Author: Galinat, Arthur

Important Information for GAs Graduating Spring 2024

Posted on February 21, 2024 by Galinat, Arthur

This information was originally sent to all GAs on an F-1 or J-1 visa on February 21, 2024 and will be sent out again before the end of the spring 2024 term. If you are not graduating this spring, this information will not apply to you, but is still important to understand for the future.

Dear International Huskies,

Federal government regulations allow graduate students on F-1 and J-1 visas to hold on-campus employment while they are pursuing their degree. If you complete your degree requirements during Spring 2024 and if your degree is conferred in May, you will no longer be pursuing your degree after May 5, 2024.

If you hold an Academic Year 2023/2024 or Spring 2024 appointment at Storrs or a regional campus (excepting UConn Health), the final date of your appointment is May 21, 2024. If your degree is conferred in May and you hold an F-1 or J-1 visa and your assistantship appointment is covered by a collective bargaining agreement with the Graduate Employee Union (GEU), the time from May 4, 2024 through May 21, 2024 should be treated as time off. Please work with your supervisor to ensure you finish the duties associated with your assistantship before May 4, 2023. You will still receive your full Spring 2023 GA stipend.

In addition, ISSS will be updating your I-20 or DS-2019 program end date to May 4, 2024 if you are graduating in May and hold a GAship this term. This means your grace period to depart the U.S., or your first eligible date to begin post-completion practical training will begin May 5, 2024. Please plan for this accordingly. ISSS will adjust your I-20 or DS-2019 end date automatically based on notification that you have applied for graduation, or at the time you apply for post-completion OPT (F-1 students) or Academic Training (J-1 students), whichever comes first. ISSS will notify you when your adjusted I-20 or DS-2019 is ready to download from your ISSS portal account later in May.

Please reach out to ISSS at international@uconn.edu if you have any questions about this change as it relates to your visa status, I-20, grace period, or practical training timeline.
Kent Holsinger
Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Biology
Vice Provost for Graduate Education
and Dean of The Graduate School

Arthur Galinat
Director, International Student and Scholar Services

Tax Filing Options for International Students

Posted on February 19, 2024 by Galinat, Arthur

This message was originally sent to the international-l listserv on February 8, 2024.

Dear International Students and Scholars,

The tax filing season has begun and if you earned income in the U.S. in 2023 you are responsible to file a tax return by April 15, 2024. Pay special attention to the information below. The VITA program at UConn and Sprintax software are available to students and scholars to help you fill out required tax forms. If you did not earn any income, but were present in the U.S. skip down to the bottom for instructions on submitting the 8843 form.

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program is an in-person tax preparation clinic run by trained UConn student volunteers and they will help you fill out your tax return documents. Register with the VITA program at the link below. The VITA program will begin scheduling appointments in mid-February. Please register with the UConn VITA website if you wish to be notified when the appointment calendar is open. https://accounting.business.uconn.edu/vita-program/
Sprintax is a software that specializes in nonresident alien tax returns. UConn can provide you with a code to use to file your federal tax return for free but there is an additional fee to file your CT state return. To learn more visit: https://isss.uconn.edu/taxes/ email international@uconn.edu with your name and student ID number.
UConn Income Statements (W-2 form) will be available online at https://ess.uconn.edu/ navigate to Payroll > View W-2/W-C Information
- If you are no longer employed at UConn and cannot log in to https://ess.uconn.edu/ please visit the Payroll Help Desk and explain your problem https://payroll.uconn.edu/payroll-help-desk/
If you had on campus employment and claimed the benefits of a tax treaty you will receive a 1042-S from the State of Connecticut in CORE CT by late February 2024. If you are no longer employed at UConn and cannot log in to https://ess.uconn.edu/ please visit the Payroll Help Desk and explain your problem https://payroll.uconn.edu/payroll-help-desk/. The 1042-S will be mailed to the home address listed in Core-CT. You will need to wait to file your income taxes until after you receive this form. If you do not receive this form by February 29, 2024 visit the Payroll Help Desk and explain your problem https://payroll.uconn.edu/payroll-help-desk/.
If you will be receiving a 2023 Form 1042-S for a scholarship or fellowship, UConn’s Tax & Compliance Office notified you by email on Thursday, January 25, 2024. Check your email! Your Form 1042-S for a scholarship or fellowship will be mailed to the mailing address that is listed in Student Admin. If that is not the correct address, please contact taxcompliance@uconn.edu as soon as possible with your correct mailing address.

If you did not earn income in the U.S., but are a nonresident for tax purposes there is still one tax form you must file, the form 8843 – see below for information on how you can learn to file the form 8843. https://accounting.business.uconn.edu/undergraduate/vita-program/form-8843-filing-instructions/

Watch a video with instructions on how to submit the form 8843: https://isss.uconn.edu/taxes/

Best regards,

___________

Arthur Galinat
Director, International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS)

International Students Selecting Classes for Fall 2023

Posted on May 11, 2023 by Galinat, Arthur

Dear Students,

ISSS wants to share some resources and remind you of the enrollment parameters required for international students for fall 2023 term. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns you may have.

Review the minimum full-time enrollment rules for international students and remember which courses count as in-person: In-Person (P), Hybrid (HB), and By Arrangement (AR) are all considered in person.

F-1 Visa Holders (undergraduate students) must be enrolled in at least 12 credits each term. Only one course (3 credits) can be online. The other 9 credits must be in-person.

F-1 Visa Holders (graduate students) must be enrolled in at least 9 credits each term (6 credits w/ a GA). Only one course (3 credits) can be online. The other 6 credits (3 credits w/ a GA) must be in-person.

J-1 Visa Holders (graduate students/graduate exchange students) must be enrolled in at least 9 credits each term (6 credits w/ a GA). Undergraduate exchange students must be enrolled in at least 12 credits each term. No online courses can count towards the full course of study.

If fall 2023 will be your last semester and you only need to enroll in one course, it must be an in-person course and must be offered at UConn. If you have any questions about this information please reach out to your ISSS Advisor.

I wish everyone a strong finish to the semester and a happy summer break!

Best regards,

___________

Arthur Galinat
Director, International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS)

Important Information for Students Graduating in Spring 23

Posted on May 11, 2023 by Galinat, Arthur

This announcement was originally sent out on April 19.

Dear Students,
Greetings from ISSS! This message is going out to all students, but only applies to those students graduating in Spring 23.

Congratulations! If you are graduating in Spring 23, ISSS will need to shorten your I-20 or DS-2019 end date to the end of the semester. Your new end date will be 05/06/2023. PLEASE NOTE: your last day of on-campus work permission will be 05/06/2023. You must stop working on-campus after this date. Your grace period begins the day after on 05/07/2023. If your most recent form I-20/DS-2019 has a future program end date, it will no longer be valid. If there is any chance that you will not finish by 05/06/2023 you must contact your ISSS advisor before this date.

F-1 Students:

Be advised that you have a 60-day grace period to remain in the United States before your F-1 status ends. Your 60-day grace period starts from the date you completed your program as indicated above.

J-1 Students:
Be advised that you have a 30-day grace period to remain in the United States before your J-1 status ends. Your 30-day grace period starts from the date you completed your program as indicated above.

Graduate Assistants Completing in Spring 23:

You can read more about the policy for GA’s last day of work here. This was shared with all students at the beginning of the semester. Please work with your supervisor to ensure

that you finish the duties associated with your assistantship before May 06, 2023. You will still receive your full GA stipend for spring 2023, but the time from May 6 through May 22, 2023 will be treated as time off.

To process your F-1 SEVIS record, ISSS needs you to take one of the following actions before the end of your grace period:

Prepare to depart the U.S.- submit Program Update-Compete/Shorten Form
Request another form I-20 or DS-2019 to begin a new degree program at UConn – submit Continuing Student I-20/DS-2019 Request;
Transfer to another school to start a new program-submit SEVIS Transfer Out Request
Report a change in your non-immigrant status from F-1 to another visa status – submit Program Update-Change Visa Status Notification
Apply for work permission to stay in the U.S. and work in your major field.

F-1 Students: Apply for post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) to work in the U.S. in your major field. You must apply for OPT before you depart the U.S.

J-1 Students: Apply for Academic Training (AT) to work in the U.S. in your major field. You must apply for Academic Training before your DS-2019 expires.

Please contact your international advisor if you require further assistance. You can reach us at (860) 486-3855 or by email at international@uconn.edu

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. We hope that all of our spring graduates found their time at UConn academically satisfying and personally fulfilling. Good luck with your future endeavors!

Best wishes,
___________

Arthur Galinat
Director, International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS)

View Recording of 11/6/2020 Stay Informed! International Student and Scholar Meeting

Posted on November 17, 2020 by Galinat, Arthur

New Resource for Current Students Outside the U.S.

Posted on October 24, 2020 by Galinat, Arthur

ISSS has created a new resource specifically for students outside of the U.S. that includes a recording of the student meeting that took place on Tuesday, October 20, 2021 and options for enrollment for spring 2021 as well as challenges that students may face.

Visit: https://isss.uconn.edu/for-current-international-students-who-are-outside-the-u-s/

ISSS Has One Question For You

Posted on September 4, 2020September 4, 2020 by Galinat, Arthur

Take our survey on ISSS cultural events and activities. It’s only one question!

ISSS Summer Book Club Meets Fridays in July

Posted on July 6, 2020 by Galinat, Arthur

July 10, 3 pm – 4 pm: ISSS Summer Book Club

Join ISSS Advisor Sarah Manning for the first ISSS Summer Book Club. Have you ever gotten lost in a book? Now is the best time to do it! Join ISSS for a community book club. We will be reading We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. This is a summer mystery book that will be fun to discuss and share. Sign Up here to participate.

Do you need to file taxes? Watch Sprintax Workshop free online.

Posted on April 28, 2020April 28, 2020 by Galinat, Arthur

Do you still need to file taxes? Watch a free Sprintax Workshop for general information about U.S. tax filing process including the forms necessary, the steps to follow and the process to file your taxes. Sprintax is hosting a series of free workshops on nonresident alien tax filing from now until July 1st, 2020. Read more about taxes visit: https://isss.uconn.edu/tax-preparation-resources/

International students and scholars can prepare their federal tax return and 8843 form online using Sprintax. This service is provided free for current UConn students and scholars, as well as recent graduates who are on post-completion OPT, or Academic Training. Sprintax can also prepare your state tax return for an extra fee. Sprintax prepares tax forms for individuals who are nonresident aliens for tax purposes. The software will have you complete a short questionnaire to determine whether you qualify to use the service. You will need to request an access code from ISSS that you will enter at “Checkout” to obtain your federal tax preparation at no cost. Email international@uconn.edu and provide your full name and Peoplesoft number if you would like to request an access code and a link to the Sprintax portal.

International students may prepare their own tax returns or seek other options to file their tax returns. The IRS webpage lists options for filing tax returns.

Sprintax Student Webinar Schedule and Registration Details

Webinar 1: Thursday, April 30th @ 12pm EST

Please register for Sprintax Open Webinar on Apr 30, 2020 12:00 PM EDT at:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3405344048290225936