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| ISO Closed Monday, April 18 |
| Closed for Patriot's Day Holiday (Marathon Monday) |
| The ISO, along with other MIT offices, will be closed Monday, April 18 for the Patriot's Day holiday (also known as Marathon Monday). We will re-open at 9am on Tuesday, April 19 for our regular business hours. |
| Boston Marathon |
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| Tax Filing Deadline is Monday, April 18, 2022 |
| Deadline is Monday April 18, 2022 to file federal and state taxes (since April 15 falls near a weekend). |
Just a reminder that the annual income tax return filing deadline, for those who were physically present in the U.S. during the calendar year 2021, is April 18, 2022. Current Residents of Massachusetts have until April 19, 2022 to file both the Federal and Massachusetts State income tax returns.
Please view additional details and resources available on the following webpages:
ISO Taxes webpage
*Includes access to the Sprintax tax filing software for MIT international students and alumni in F or J visa status: https://iso.mit.edu/maintaining-status/taxes/mit-sprintax/
Other tax resources: Tax Guidance for Nonresident Aliens (MIT Office of the Vice President for Finance website )
ISO advisors are not trained in the complexities of the U.S. Tax Code and as such, cannot advise or answer questions regarding U.S. taxes. Therefore, please always contact Sprintax first via their 24-hour contact line and/or review MIT’s VPF “Tax Guidance for Nonresident Aliens” webpage for details on payments, taxes, and filing annual income tax returns.
Important Information:
- The ISO only subsidizes the filing costs for a student’s Federal Tax Return with Sprintax (you must use the link on the ISO website)
- Every international student and their dependents (if applicable) are required to file at least one (2021) tax form in April 2022.
- If a student was not paid by any U.S. source of income in 2021, then all they need to file is the Form 8843. This form is free to file, but only with the IRS. The Form 8843 can be sent from a student’s current location, anywhere in the world. The address of where to send this form is listed on page three of the Form 8843.
- All international students are considered a “Non-Resident For Tax Purposes” their first 5 tax years in the U.S. and they are exempt from the FICA (Social Security and Medicare) taxes. If a student sees that FICA taxes were taken out of their pay, then they must talk to their employer’s payroll office. NOTE: There is a way to be reimbursed for these taxes when filing your 2021 tax return.
Additional Resources & Information:
- Step-by-Step instructions for filling out Form 8843 on the IRS website.
- For information regarding U.S. Tax Treaties, refer to Publication 901.
- For the U.S. Guide for Aliens, refer to Publication 519.
* Please review the ISO Taxes webpage for updated links to MIT and additional resources on filing income tax returns for the 2021 calendar year.
* Sprintax is available for federal income tax returns on the ISO website (you MUST access the Sprintax Portal from our website)
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
For liability reasons, the ISO cannot give out tax advice. |
ISO TAX WEBSITE
MIT SPRINTAX WEBSITE |
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| SSN Applications Now Accepted In-Person at SSA-Cambridge |
| Social Security Office Re-opened April 7, 2022 |
The Social Security Administration (SSA) Office in Cambridge announced that effective Thursday, April 7, 2022 they are now accepting walk-in, in-person submissions of Social Security Number (SSN) applications.
No appointment is required; however, students are advised to be prepared for a wait (e.g. bring something to read) in case the demand is high. Applications will be accepted on a first-in, first-out basis.
We have updated the ISO SSN webpage to confirm the documents needed to submit for the SSN application, so please review and prepare in advance of going to the SSA-Cambridge Office. |
| ISO SSN website |
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| 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 |
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Spring 2022
Navigating MIT Series |
Last session is FRIDAY April 29:
Finish Strong: End-of-Semester Hacks |
- Discover Boston in the Spring/Summer - Thurs, March 17 at 12noon in E19-202 (Slides)
- Imposter Phenomenon - Tues, March 29 at 5pm in 32-124 (Slides and IP Scale)
- Dating and Long-term Relationships - Fri, April 8 at 12noon in E19-202 (Slides)
- Cooking and Meal Prep for the Week - Tues, April 12 at 4pm via Zoom (Online Recipe Book)
- 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 |
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| LCE: Tea & Talk |
Tuesday, May 10 from 2 to 3 pm
Stata (Building 32) Amphitheater |
Meet and greet with the MIT Language Conversation Exchange. Practice a language with native speakers, meet a language partner, and learn about the LCE!
Co-sponsored by LCE and ISO
Please sign up before May 7 for bubble tea 😁 |
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| LCE: Conversation Groups |
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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 lce@mit.edu.
If you are interested in another language, please fill out the form. We are also looking for new group leaders.
The Language Conversation Exchange is co-sponsored by ISO
Link to interest Form here |
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| Death on the Nile Movie Night |
TONIGHT! Friday, April 15 from 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM
SPXCE W31-110 |
Join the Office of Multicultural Programs on April 15th for the screening of “Death on the Nile” in the SPXCE lounge!
Refreshments, popcorn and candy will be provided to all guests! Bring a friend or partner- spread the word and share the fun!
Link to RSVP |
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| The Bald Soprano |
Sat April 16 at 6pm, Sun April 17 at 2pm
W97-160
Note: the show will be performed in Mandarin Chinese with English subtitles |
The MIT Wuming Theater Club is delighted to present its Spring 2022 production, “The Bald Soprano”, on April 16-17th. The show will be performed in Mandarin Chinese with English subtitles.
The Bald Soprano is an absurdist comedy play written by French-Romanian playwright Eugene Ionesco and translated into Chinese by Nobel laureate Gao Xingjian.
Description: The Smiths are a traditional couple from London who have invited another couple, the Martins, over for a visit. They are joined later by the Smiths' maid, Mary, and the local fire chief, who is also Mary's lover. The two families engage in meaningless banter, telling stories and relating nonsensical poems.
Link to RSVP
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| MIT Grad Student Wellness FAQs 2022 |
Wed April 20
12pm to 1pm via Zoom
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Click here to join via Zoom
Sign up here
Address issues of life balance, burnout prevention, self-care, and emotional wellbeing. Feel free to submit your own questions for Zan Barry, PsyD in Community Wellness at MIT Medical.
About Zan:
Susanna (Zan) Barry is a senior program manager in Community Wellness at MIT Medical. Her health coaching programs for MIT students include stress reduction, sleep health, mindful eating, and ways of finding motivation and meaning. |
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| MIT Spouses & Connect: 50th Anniversary Events |
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Celebrating 50 years of supporting newcomers, creating connections, building community (1972-2022). Learn more at http://bit.ly/mspc50 and RSVP for our opening event on Friday April 22 at 10 a.m.
50th ANNIVERSARY EVENTS
- Register for our April 22 & 23 on-campus celebration events here: bit.ly/mspc50reg
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| The MTA Playwrights Lab is back! |
Multiple Tuesdays until April 26 at 8pm
W97-160, 345 VASSAR STREET |
The MTA Playwrights Lab is back! From March 29 until April 26. Started as a weekend-long event in 2017, the Lab has now grown into a multi-week festival of staged readings featuring the work of the writers in 21M.785 taught by Ken Urban. ALL READINGS @ W97-160 @ 8pm, 345 VASSAR STREET.
Open to the MIT Community and Public.
Please register all 5 readings through this link. |
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| The Empowered Job Seeker From Networking to Negotiation |
Thurs April 28 from 5:30 to 6:30pm
Virtual |
Job searches can be long & exhausting at worst, but at their best, they empower the job seeker and build momentum for your early career! Through effective networking and negotiation, you can craft a job search that not only succeeds in you landing a job, but builds external relationships and confidence about your inherent value. In this workshop with the Career Advising & Professional Development office, participants will learn how to:
- Build robust networks in your industry
- Negotiate your salary at all stages of the interview process
- Land a job offer that feels equitable and exciting
SIGN UP |
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| OGE: Parenting Students Lunch & Learn Series |
Final session on Thursday, April 28 at Noon
Virtual via Zoom |
2022 MIT: Office of Graduate Education
Parenting Students Lunch & Learn Series
Carole Ann Penny
Thurs April 28, 2022 at Noon
Leadership and Parenting - Carole Ann Penny runs a strategic career coaching business while parenting two kids. She will guide a conversation about what it means to be a leader in the workplace as well as a parent!
Link to register
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| 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 |
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| Everything you Need to Know about Attending a U.S. Law School |
Thursday May 12 from 9am-12pm
Virtual |
- Wonder how to choose the best school?
- What you can do to maximize your chances of getting into a great school?
- Whether an American LL.M. is worth the cost and time?
- Wonder how easy it is to get admitted?
- Are you thinking about an LL.M. in America?
Join us for three hours and leave with peace of mind and confidence that you are on the right path for your career. Admissions experts and deans from more than 10 U.S. law schools will answer your questions and help you navigate the world of graduate law degrees in the U.S.
This virtual program is designed for foreign attorneys but is open to anyone interested in graduate law programs. And best of all, it’s free.
Check out our website for speakers, topics, and how to register for free.
Sponsored by CAPD
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| The Writing and Communication Center continues its free consultations during Spring 2022! |
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| 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! |
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| Guide to Food @MIT |
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| The Food Security Action Team has shared guides to food @ MIT. Click on the flyers to access. |
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| Wellness Events & Resources |
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| [Wellbeing Check-in] This month: Mind |
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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. |
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Sleep, Outdoors, Mindfulness, Exercise |
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| 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. |
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| Boston Symphony Orchestra MIT Discount |
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| 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. |
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MIT International Students Office
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139
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Office Hours:
9:00-16:00 (M-F)
Closed (W) 10:00-11:30
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