Table of contents:
New Requirements to obtain a Social Security Number
International Festival
New Federal SEVIS Fee
H1B visa cap
Turn back the clocks
Halloween
American Slang/American tradition
Driving Tips
On September 13, 2004 the Social Security Administration published a new F-1
student evidence rule, which went into effect on October 13, 2004. This new
rule will not drastically change anything for Rensselaer students applying for
a social security number. However, when a student requests a letter from the
ISSS Office, we will need the following information from the department they
are working for:
a. department the student is working for
b. what kind of work the student will be doing
c. start and end date
d. how many hours a week the student will work
e. name and phone number of supervisor
f. letter must be on letterhead and dated
This new rule will not affect any student who already has a social security
number.
The 16th International Festival was held on Saturday, October 16, 2004. It was a great success. We had over 27 countries represented.
The ISSS Office staff would like to thank everyone for your attendance and participation.
A non-refundable fee of $100 is now in effect for F-1, M-1, and J-1 visa holders,
and is paid by the F-1 or M-1 student, or J-1 exchange visitor, directly to
the U.S. Federal government. This new fee is in addition to the $100 visa processing
fee, paid at the time a visa appointment is scheduled with the consulate/embassy.
The fee is paid by those F-1 or M-1 students who are issued an I-20 for initial
attendance, or J-1 exchange visitors issued a DS-2019 to begin a new program,
with a date of issue of September 1, 2004 or later. Currently enrolled students,
including new students who commenced studies in the Fall 2004 semester, do not
have to pay the SEVIS Fee.
For most F-1 and M-1 students, and J-1 exchange visitors, this is a one-time
fee. The first group of students who will have to pay this fee are those who
will be commencing studies for the Spring 2005 semester, and J-1 exchange visitors
coming to Rensselaer for the first time.
However, there are a small number of current students and exchange visitors
who will be subject to the Federal SEVIS Fee.
To read more information on the Federal SEVIS Fee visit the ISSS homepage.
On October 1, 2004, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced
that it has received a sufficient number of H-1B petitions to reach the cap
for issuing H-1B visas for initial employment for fiscal year 2005. This is
the first time that the cap has been reached so early; in this case, on the
day the fiscal year began (October 1, 2004 to September 30, 2005). Thus no new
H-1B visas subject to the cap will be available until the start of the next
fiscal year, October 1, 2005.
The U.S. Congress has set a cap of 65,000 H-1B visas per fiscal year.
The H-1B visa, also known as the “specialty occupations” visa, is
one that is popular with U.S. employers who seek to hire international students
for long-term employment in professional positions.
USCIS will continue to process those H-1B petitions for initial employment that
were received as of the close of business on October 1, 2004. All others are
being returned to the sender.
USCIS will also continue to process H-1B petitions for initial employment that
are NOT subject to the cap, including positions with U.S. colleges and universities
or a related or affiliated non-profit entity, or at a non-profit research organization
or governmental research organization.
USCIS will also continue to process H-1B petitions for extensions of stay, changes
in the terms of employment for a current H-1B worker, a request to change employers
from a current H-1B worker, and requests for a current H-1B worker to be concurrently
employed in a second H-1B position.
The earliest date that an H-1B petitioner can file a request for initial H-1B
employment starting October 1, 2005 will be April 1, 2005.
The U.S. Congress is currently considering legislation that would add a new
exemption from the H-1B cap for international students who hold masters or doctoral
degrees from U.S. colleges or universities, but the fate of the legislation
is uncertain.
To read the USCIS Announcement, visit the following web link:
http://uscis.gov/graphics/publicaffairs/factsheets/H1B_05fnl100104.pdf
Daylights saving time ends Sunday, October 31, 2004 at 2:00am. This means that
before you go to bed Saturday night, you need to turn your clocks back one hour.
You will get an extra hour of sleep. This is also a good time to put new batteries
in the smoke detector in your house. Americans remember what to do by saying
“Fall back, Spring ahead”. In the fall, you return your clocks back
one hour in the spring you turn them ahead one hour.
Halloween will be celebrated on Sunday, October 31, 2004. Children and sometimes
adults dress up in costumes ranging from the traditional witch or ghost to presidents,
super heroes, or even as pieces of fruit. The children go from house to house
and say "Trick or Treat". They are then given a piece of candy. This
is called Trick or Treating. So you should have some candy ready to give to
children that might come to your door. You should give only wrapped candy, no
fruit. If you want to participate, be sure to have your porch lights on for
the children.
If you drive around neighborhoods, you will see that some people have decorated
their yards. Halloween decorations include witches, black cats, bats, ghosts,
spiders and scary things and pumpkins caved as jack-o-lanterns.
Halloween started in pre-Christian and Christian rituals. The eve of the Celtic
New York is October 31 and according to the Celts, it is a time when ghosts
and spirits walked with the living. October 31 is also known as All Hallows’
Eve. The next day, November 1 is known as All Saints Day, or All Hallows' Day.
The word Halloween comes from that. The Irish immigrants brought the celebration
to America in the 1800s.
Be careful. Make sure your children do not go out alone “Trick or Treating”.
An adult should be with them. Also, take along some flashlights. Dark colored
costumes are hard to see by someone driving a car. This is a fun time for children,
but make sure they are safe.
"Jack-o-lanterns" -- This refers to the activity of pumpkin carving: when you take a pumpkin, and cut a round circle in the top, and then you clean out all of the seeds from inside. You then draw a face on the outside of the pumpkin, usually the eyes and nose are the shape of a triangle and the mouth is the shape of a half moon. Then you put a small-lit candle inside the pumpkin and set it on your porch at night during "trick or treat."
Leaves on the street and rain. Fall is here and that means that the leaves
are falling off the trees. When the leaves are on the street and it is raining
you could have trouble stopping your car. The reason is that wet leaves are
slippery and your tires will not have good traction. If you are driving and
try to stop your car quickly on a wet road that is covered with leaves you will
find you could not stop as quickly as you anticipated. So be careful. Be especially
careful at night, you will not be able to see if the road has leaves on it.