PUBLIC HOURS FOR ISSS
UA International Student & Scholar Services has resumed on-campus operations.
PUBLIC HOURS: Monday – Friday, 9 am – 12 noon and 1 – 3 pm CST (by appointment only).
APPOINTMENTS REQUIRED FOR IN-PERSON MEETINGS
During this time, UA International Student & Scholar Services will be open for appointments only.
To make an appointment, please email international@ua.edu or call 205-348-5402.
Whether contacting us by phone or email, please be sure to include your name and CWID (if known) with your inquiry.
Specific Inquiries and Requests
For students and scholars who have specific requests for information, advisement, or virtual appointments, please direct your inquiries to UA ISSS Staff as follows:
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VIRTUAL ADVISING
If you have immigration questions, our staff is holding virtual advising Monday - Friday from 11am-4:45pm.
When seeking advising via Zoom, students and scholars will be connected with one of the UA ISSS Staff. If there are multiple students and scholars in the queue, you will be placed directly into a waiting room.
Please note, virtual advising is meant for shorter inquiries, and in order to serve all students and scholars, we ask that advising be limited to 5 minutes.
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ALERT: APPLY FOR OPT NOW
(to avoid increased fee)
If you are an eligible F-1 student and have been planning to file OPT, the time is NOW, as the USCIS has announced large filing fee increases effective October 2, 2020!
OPT fee will increase by 34%, from the current $410 to $550. USCIS must receive your application before October 2, 2020 for the current fee to be applied.
Student do not have to have a job offer in hand in order to apply for OPT. Application can be filed up to 90 days prior to program completion date. Due to Covid-19 and USCIS cutdown on card production facilities, OPT applications processing will very likely be delayed. OPT applications will still be processed as usual, only not in person during this time.
To apply for OPT, please scan all of the documents in one (1) single PDF file to international@ua.edu or trang.t.nguyen@ua.edu . Due to the limitation of our database, please limit your file size to 4MB or less if possible. To ensure quick processing, only scan an application when all forms are completed and properly signed. Electronic signatures are acceptable on certain forms. We highly recommend that Form I-765 (for OPT applications) still contain “wet” signature. More information about student employment can be found here. OPT Packet can be accessed on ISSS website here
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ADDRESS UPDATE WITHIN 10 DAYS
All non-U.S. citizens residing in the U.S. are required to update their address within 10 days of any change of address (U.S. or Permanent Home Country Address). It is one of the basic requirements for maintaining F or J Student Visa Status (more information on main visa responsibilities available at http://international.ua.edu/isss/currentstudents/maintaining-student-visa-status/.
F and J visa holders should update their address in myBama (local mailing and non-mailing addresses as well as Permanent Home Country Address), and ISSS will report the change to the Department of Homeland Security in SEVIS. All other visa holders 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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REGISTRATION HOLD
All international undergraduate students currently have a registration hold on their account.
This hold was placed after Fall add/drop date and will be removed before Spring registration opens.
The hold is there to prevent students from dropping below full-time (12 credit hours) and jeopardizing their immigration status.
Please contact us at international@ua.edu, if you need the hold to be temporarily lifted so you can add/drop a course during the semester.
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PERSONAL SAFETY REMINDERS – STAY SAFE IN PUBLIC AND AT HOME
Recently, an international student was robbed in their home off-campus. While this is a very rare occurrence, we want to make sure to remind everyone of resources and some basic tips for safety.
- Remember to read and use the Safer Living Guide for tips and guidance on protecting yourself and your property - https://saferliving.ua.edu/.
- SAFETY AT HOME (from https://saferliving.ua.edu/safety-on-campus/personal-safety/)
- Assaults can occur at your residence. Practice prevention whether you live on campus or off.
- When you enter your residence, close and lock the door immediately. Use dead bolts and keep windows locked when not in use.
- Be smart about keys. Don’t leave them outside or in hiding places. Don’t lend them to anyone. If you lose your keys, change your locks. Have locks changed before you move in to a new residence.
- Get to know your neighbors and which ones you can trust in an emergency.
- Never open your door to strangers; install and use peep holes. Require proper identification from utility and repair people. If a stranger asks to use your phone, keep your door locked and offer to place the call yourself. If the situation seems suspicious, CALL POLICE IMMEDIATELY. Be able to describe the person when you report the incident to police.
- Don’t leave your name on your voice mail message. Agree with your roommates that none of you will give the following information to an unknown caller: Who is home; Who is out; When someone will return.
- In residence halls, follow all security regulations and tell your RA about unauthorized or suspicious persons.
- Make sure all entrances are well lit.
- When walking, avoid alleys, vacant lots and shortcuts. Listen for footsteps and voices. Notice cars that pass you more than once or pull up beside you. If someone follows you, go to a public building. If someone follows you on campus, use an emergency blue phone or call UAPD, and describe the vehicle and person to the police communications operator.
- Avoid placing visible banners or signs on the exterior or your apartment or dwelling because this sends a signal of college-aged occupants who may be away for weekends, breaks and holidays when burglars are looking for an easy opportunity
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FREE FLU SHOTS
The College of Community Health Sciences leads The University of Alabama’s annual campus-wide effort to vaccinate students, faculty and staff against the flu.
The quadrivalent flu shots are free to students, faculty, staff and spouses; insurance is not required. Employees and students must have their CWID.
In addition to the locations indicated on the CCHS website (https://cchs.ua.edu/flushot/), faculty and staff can visit the Faculty-Staff Clinic at University Medical Center for their free flu shot, and students can visit the Student Health Center.
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International Coffee Hour is Back!!!
Bring your own coffee (or tea), and join us for a virtual coffee hour every Fridays at 11:30am. If you would like to attend, you will need to register using the link that will be made available every week on the UA event calendar (https://calendar.ua.edu/) and on our social media (see links at the top of the newsletter).
(Please note this picture was taken pre-pandemic)
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Be a part of INTERNATIONAL CIRCLES!!!
Apply by September 25th
The International Students Association invites you to be a part of the International Circles program.
It has been difficult to meet new people and make friends during this time of social distancing.
This program allows you to be a part of a group of people you might not have known otherwise.
International Circles Application Form: https://bit.ly/2YV4Y6i (log in with your Crimson student email account to apply)
Join ISA’s GroupMe for updates on all ISA events: https://groupme.com/join_group/61910917/s7CgNz3r |
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LOOKING FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENT VOLUNTEERS
Our office is hosting an International Student Panel on Oct. 8th from 2-3pm.
We are currently looking for international students who are available during this time frame, and would be interested in sharing their experience of being an international student with the rest of UA.
Topics that will be discussed include things like why you chose to come to UA, challenges you faced as a new student at UA, and what is your favorite thing about being a student at UA.
Email bethanyli@ua.edu if you are interested in participating in this event!
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Virtual Gathering:
A Global Café Welcome for Old Friends and New Friends
Tuesday, September 22, 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Students, staff, and community members are welcome.
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All Global Café participants have a chance to meet one another and enjoy the support of a warm community through our afternoon events. Our first event is a chance to meet one another and hear about how our lives are going. Join us for a visit. Attendees will mostly be tutors and international students and scholars.
We are Global Café, http://ccbp.ua.edu/global-cafe/news/ We provide a welcome to international scholars and students, and we connect US students with international visitors on campus.
We ask that all those who are attending to RSVP. RSVP is the only way you will receive an invitation to the event. The RSVP link is: https://universityofalabama.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dpAZOzUMzq73hVb. RSVP link will close 2 PM on Tuesday.
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Calling all Haiku poets!
Tuscaloosa Sister Cities International is accepting haiku (Japanese-style poetry) for their project, "Coming Together During a Global Pandemic'. Haiku traditionally feature three lines of poetry, formatted in 5-7-5 syllable structure. Example: Can we walk outside?/yes, but not too close, you see,/ please maintain your distance. (CJ Riculan, author). Haiku may be solemn, observational experiential, or provocative in nature. What a productive way to share thoughts and experiences during these challenging days.
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All are welcome to participate! Please submit your haiku by October 16, 2020, to Tuscaloosacities@gmail.com and include your name and city. TCSI plans to publish a booklet with the top 100 haiku at the end of the year!
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The Navigators
International Students
Join The Navigators International Students for opportunities to make friends and have fun!!
They have weekly meetings and special events throughout the year.
Follow them on Instagram @uanavs_intl for more details!
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August 26th, 2020
September 4th, 2020
September 7th, 2020
September 18th, 2020
October 26th, 2020
October 28th, 2020
November 20th, 2020
November 20th,2020
November 21st-29th, 2020
November 26th-27th, 2020
December 4th, 2020
December 4th, 2020
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These dates are valid as of 09/03/2020 but could be modified as needed.
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