Join ISSS for a cup of coffee, pizza, and spend time with other international students who may be missing home, too!

Write a letter (postage paid for by ISSS) and take a picture with our quintessential New England props to share with your family.

The University of Connecticut has approved a new student fee for eligible active UConn students on F-1 and J-1 visas.

When will the Visa Compliance Fee be applied?

To accurately capture which students have enrolled, the fee will be applied to bills in two batches. The first batch of  students will receive the Visa Compliance Fee on their bill the week of 7/10/2017, and the second batch of students will be charged on the 11th day of Fall semester, 9/11/2017. All students will receive an email notification once the fee has been applied to their bill.

What expenses will the Visa Compliance Fee cover?

This fee will cover expenses associated with the University’s sponsorship of F and J visas for international students. It is not a government fee, or a fee tied to your individual visa application. For international students to study on a student visa, the University must sponsor your visa. This means UConn is responsible for maintaining your SEVIS immigration record, assessing and processing your applications for immigration benefits, providing advising to help you maintain your immigration status while supporting your academic and career goals, and reporting regularly to the U.S. government on the status of your visa. This requires adequate staffing, resources, and professional training, which will be met through the Visa Compliance Fee.

What benefits will I receive from the Visa Compliance Fee?

Direct benefits of the fee to international students include:

-Increased advising immigration support staff to meet your immigration processing and advising needs.

-Full-time international advisors based at the UConn Stamford campus and in Hartford to serve the new UConn Hartford campus, Graduate Business Learning Center and School of Law.

-The ability to continue providing walk-in advising services at the Storrs campus.

-Improved application processing time.

-Improved email response time.

-Improved application services, including web-based applications.

The $350 fee is charged as part of the required University tuition and fees for each semester that a student is enrolled, Fall and Spring terms only. Students who have been charged the fee but will not enroll in the next semester will have the charge removed after day 10 of the next semester. Payment for the Visa Compliance Fee will be due on October 15 for the Fall 2017 semester (Spring semester payment deadline TBD).

 

Who should I contact with questions about the Visa Compliance Fee?

Please contact the Bursar with any billing related questions at bursar@uconn.edu. Contact ISSS with any further questions at international@uconn.edu.

This past Saturday (March 25, 2017), UConn hosted its 47th Annual WorldFest celebration.  Read this great article from the Daily Campus for photos and a summary of the event.

Please be advised of recent fee changes associated with applying for F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT) and J-1 Academic Training (AT).

1)      For F-1 students: USCIS will raise OPT filing fees effective December 23^rd, 2016. Applications postmarked or filed on or after December 23rd must include the new filing fee, or USCIS will reject your application. The filing fee for all I-765 applications for OPT (including pre-completion OPT, post-completion OPT and OPT STEM extension) will be raised to $410 (from the current $380).

2)      For F-1 and J-1 students: The University of Connecticut will begin implementing a Post-Completion Training SEVIS Maintenance Fee for all F-1 and J-1 students who will apply for post-completion Optional Practical Training (F-1) or post-completion Academic Training (J-1). This fee will be assessed at the time that you apply for post-completion OPT or AT, and will cover expenses related to maintaining your SEVIS record after you have graduated from the University. This fee will not be assessed for applications for pre-completion OPT or AT.  The fee will be $150 per 12 months of practical training that you are requesting. For example, if you are applying for 12 months of post-completion OPT, you fee will be $150. If you are applying for the 24-month STEM OPT extension, the fee will be $300. Details on how to pay the fee are posted on the ISSS webpage OPT application instructions. For OPT applicants, this fee is in addition to the USCIS filing fee mentioned above. The Post-Completion Training SEVIS Maintenance Fee will be required for OPT and AT applications submitted for approval to ISSS on or after January 1, 2017.

Please contact ISSS if you have any questions about these important changes.

Anna Middendorf and Charlotte Veitner were both named Longstreth/NFHCA Division I First Team All-Americans this week.  Middendorf and Veitner have received the All-America honors in the past, once before for Veitner and twice before for Middendorf.  Additionally Veitner was named All-Mideast Region Player of the Year and Middendorf was named Big East Co-Defensive Player of the Year.  Read this great article detailing the honors received by these international student athletes.

http://today.uconn.edu/2016/12/innovative-device-could-offer-new-hope-for-heart-patients/

UConn international student Islam Mosa is ready to dramatically change the world of cardiac pacemakers; he’s winning awards and getting recognition for his work too.  Mosa recently won the People’s Choice Award in the 3MT (Three Minute Thesis) competition sponsored by Universitas 21. Read this terrific article in UConn Today and watch his 3MT presentation below.

http://today.uconn.edu/2016/12/innovative-device-could-offer-new-hope-for-heart-patients/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OfRBf_4RbI

Last Tuesday, ISSS welcomed dozens of international students to our Annual Thanksgiving Luncheon! ISSS staff served some traditional Thanksgiving foods like turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce to hungry students in celebration of the U.S. holiday. For some it was their first Thanksgiving in the U.S.!

Students shared what they are thankful for this holiday season and took photos. ISSS staff is thankful for all of our amazing and inspiring international students! We hope you have a wonderful break!

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