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SEVIS
SEVIS is the new web-based tracking system that is used by the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS, formally INS) to monitor
all non-immigrants. SEVIS stands for the “Student and Exchange
Visitor Information System”. SEVIS compliance began for all
academic institutions on January 30, 2003. The I20 or DS-2019
that you received is a SEVIS-issued I20. It has a bar code for
scanning at all U.S. ports of entry. The regulations for F1 and
J1 international students are stricter than in the past, as well
as carrying more severe consequences if violated. The two main
violations of status are unapproved employment and enrolling
less than full-time while at Trinity. Therefore, be sure to
review all of the following information on immigration issues.
Keep this handbook with you during your entire time at Trinity
so that you can review it as necessary. In addition, always ask
the staff of the Office of International Programs (OIP) at
Trinity if you have any questions or are uncertain of policy.
The main contact at Trinity is Jane Decatur for both F & J
programs. All of Trinity’s Designated School Officials (F
program) and Responsible Officers (J program) can sign your
immigration documents when you travel.
Trinity College Designated School Officials (DSO's)
and
Responsible Officers (RO's):
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Jane Decatur,
Associate Director of International Programs, Goodwin Lounge, (860) 297-2364
Nancy Birch Wagner, Dean of International Programs
(860) 297-2526
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Changes in Name or Address
All students must report to Trinity’s DSO any name or address
changes within 10 days. These changes will be recorded into the
SEVIS system. Trinity’s OIP will track changes in dorm
assignments every fall, therefore, students only need to report a
change in dorm if it occurs within an academic year.
EMPLOYMENT
Any Trinity student can apply for on-campus jobs. During the academic
year, many Trinity students work part-time and a few remain on campus
over the winter and summer break to work full-time. You will find
a list of available positions outside of the Financial Aid Office.
Both J1 and F1 students may work on-campus part-time (20 hours/week)
during the academic year and full-time (40 hours/week) during the
summer and college breaks without formal authorization.
Hint: If there is an office that you would like to work
in that has not posted an employment card with Financial Aid, simply
call the office and inquire about an employment opportunity. There
may be something available or your name may be recorded for the
future.
J1 Students
Students on J1 visas are eligible to work off-campus with
approval from the Responsible Officer of the institution which
provided the DS-2019 document. For most of you, Trinity is
the sponsoring institution. This type of employment is
called Academic Training and may be authorized during the
academic year or after the completion of study at Trinity.
Contact Trinity's OIP for further information.
F1 Students
Stop by the Office of International Programs to pick up brochures
on the two main types of employment that an international student
may undertake; one is Optional Practical Training (OPT) and
the other is Curricular Practical Training (CPT). APPROVAL
FROM USCIS TO WORK CAN TAKE UP TO 90 DAYS, so you
should plan ahead and apply early.
YOU MAY NOT WORK WITHOUT APPROVAL FROM USCIS.
If you have been enrolled as a full-time student for at least nine
months, you are eligible for Optional Practical Training. An OPT
job must be related to your academic major and be intended to cultivate
practical experience. As an F1 student, you have a total of 12 months
of OPT. You may use the OPT during the summers or all of it after
graduation, just keep in mind that the total of all OPT is 12 months.
You are excluded from OPT if you use one year of Curricular Practical
Training. OPT can be granted while school is in session,
summer breaks, or after graduation. See the OPT brochure available at the OIP for
further detailed information.
Curricular Practical Training allows F-1 students to work before graduation in an internship or independent study related to their field of study. You must have been a full-time student for at least nine consecutive months to qualify for CPT. The benefit of CPT is that it does not reduce the amount of OPT available, unless you use 12 months of CPT. The internship or independent study must appear in your major department on your transcript for credit.
See the CPT brochure available at the OIP for further detailed
information.
F-1 students who encounter unforeseen, severe economic hardship after completing one academic year
(also defined as nine consecutive months) may apply to USCIS for permission to work off-campus. To
apply, you must document an unanticipated change in your financial support showing that your expenses
have increased significantly or that your income has decreased significantly. You must also show
USCIS
that you have exhausted other employment opportunities. Students who can document that they have encountered
an unforeseen economic hardship after completing one academic year in the US should contact the Office
of International Programs. Generally, it takes the USCIS two months to approve an application for
off-campus work based on severe economic hardship.
Enrollment - Part time approval
All F and J students are required to be enrolled in 4.0 credits
or more, full time status. A student must receive permission from
the DSO or RO prior to enrolling part time in any semester.
Generally, the only possible scenarios for approval are medical
emergencies (which require medical documentation) and final terms of
degrees. If permission is not granted prior to part time
enrollment, a student’s record in SEVIS will reflect the violation
of status and the student’s record will be closed in SEVIS. The
only possibility to reopen the record is to apply for a
reinstatement through the USCIS; reinstatements are rarely approved.
Extension
The timeframe given to a student for completion of the degree is
indicated on the I20 form. It is possible that a student may need
more time to complete the degree in various circumstances, for
instance a medical emergency. In this case, a student must request
the extension prior to the ending date on the I20. A new I20 would
be issued including the extra semester(s) needed.
Grace Periods
Students are given varying times to leave the country based on
the circumstances at hand:
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completion of degree or
authorized employment: 60 days
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authorized withdrawal by
DSO: 30 days
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violation of status:
immediate departure, NO grace period
Graduation
Student records in SEVIS are automatically completed once the
student’s graduation date is reached. If a student applies for OPT,
the student’s record remains open until the OPT is completed.
Students who wish to transfer their F status from Trinity to a
graduate school must notify Trinity’s DSO so that the transfer
process can be completed. Otherwise, the student’s record in SEVIS
will be completed automatically upon graduation.
Income
Taxes
All people employed in the United States must pay state and
federal income taxes. These taxes are deducted from employees’
paychecks and go to fund various local, state, and federal programs.
The tax deducted from your paycheck each pay period is called Income
Tax Withholding. Income tax forms are due on or before April 15th.
Frequently, full-time students make so little income
that they usually get a tax refund, which means that too much tax
was withheld from your yearly income. In this case, when you file
your taxes, you will determine the amount owed to you by the United
States government and/or the State of Connecticut.
If, however, not enough taxes were withheld from your
income, you may owe taxes to the federal and/or state government.
In which case you will find out how much you must pay the government
when you file your taxes. This can happen if you make quite a lot
of money or if your employer withholds insufficient funds. All
international students must file tax forms with the government, even
if no money was earned.
Students who have
obtained a position on campus while in the United States are required to
get a Social Security Number (SSN). You will need to fill
out INS form I-765, available at the
Office of International Programs.
International students are not permitted to work
off-campus during their first year of study in the US.
Bring the following items to the Social Security
Administration Office:
Social Security Administration Office
2nd floor
960 Main St.
Hartford, CT 06103
(800) 772-1213
(860) 493-1857
Office Hours
9:00am - 4:00pm,
Monday - Friday
For more
information, call the Social Security's toll-free number 1
800-772-1213.
Some international students at Trinity choose to study abroad
during their 4 years of study. Keep in mind that a new I20 is
needed if a student is out of the U.S. for 5 months or more. In
this case, Trinity’s DSO will send a new I20 to the student
abroad.
Travel
Your I20 or DS-2019 must be signed by one of Trinity’s Designated
School Officials or Responsible Officers in order to reenter the
country when you travel. The signatures are good for one year.
(Except during OPT, signatures are good for only 6 months.)
You should have your I20 endorsed before traveling if you are
before, but close to, the one-year mark on the previous signature.
It is advisable to make a couple of copies of your I20 or DS-2019
and bring them with you when you travel. New procedures
for processing these documents may lead to confusion. The
originals of both should be returned to the student when processed
at the port of entry. In the case an USCIS Official takes the
original form, a student would at least have a copy to show other
officials when asked.
Remember that no one can guarantee you entry back into the United
States. An INS Official can decide not to let you back in if
there are problems with your documentation or other related issues.
Trinity has not had this problem as of yet, but you should keep it
in mind.
In light of stricter policies at ports of entry, international
students should travel with several documents: your signed I20
or DS-2019, your passport with the visa page, evidence of financial
support (that you used to obtain your visa), and a transcript
showing your full-time enrollment at Trinity. The USCIS
Official may not require anything in addition to your passport and
I20/DS-2019, but it is always good to be prepared.
International students must have a visa to attend school in the
United States. All international students (including IDP students)
are required by law to be full-time students in order to get a
student visa. For full-time status, Trinity students enroll in a
minimum of 4 credits.
Once you are accepted at Trinity College, you will receive either an
I-20 form (for F-1 students) or an
DS-2019 form (for J-1 students) from Trinity College. Sign
this form immediately and have it with you whenever you enter or
leave the country.
As an F1 student, you may enter the
country 30 days prior to the entry date on your I20. Housing at
Trinity is not available until International Student Orientation in
the Fall, or the beginning of the semester in the Spring.
An F-1 visa allows you to enter the United States as a
nonimmigrant to attend school. Prospective F-1 students will receive
an I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status)
form from Trinity College. Take all pages of this form to your
nearest U.S. Consulate to apply for a student visa. Your name on the
I20 should match that on your passport.
Note the financial
portion of the I20 that indicates the amount of money you (or your
parents) are expected to contribute at Trinity under Personal Funds.
Strictly speaking, the U.S. embassy will require you to provide
documents that prove you have personal funds for your entire program
in the U.S. At Trinity, this means four years of study. In practice,
the U.S. Embassy will normally look for funds for one year of study
and sufficient income from your parents. Proof of funding may be
established though U.S. tax returns, employer letters, pay stubs,
accountant statements, bank statements, financial aid letters from
Trinity, etc. Each U.S. Embassy will require different documentation
based on the location.
Do not enter the US with a B-1, B-2, or B-1/2 Visa unless it is marked
“Prospective Student”. You will most likely not be allowed to change
your status to F1!!
Do not enter the US without a visa (unless you are Canadian)!! The U.S.
allows individuals from certain countries to simply show a
round-trip ticket to enter the US. Do not do this. You will not be
allowed to stay past 90 days and you cannot change to student
status.
A J-1 student visa allows you to enter the United States for
short-term, non-degree granting academic study. Prospective J-1
students will receive an DS-2019 form (Certificate for Eligibility
for Exchange Visitor Status) from Trinity College. Take this form
to your nearest U.S. Consulate to apply for a student visa.
| Applying for a Student Visa |
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1. Pay your SEVIS fee and bring receipt to your consulate
appointment. See info in your packet from international
programs for complete directions on how to pay the SEVIS fee.
2. Go to the United States Embassy or United States Consulate
with jurisdiction over your permanent residence with your I-20 or
DS-2019 form issued by Trinity College, your passport, and proof of
sufficient funds to live and attend school in the United States.
3. At the Embassy or Consulate, fill out a visa application form
OF-156. The application fee is
non-refundable.
4. You must provide documentation that shows a residence in your
home country to return to when your student visa expires.
5. In addition, you may be required to prove that you are
qualified to attend school in the United States. Proof includes
transcripts of past grades or TOEFL scores.
6. Visa applications require the following information:
address in country of origin; names and addresses of spouse,
children, parents, and siblings; references who can verify accuracy
of application; employment history including names and addresses of
employers.
7. Consulates will run background checks on all visa
applicants from Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Sudan, and
Syria, so visa approval may take an extended number of months.
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