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MIT | ISO | International Students Office
ISO Newsletter
March 25, 2022
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Request Extensions Now
Check Your Form I-20 or DS-2019 for expiration date 
If your Form I-20 or DS-2019 is expiring this spring and you will not be completing your degree by the program end date on the document, you must request an Extension on iMIT.

Review more information at the Extending your Current Program webpage under Maintaining Status.
READ MORE
 
Reminder: Beware of Scams!
NEVER give out any personal or financial information
We cannot stress this enough. PLEASE be careful if you receive any communication from someone claiming to be from the government or police. Unfortunately, MIT International Students are victims of scams and fraud every semester. Scams are even more prevalent during and right after tax season, and during apartment hunting season. PLEASE be careful if you receive a phone call, email, text message or in-person visit from someone claiming to be a U.S. government official or law enforcement. So what should you do?
 
  • First, do NOT provide any personal or financial information, for identity-protection purposes.
  • Second, remain calm and ask the person for as many details as possible. For example, request their name, their phone number, the reason why they are contacting you, as well as their government ID number or badge number and what branch of the government they work for (if applicable). Tell them you will get back to them after you speak to the ISO.
  • Third, contact the ISO immediately, by phone, email, or in person. We can help you determine if the official is legitimate or if it's a scam, including recommending calling the MIT Police. If the official or request is legitimate, we can help you navigate the process.
 
How to Recognize a Phone Scam
Current Scam Alerts
List of Common Scams  
ISO SCAMS WEBSITE
Traveling this Summer?
Check your documents NOW

Request Replacement Form I-20 or DS-2019 on iMIT to receive travel signature

Form I-20s will be emailed to you; Form DS-2019s will be physically mailed to you.
Check if your entry visa will be valid for your return, and please be sure to get a travel validation signature. *Please note that you can leave the US without a travel signature, but you will need one to re-enter the US.

The ISO has a number of resources available to guide students on preparing for travel.
Please be sure to consult the ISO “Visas and Travel” webpage for details on requesting a new Form I-20 or DS-2019 with travel signature, guidance on “Entering the U.S.” to verify documents to carry when traveling, and links on how to apply for a new entry visa, if needed, from the U.S. Embassy/Consulate.

When traveling back to the US always present your form I-20 or DS-2019 along with your F-1 or J-1 visa to CBP.

*Please also check each time you return to the US that your I-94 is valid upon arrival (should be in F-1 D/S or J-1 D/S). If you accidentally enter in tourist status and do not get it corrected, your immigration status may be interrupted and could affect your future employment plans.
ISO TRAVEL WEBSITE


Tax Filing Resources and Tax Workshops
Deadline is April 15, 2022 to file taxes

Sprintax is available NOW for federal income tax returns on the ISO website (you MUST access the Sprintax Portal from our website)

Workshop recordings are available on the VPF website
 
The ISO has updated our Taxes webpage to reflect updated links to MIT and additional resources on filing income tax returns for the 2021 calendar year.

Please review the VPF webpage "Tax Guidance for Nonresident Aliens" for tax resources and to view the recording/slides of the live Tax Workshops on March 1. For liability reasons, the ISO cannot give out tax advice. 

ISO has made available for free (for filing U.S. Federal income tax returns) a new nonresident income tax return preparation software this year, Sprintax (replacing Glacier Tax Prep). The ISO sent out a notification to all international students on March 1 that the software is available for use, along with instructions on how to access the software.
 
  • Current MIT International Students must log in to Sprintax via the ISO website. **Please note that you must have an MIT Kerberos ID and password to log in to this site.
  • Alumni and students who attended MIT in the previous tax year and do not have an active Kerberos username may contact their ISO Advisor for a temporary access code (*spouses and dependents are also eligible to request an access code from the student's advisor)
ISO TAX WEBSITE
MIT SPRINTAX WEBSITE
ISO SPONSORED EVENTS
Spring 2022
Navigating MIT Series
Next session is Tuesday March 29:
Imposter Phenomenon
  1. Discover Boston in the Spring/Summer - Thurs, March 17 at 12noon in E19-202 (Slides)
  2. Imposter Phenomenon - Tues, March 29 at 5pm in 32-124
  3. Dating and Long-term Relationships - Fri, April 8 at 12noon in E19-202
  4. Cooking and Meal Prep for the Week - Tues, April 12 at 4pm via Zoom
  5. Finish Strong: End-of-Semester Hacks - Fri, April 29 at 12noon in E19-202
*MOST SESSIONS ARE IN PERSON, UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED. SPACE IS LIMITED.
REGISTER


LCE: Conversation Groups
Join a small group for language practice and conversation exchange!

Our enthusiastic volunteers are leading small groups for Japanese, Chinese, Korean, French, Portuguese/Spanish, and German!

Find dates and times in our LCE Community Slack Space and by subscribing to our newsletter.  Interested in starting a group for another language? Reach out to the LCE team at .

If you are interested in another language, please fill out the form. We are also looking for new group leaders.

Link to interest Form here
MIT EVENTS & PROGRAMS - IAP
WinterPhoto
Marlene Boyette
Pizza and Puppies
 
Upcoming Events from Open Space Programming
  • Family Friendly Yoga with Marlene

Saturday, March 26 at 9:30-10:15am
(VIRTUAL)

 

Start the weekend with a yoga practice geared towards kids & families, led by Marlene Boyette.
Link to RSVP
 

  • Pizza and Puppies

(IN PERSON)

Tuesday, April 5 at 12:15-1pm

Grab a slice and meet the dogs of MIT Puppy Lab!


Link to RSVP

May be an image of text that says 'Spain @MIT'
Spain@MIT Paella & Harvard Mixer
Sunday, March 27 from 1 PM – 5 PM
Real Colegio Complutense, 26 Trowbridge St
Spain@MIT is excited to announce that our yearly "Spanish Paella Lunch" is back this year! The event will feature delicious home-made Paella and will be generously hosted by the "Real Colegio Complutense" of Harvard. In addition to delicious food, this will be a great opportunity to meet other MIT and Harvard students and re-connect after the ease of restrictions.

Save the date and looking forward to seeing you there!

Contact: mcm114@mit.edu
Lit Tea
4:30-5:30pm every Monday, except Institute Holidays
Building 14, Room 14N-417
**Come by for snacks & tea with the Literature Section instructors, students, & friends!** 
Veg, GF, and fruit options will be made available.
MIT Ibero-American Film Festival 2022
Next session: Thursday March 31 @7pm
Building 6-120
Bad Hair / Pelo malo (2013, Venezuela)
The Latino ERG is co-sponsoring the MIT Ibero-American Film Festival 2022 taking place in March and April 2022.  Please go to:  https://languages.mit.edu/mit-ibero-american-film-festival-2022/ for full details.
 
The MIT Ibero American Film Series 2022 features five critically acclaimed films by directors from Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, and Guatemala:
 
All events are on Thursdays 7pm (and all in room 6-120, except for April 7, which is in 4-370).
The Anxious Achiever: Overcome Perfectionism and Channel Your Inner Drive
Thursday, April 7 at 3:00 - 4:00 PM ET
Virtual
Freshen up your perspective just in time for spring! Morra Aarons-Mele, award-winning podcast host, entrepreneur, and author, will be joining us virtually on Thursday, April 7 at 3:00PM ET with a special presentation for MIT graduate students and postdocs!
 
The Anxious Achiever: Overcome Perfectionism and Channel Your Inner Drive
Thursday, April 7; 3PM – 4PM ET; Virtual Event
 
About the Speaker:
Morra Aarons-Mele is a (mostly) happy, successful person. She also identifies as an extremely anxious overachiever. To normalize anxiety and help others manage theirs, Aarons-Mele launched and hosts The Anxious Achiever podcast for HBR Presents, which was a 2020 Webby Awards Honoree and is a top 10 management podcast. She's passionate about helping people rethink the relationship between their mental health and their leadership. She is the author of Hiding in the Bathroom: How to Get Out There When You’d Rather Stay Home.
 
In addition to her work on anxiety, Aarons-Mele founded and then sold the award-winning social impact agency Women Online and its database of women influencers, The Mission List. Morra was named 2020 Entrepreneur of the Year at the Iris Awards, created to recognize excellence in digital parenting media. Before starting her own business, Morra worked in digital marketing and politics, helping Hillary Clinton log on for her first online chat and founding the digital public affairs team at Edelman, where she worked with Fortune 50 clients.
 
Questions? Please contact Alexis Boyer.
An Evening with Tressie McMillan Cottom
Thursday, April 28, 2022 at 5:30pm
The Nexus, Hayden Library 14S-130
Tressie McMillan Cottom explores the everyday culture of big ideas like racism, sexism, inequality, and oppression by giving us the language to live better lives. Her far-ranging intellectual interests include books, articles, magazine profiles, and opinion-editorials, but it is her essays that routinely shape the discourse – part revolutionary pamphlet, part poetic chapbook, part sociological analysis, and part call-to-arms.
 
Cottom is a professor at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, a 2020 MacArthur Foundation Fellow, and New York Times contributing opinion writer. She is a member of the inaugural external advisory committee for the MIT Libraries’ Center for Research on Equitable and Open Scholarship (CREOS).
 
  • In-person attendance at Hayden Library (14S-100): MIT Covid Pass required
  • The event will also be live streamed.

Link to register
The Writing and Communication Center continues its free consultations during Spring 2022!
The Writing and Communication Center (WCC) continues its free one-on-one consultations on different types of written, spoken, and visual communication. You can receive in-person and remote support there at all stages of the writing and communication process, from brainstorming to the final version, on such projects as research papers, fellowship applications, cover letters, personal statements, dissertations, presentations, or posters. The WCC can also mentor you through writer’s blocks including procrastination, perfectionism, demoralization, and imposter stress. To learn more about the WCC, check their website and make an appointment through this link: https://mit.mywconline.com. Don’t wait, schedule today!
Flipping Failure
Flipping Failure is a collection of stories told by MIT students about their path towards resilience when faced with a wide variety of challenges at MIT. Whether you are struggling to adjust to the culture in the United States or at MIT, bracing yourself for your first Boston winter, or stressed about final exams, know that you are not alone.

You may find many of the Flipping Failure stories valuable, and we especially encourage you to check out stories and coping strategies from Annie and Jessica, who share challenges they faced as international students at MIT.

Learn more here

Guide to Food @MIT
The Food Security Action Team has shared guides to food @ MIT. Click on the flyers to access.
Wellness Events & Resources
Icon of a compass depicting mind within a pin drop along a swerving path
[Wellbeing Check-in] This month: Mind
Focusing on your wellbeing by caring for your mind and body, fostering meaningful relationships, and finding purpose can help you to thrive in all aspects of your life.
 
Each month, we will provide a wellbeing check-in question related to one of the 4 pillars. Wellbeing Check-in questions are brought to you by DoingWell.
 
Ask Yourself: How am I letting matters that are out of my control stress me out?
 
Visit doingwell.mit.edu for more resources to prioritize your wellbeing.
A bed, a tree, meditation rocks, and a sneaker with the letters 'S' 'O' 'M' and 'E'.
Sleep, Outdoors, Mindfulness, Exercise
SOME is better than none
An acronym to help you through tough times.
During times of uncertainty and stress, SOME activities are especially effective for caring for the body and mind: Sleep, Outdoor time, Mindfulness, and Exercise will help sustain you during tough times.
Instead of an “all-or-nothing” approach to self-care, you can choose SOMEthing from the list and do SOME of it today. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to work for you. SOME activities signal to your body and mind that you are listening to, appreciating, and taking care of yourself – because during extraordinary times, you really are doing SOMEthing extraordinary.

S is for Sleep: If you feel draggy and tired when you first wake up, turn on lights immediately and open window shades if the sun is up. Light can help suppress melatonin production (associated with sleepiness) and increase wakefulness.

O is for Outdoors: Sensory Walking: This adaptation for the walking meditation is simple, and just involves really tuning into our five senses as we move through space. As we get into the moment with our senses, we can really savor the precious moments we do have to be outside and moving, and all that is around us. Our senses keep us grounded in the moment while our thoughts drift to the past or future. Keep your eyes still, focus on the soles of your feet, focus on sounds, and focus on smells and tastes in the air.
-Dr. Chris Willard

M is for Mindfulness: Try listening mindfully when your friends speak. Instead of planning what to say next, take a deep breath, stay present, and give them your full attention. Attention is the greatest gift you could give!

E is for Exercise: Fit a workout in doing every day tasks! Increase your leg strength by doing squats instead of bending at the waist while picking up your house. As you walk up the stairs, try doing calf raises. Run alongside your kids when they are playing outside to get some cardio in. Making little changes like these could add up to about 60 minutes of exercise a day.
Take Care of Yourself During Challenging Times

The unfolding news of Russia’s invasion into Ukraine has been horrific. Our thoughts are with students from the region or have loved ones in the region who are impacted. Please do not hesitate to be in touch with the Student Support Services or GradSupport dean who has been in contact with you. Or, contact ukrainehelp@mit.edu and a support staff member will respond to your email. MIT is here for you.


Even if you are not from the region or have family in the impacted area, these times can still feel unsettling. During times like this, it is important to take care of yourself in ways that work for you. Finding healthy practices to manage your stress, process your feelings, or connect with others can be a great way to focus on your wellbeing.

Check out this page from DoingWell at MIT for some tips if you need help getting started.

Explore Boston




 
The Boston Calendar
Even though it's winter, there is still plenty to do in Boston! Check the Boston Calendar for free and cheap events around the city.

73 things to do in Boston this weekend

HIGHLIGHTS
Oscars Party
SoWa Sundays
3,313 People In Movie Theater Illustrations & Clip Art - iStock
Movies at a Discount!

$7 MONDAY and TUESDAY MOVIES 
@Kendall Square Cinema 

MITAC Movie Discounts
Visit the MIT Activities Committee at the Stata Center from Tues-Fri 12-4pm to pick up tickets in person!

Get your discounted tickets for almost all movie theaters in the area through MITAC.
Kendall Square Cinema 
AMC Theater in downtown Boston
Regal Cinemas in Fenway
Brattle Theater in Harvard Square
Museum of Science Omni IMAX
and more!
Museums at a Discount!

*Free admission with Student ID (check if you need to reserve ahead!)

MITAC Museum Discounts

Visit the MIT Activities Committee at the Stata Center from Tues-Fri 12-4pm to pick up tickets in person!

Get your discounted tickets for museums in the area through MITAC.
Museum of Science
Boston Children’s Museum
New England Aquarium
Harvard Museum of Natural History
Isabella Stewart Gardner - Council for the Arts supports free tickets for students, faculty, staff. MITAC offers discounted rates for guests

and more!
Boston Symphony Orchestra MIT Discount
Subsidized $5 BSO College Cards are now available for MIT students! This program is supported by the Bobko BSO Ticket Fund. With a BSO College Card, students can reserve free tickets to Boston Symphony Orchestra concerts each week during the entire 2021-22 season. Proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test required—make sure to review the BSO public health policy: Safe in Sound.
MIT International Students Office
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139
Office Hours:
9:00-16:00 (M-F)
Closed (W) 10:00-11:30
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