GENERAL REMINDERS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

06 October 2006

Optional Practical Training (OPT):  Are you an F-1 visa holder who will graduate in December or a graduate student finished with coursework with only your project or dissertation remaining?  You may be eligible for OPT; to find out if you are, please sign up for a workshop to learn about the application process.  If you attended an OPT workshop more than six months ago, you should plan on attending again. 

Also, please note that there have recently been many mistakes on the EADs (OPT cards) issued by Immigration due to illegible handwriting.  To minimize this possibility, we now require that you fill out the I-765 online and print it out to submit with your application. 

NOTE:  There will be an OPT workshop on Monday, 9 October at 10 a.m. in Dragas.  Sign up now!

$$:  If you have outstanding charges on October 20, you will be subject to financial penalties.  For accounts that are 30 days past due, there will be a 10% late penalty; accounts that are 60 days, the debt is forwarded to collections and 33 1/3% collection fees are added to charges.  E-bills are the only billing method at ODU, so failure to receive a billing statement does not release you from payment responsibility - be sure to check your ODU e-mail (xxxxx001@odu.edu) weekly.  Questions?  Please contact the Office of Finance directly. 

Got Game?:  Sponsor a game and participate in International Flavor: Rules of the Game on Thursday, October 26 from 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM.   This could include a simple board games or a more athletic games. This event will be held on Kaufman Mall (if weather permits) and in the front lobby of Webb Center.  Let us know if you or your organization would like to sponsor a game.

CPT Q&A Express:  Have a quick question about your Curricular Practical Training (CPT) application?  CPT Q & A Express Hours are Mondays & Wednesdays:  10:00-11:30 and Thursdays & Fridays:  1:30-3:00.   Please note that we cannot "just look over your application to see if anything is missing"...you should come with specific questions about the forms and/or the application process.

Have You or Your Family Moved?:  Don't forget that F & J visa holders must keep THREE addresses current:  

1) SEVIS Permanent Foreign Address (your family's home in your country, updated on ISSS web site) 

2) SEVIS Domestic Address (your U.S. address, updated on ISSS web site) 

3) the address called "Permanent" on LeoOnline (usually the same as SEVIS Domestic) 

The two SEVIS addresses should be updated on the ISSS site within 5 days of a move and the other on LeoOnline.  For non-F or non-J visa holders, please be sure to keep the LeoOnline "Permanent" address current as it is what ODU uses for mailings.

Full-Time Status Letter for Students With Approved Reduced Courseloads:  If your supervisor requires a letter from ISSS stating that you are considered to be full-time with less than nine credits (graduates) or twelve credits (undergraduates), please request a letter.  You should select "Other" for the letter reason and type in "RCL letter" in the text box on the form.  Letters will be issued two business days after your RCL is approved.

Human Trafficking Awareness Week:  Regent University is presenting a week of films, presentations and discussions for the week of 23 October which is Human Trafficking Awareness Week.  Over one million people are trafficked across international borders each year...50% of whom are children.  More information forthcoming but if you have any questions, please contact the organizer.

Making Appointments:  Before making an appointment, we strongly suggest you e-mail us in case your situation requires that a form be submitted or that you contact another department.  Just this week, all but one of one advisor's appointments could have been handled via e-mail.  We are very happy to meet with you but, if we can, we'd like to help you save time from your busy schedule. 

HAVE A WONDERFUL AND RELAXING FALL BREAK!

(ISSS will be open for regular business hours during the break.)