New U.S. Consular Fees Take Effect September 12

From Fragomen.com, 09/02/2014

Some employment-based fees will be decreased modestly when a new State Department consular fee schedule takes effect on September 12, 2014. H-1B and L-1 visa fees will not be affected, however. The fees were initially slated to take effect on September 6, 2014, but the State Department changed the implementation date to September 12, 2014.

The fee for E-1 and E-2 visa applications will be $205, down from $270. The fee for a State Department waiver of the two-year home residency requirement for J-1 visa holders who wish to change or adjust their status will also decrease, to $120 from $215. 

Foreign nationals applying for an employment-based immigrant visa at a consulate will pay $345, down from $405. Lawful permanent residents who have remained abroad for more than one year or beyond the validity of a reentry permit will pay $205 for a returning resident immigrant visa, down from $220. 

Individuals who want to formally renounce their U.S. citizenship will be subject to a fee of $2,350 – a more than fourfold increase from the current fee of $450. 

The new fees reflect the State Department’s latest assessment of the actual cost of visa services. They will take effect on September 12, though the State Department will accept public comments on the new rates through October 26, 2014.

GLACIER Tax Prep & 1042-S Delays

Due to campus closures, the release of 1042-S forms and the launch of GLACIER Tax Prep (GTP) have both been delayed until February 28, 2014 

Job Opportunities on Campus

From iBuzz, 08/26/2013

Working on campus is a great opportunity for F-1 and J-1 students to integrate into the campus community and earn some extra money. The best way to find and learn about jobs on campus is to utilize Career Buzz and not necessarily to visit the office/department for which you’d like to apply.

 

Remember that F-1 students do not need prior approval from OIE to accept on-campus employment; F-1 students should refer to the F-1 Employment and Training website for more information. J-1 students DO require OIE approval for on-campus employment; please visit the Information for J-1 Students website for more information.

 

Check out the following websites to find opportunities:

• Student Center Jobs: http://www.studentcenter.gatech.edu/jobs/Pages/default.aspx
• On-campus jobs through Global HR: http://www.ohr.gatech.edu/studentemployees
• Athletic Tutors: http://www.studentathlete.gatech.edu/tutoring

Working on campus this semester? Tips for applying for a social security number (SSN)

From iBuzz, 08/26/2013

Remember, you don’t need a social security letter to BEGIN working on campus at Georgia Tech! The OIE must notify the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), F-1 students, or the Department of State, J-1 students and scholars, of your arrival to the U.S., check-in and registration in courses (for students) in order to the SSA to verify your eligibility for the SSN.

 

F-1 Students: The Social Security Administration requires F-1 students have a letter support from OIE before applying for a social security number. There is now an e-form in iStart entitled ‘SSN Letter Request’ to ensure students can request a social security letter and minimize waiting time to see an advisor during walk-in hours. Please use this e-form to request a support letter from OIE and be prepared to upload the letter from your on-campus employer in the e-form.

New International Graduate Student Employees

How to Prepare for Graduate Student Employee Processing

Before coming to the Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons (CULC) on August 14th or 15th, you will need to complete several forms and make copies of your immigration documents. 

You must bring the following documents with you:

 ~ Current Passport plus two (2) photocopies of biopage and visa stamp
 ~ Original I-20 or DS-2019 plus two (2) photocopies
 ~ Original I-94 plus two (2) photocopies

The information below will guide you through the steps you must take before arriving.

Completing these forms and making copies in advance will greatly reduce the amount of time you will have to spend at the office.

Read the following instructions carefully.  Complete as much as you can.  Leave items blank if you do not know the answers.  Please do not staple your paperwork; if you need to keep your documents together, use paperclips instead.

Step 1: Complete and Print the Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9

• Please complete only section 1 of the form, print and bring it with you.
• In addition to the I-9 form, original identification documents will be required.
• Please visit http://www.ohr.gatech.edu/graduateprocessing/idrequirements to see a list of acceptable identification documents.
• Sections 2 & 3 will be completed at OHR by the employer after viewing your immigration documents.

Step 2: Complete the New Hire Employment Package

All new graduate student employees will need to complete the following forms before arriving:

• Personal Data Form (page 1)
• Federal Form W-4 (page 3)
• State of Georgia Form G-4 (page 5)
• Worker's Compensation Memorandum (page 7)
• Security Questionnaire (page 8) - Do not sign the loyalty oath on this form until you are in the CULC and in the presence of a notary.
• Authorization Agreement for Automatic Deposits (page 10)*
• Intellectual Property Agreement (page 11)

Step 3: International Tax Compliance - GLACIER

You will receive an email from support@online-tax.net around August 10th.  This message is from the Georgia Tech tax compliance software known as GLACIER.  All foreign nationals working at Georgia Tech must utilize GLACIER.  Once you have arrived in the U.S., please log in as instructed in the email and follow the directions.  Print the PDF forms available at the end of the data collection process and bring them with you to GSEP.  The Georgia Tech Global HR office will keep one set of copies of your immigration documents. 

Step 4: Social Security Card

If you are new to the United States and do not have a Social Security Card, please complete the Social Security Card Application and bring it with you.

In addition to the completed SS-5 Form, you must have one of two items:

• the formal offer letter from your department at Georgia Tech, OR
• a social security letter from your department. Ask at your department for this letter. They may tell you that they have already submitted it to Global HR, in which case you can pick it up at OHR.

Step 5: Print and bring all completed forms to the CULC

When you arrive, you should have the following forms with you and completed to the best of your ability:

• Form I-9
• New Hire Employment Package:
• Includes Personal Data Form, Worker's Compensation Memorandum, Security Questionnaire, Intellectual Property Agreement, and Authorization Agreement for Automatic Deposits.
• Completed GLACIER forms
• SS-5 Form, and the offer letter from your department (for those without Social Security numbers)

 *See http://www.ohr.gatech.edu/graduateprocessing/howtoprepare/foreign for additional details

US orders new visa reviews for arriving students

Associated Press, 05/03/2013 – 

“The Homeland Security Department ordered border agents ‘effective immediately’ to verify that every international student who arrives in the U.S. has a valid student visa, according to an internal memorandum obtained…by The Associated Press. The new procedure is the government's first security change directly related to the Boston bombings.

“The order from a senior official at U.S. Customs and Border Protection…was circulated Thursday [May 2, 2013] and came one day after the Obama administration acknowledged that a student…accused of hiding evidence for one of the Boston bombing suspects was allowed to return to the U.S. in January without a valid student visa.

“The student visa for Azamat Tazhayakov had been terminated when he arrived in New York on Jan. 20. But the border agent in the airport did not have access to the information in…SEVIS.

“…[H]is student-visa status was terminated because he was academically dismissed from the university.

“…Under the new procedures, all border agents…[are] expected to be able to access SEVIS by next week.

“The government for years has recognized as a problem the inability of border agents at primary inspection stations to directly review student-visa information.

“…[Also] [u]nder the new procedures, border agents will verify a student's visa status before the person arrives in the U.S. using information provided in flight manifests. If that information is unavailable, border agents will check the visa status manually with the agency's national targeting data center.

“It is unclear what impact the new procedure will have on wait times at airports and borders. Customs officials will be required to report any effect, including longer waits, on a daily basis.”

To read the full article, please click here.

J-1 Student On-Campus Work Authorization Renewal

If you are a J-1 student who is sponsored by Georgia Tech and working on-campus, it is time to renew your on-campus work authorization.  The form with instructions is available under  J-1 Student Resources at:  http://oie.gatech.edu/forms/isss


Note that if you plan to start or continue an on-campus job for spring semester, your request must be submitted to the OIE.  OIE normal walk-in hours are 8:30 am to 11:30am and 1:30pm-4:30pm   Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.   

U.S. Consulates in India Expand Waiver of Nonimmigrant Visa Interviews

From Fragomen.com, 11/27/2012

Qualifying H-1B, individual L-1, F and J visa holders are now eligible for a waiver of the nonimmigrant visa interview if applying to renew their visa at a U.S. consulate in India. Applicants selected for the interview waiver will benefit from streamlined visa renewal procedures, though will still be required to appear for a biometrics appointment. 

Previously, interview waivers in India were available only to foreign nationals applying to renew a B-1/B-2, H-4 or L-2 visa at the discretion of a consular officer. 

Who Qualifies for an NIV Interview Waiver? 

The interview waiver is available to foreign nationals applying to renew a B-1/B-2, C1/D, F, H, J or individual L visa, as long as the renewal is in the same classification as the applicant’s most recent visa and that visa was issued in India. Applicants for L-1 visas under an employer’s blanket petition are not eligible for the waiver.

The applicant’s most recent visa must have been issued after August 1, 2004 (or after November 1, 2008 for drop-box application services). The prior visa cannot have been annotated “clearance received” or have been lost or stolen. The applicant must have had no visa refusals in any category since his or her most recent visa issuance. 

If applying for an H or L renewal, the applicant’s most recent visa must still be valid or have expired within the previous 12 months. If applying for a B-1/B-2, C1/D, F, or J visa renewal, the applicant’s most recent visa must still be valid or have expired within the previous 48 months. 

Children under 14 are eligible for the interview waiver if their current visa is in the same category as that of a parent applying for renewal. Applicants age 80 or older are also eligible.

Applying for the Waiver

To obtain the waiver, the visa renewal applicant must pay all relevant visa application and reciprocity fees according to the consulate’s payment procedures. Next, the applicant must complete Form DS-160, the online nonimmigrant visa application, and print the filing confirmation page.

Once the application is filed, the applicant must create an account athttp://www.ustraveldocs.com/in, the U.S. consulates’ visa application website, and follow the steps to schedule an interview. The applicant will be asked a series of questions to determine whether he or she is eligible for an interview waiver and drop-box application services. Note that consular officers have the discretion to require an interview even if the applicant is otherwise eligible for a waiver.

If the applicant meets the waiver requirements, he or she must schedule a biometrics appointment at an Offsite Facilitation Center. The applicant must bring a valid passport, most recent visa, and supporting documentation to the appointment. Children under 14 must also bring a photocopy of their parents’ visas. Applicants who qualify for drop-box service must submit these materials to a drop-off location, along with a drop-box confirmation letter and a recent passport-size photograph. If the consulate needs additional documents or information, the applicant will be notified by email.

If the visa application is approved, the passport and new visa will be delivered for pickup at a Document Collection center selected by the applicant.

In the early stages of the expanded waiver program, several processing issues have been identified that could cause delays or other problems for applicants. The consulates have indicated that they are working on addressing these issues.