. The least expensive coverage, $2000, is available at an annual cost of $65.00 (less than $6.00 per month), based on a $100 deductible. The next highest amount, $4000 of coverage, is available at an annual cost of $94. Your property is covered both on campus and in your off campus apartment or residence hall. Coverage is provided world wide, including property placed in storage. Your property will be insured for theft, vandalism or malicious mischief, accidental discharge of water or steam, damage while being transported, fire, lightning, smoke, and other hazards. This includes protection for personal computers, mobile phones, televisions, electronics, furniture, clothing, appliances, etc.
While you may think that nothing will ever happen to you, tragedies can occur. During the Spring 2011 semester, two students lost much of their property due to a burst water pipe in their apartment. In Spring 2009, two students lost all of their property in an apartment building fire on in Binghamton. Thankfully no one was hurt, but to lose nearly everything that belongs to you is a very difficult experience.
The insurance pays the full replacement value for the property, or the cost of repairing it. All mobile devices (cell phones, smart phones, IPads, laptops and computers) are subject to a $100 deductible.
The policy covers just about any
kind of property except:
Coverage for theft losses only, of such items as jewelry, watches and gold, is limited to $2,000 per loss.
The information may be found on line at:
http://www.haylor-college.com/default.asp?page=studentpages/collegestudents.htm
Once you reach that page, click on
“personal property protection.” You may
view or print an on-line informational brochure. You may also purchase the policy on line. If you have any questions about the policy
after reading the information, call Haylor, Freyer and Coon toll free at
1-866-535-0456.
Most students in F-1 or J-1 status are aware that in order to apply for a U.S. Social Security Number, you must be able to present proof of employment (such as a department funding letter or some other letter verifying employment). But staff in the ISSS have been asked if the reverse is true, meaning, do F-1 or J-1 students need to have a Social Security Number in hand before work can commence.
The answer is no! A Social Security Number is not required to begin employment. However, once employment has commenced, the employee must apply for the Social Security Number and report their number to the employer as soon as the number is received, so that the employer can update the record for tax reporting purposes.6. Most Recent H-1B Visa Cap Count
The most recent H-1B visa update was on July 29, 2011.It can be read at:
www.uscis.gov/h-1b_count
As of July 29, 2011, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reports that approximately 22,700 H-1B cap-subject petitions out of 65,000 visas available have been filed. This is a decline of 17% compared with this time one year ago, when 27,300 cap-subject petitions had been filed. Approximately 13,800 petitions qualifying for the advanced degree cap exemption out of 20,000 visas available have been filed. This is an increase of 19% compared with this time one year ago, when 11,600 cap-subject petitions had been filed.
USCIS will continue to accept both cap-subject petitions and advanced degree petitions until a sufficient number of H-1B petitions have been received to reach the statutory limits, taking into account the fact that some of these petitions may be denied, revoked, or withdrawn.
USCIS will provide regular updates on the processing of Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 H-1B petitions.
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