ISSS and UA will be closed December 21 through January 1.
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Graduating in December?
- F-1 STUDENT DEADLINE: If you graduate or complete your studies on 12/14/2019 your 60-day grace period ends on February 12, 2019.
- J-1 STUDENT DEADLINE: If you graduate or complete your studies on 12/14/2019 your 30-day grace period ends on January 13, 2019.
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F-1 & J-1 Students Apply for OPT / Academic Training Now
The earliest date to file for OPT for F-1 students graduating in December of 2019 was 9/15/2019. F-1 students graduating in December are eligible to file their OPT application now.
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Be aware that the end-date of your status is based on your completion date, not on your I-20 expiration date. So, if your I-20 has an end date of December 31, 2020, but you complete all degree requirements in Fall 2019, your grace period begins from December 15, 2019, not December 31, 2020. On the same note, if you will complete all degree requirements in Fall 2019, but applied to attend graduation ceremony in May 2020, you are considered to complete your program in December 2019, not in May 2020. This same rule applies to J-1 students. The program completion date is not based on the end of your DS-2019, but on the actually date that J-1 students complete their degree requirements.
USCIS takes 3- 5 months to process OPT applications. Therefore, ISSS highly recommend students who plan to work in the U.S. after graduation apply for OPT as early as possible. The earlier a student applies for OPT, the higher chance he could get full 12 months of OPT work authorization. To be considered timely filed, OPT application must be received by USCIS by February 12, 2020. However, if you wait and choose to apply close to this February 12, 2020 final deadline, you may not get full 12 months of work authorization.
OPT Packet can be found on the ISSS website here. The Academic Training Packet is here If you have questions while filling out forms, please stop by our office during on-call advising hours Monday – Friday, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM. No prior appointment is needed for questions relating to filling out OPT/AT forms during on-call hours, but OPT/CPT/AT processing will be done by appointment only.
Once your application is complete, you can set up a processing OPT/AT appointment. OPT, CPT, and AT processing appointments are held every Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Please schedule an appointment by calling 205-348-5402, emailing international@ua.edu or going online http://sarsweb.ua-net.ua.edu/eSARS/CINTL_IS/eSARS.asp
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Will Spring be your Final Semester?
Submit Final Semester Memo
Are you nearing graduation? If so, please review the Final Semester Checklist page to make sure you will have a smooth transition into life after Alabama.
If you are in your final semester you may enroll in less than 12 credit hours of classes if you require less than full-time enrollment to graduate. This exception is only for the final semester of study. Just remember that you must submit the Final Semester Memo form found here.
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Change of Address
All non-U.S. citizens residing in the U.S. are required update their address within 10 days of any change of address.
F-1 and J-1 visa holders should update their address in myBama, and ISSS will report the change to the Department of Homeland Security in SEVIS.
All other visa holders (those not on an F-1 or J-1 visa) should update their address both in myBama and with US Citizenship and Immigration Services by submitting the Form AR-11 online at this website: https://www.uscis.gov/addresschange.
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CHRISTMAS DINNER CELEBRATION
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 5-7 PM
All Tuscaloosa international students and families are invited to a Christmas dinner on Thursday, December 19th from 5 – 7 pm in the gym at The Word Community Church, located at 9310 Hwy 69 North, Northport, AL.
Please let Maggie Raburn know if you are coming by texting at 205-242-9359 or emailing maggie_raburn@yahoo.com.
Feel welcome to bring food from your country. Hope you can come!
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Do you want the chance to win extra money toward your studies? The Rotary Scholarship for International Students just extended their deadline to December 31st so there's still time to apply!
Check out https://tinyurl.com/wocgq7y for more information and to apply!
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The Association of Chinese Students and Scholars of UA is now recruiting performers for the 2020 Chinese Lunar New Year night. It will be held at Ferguson Ballroom on Jan 25th, 2020. Could you please help us send out information to all of the students on campus?
Some basic requirements for performance:
1. Context needs to be appropriate
2. Length should be less than 10 mins
3. Chinese Culture related is preferred
Interview date is Jan 11th, 2020. Time and Location: TBD
Please use the link: https://acssua.org/2019/11/05/springfestival/ to fill out the application
Deadline: Jan. 5th
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Academic Calendar
December 9th-13th, 2019: Final Exams
December 23rd, 2019- January 1st, 2020: Winter break (UA Offices closed)
January 8th, 2019: Classes begin
January 15th, 2019: Last Day to Add a course; Last day to drop a course with a "W"
January 20th, 2019: Martin Luther King Jr Day: UA Offices closed
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