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| Supporting our Asian Community |
| Letter from President Reif |
The ISO joins the entire MIT community in our shock and outrage at the rise in anti-Asian violence being experienced in the U.S. and abroad. President Reif emailed the MIT community yesterday and the ISO shares his convictions that MIT is the vibrant place it is because of our diversity, and discrimination in any form, towards any individual or group, is counter to our values.
The ISO urges any international student who has questions, concerns, or need for support to please contact the ISO or your ISO Advisor directly. |
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| Presentation slides posted from Resources International Student Employment Resources Info Session/Q&A |
Presentation slides from March 18 are posted here
Recording will be posted later |
On March 18, 2021, the ISO hosted an Information Session/Q&A on International Student Employment Resources. This session addressed commonly asked questions about eligibility for obtaining work permission for off-campus internships, experiences, and post-degree employment opportunities (including F-1 CPT, OPT, STEM OPT, and J-1 Academic Training).
This session did not review more detailed step-by-step application procedures, which is instead available on the ISO Employment webpage and watching the ISO Employment Information Session recording.
A copy of the presentation slides from March 18 are posted here.
The ISO will notify students once the recording/transcript of the March 18 event is posted. |
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| ISO Welcomes New Staff Member |
| Welcome, Alison! |
Alison Day is the newest addition to the ISO team, joining us as the new Assistant Director for Operations and Advising on February 22, 2021.
Alison has worked in the field of international education and exchange since 2014, serving most recently as an Assistant Director/Foreign Student and Scholar Advisor in the Office of International Education at Carnegie Mellon University, and previously as International Student and Scholar advisor at the University of North Dakota.
At MIT, Alison will oversee our continued development of ISO operations, while also serving as the ISO Advisor Point-of-Contact for a number of programs in the MIT Sloan School of Management. advising.
Advising Cohort:
Graduate students in MIT Sloan, specifically the MBA, MFin, Master of Management, and PhD programs. |
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| Reminder: Beware of Scams |
ISO Scams and Fraud Alert webpage
Beware of ICE Imposters Flyer
Current Scam Alerts on US government website
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Especially around tax time, but also throughout the year, students are reminded to use caution when receiving phone calls or emails from individuals claiming they are government agencies, tax authorities, banks, or other officials requesting personal information from you. Phone and email scams are very common, and some do try and target international students.
If you receive a call from someone asking for personal information or payment of any kind, especially if they indicate they are a government official or law enforcement, you may ask the individual their name, agency, and phone number and advise them you will contact them after speaking with your MIT International Students Office. If the caller is from the actual agency, they will support you contacting the MIT ISO first before speaking with the. If they refuse, then they are likely a scammer and you should hang up the phone (or do not respond at all to their email) and notify the ISO.
For additional information on protecting yourself from scams, please view the ISO “Scams and Fraud” webpage. |
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| Tax Resources |
| Tax Workshop: Recording & Slides available here |
Each year, by April 15, every international student, individuals in certain other nonimmigrant visa statuses, as well as American Citizens and Permanent Residents, are required to file a Federal income tax return with the U.S. Government (and in some cases also need to file a State income tax return in each state that the individual resided) based on any physical presence in the U.S. during the previous calendar year.
The April 15, 2021 deadline is to file income tax returns for all who had been physically present in the U.S. during the 2020 calendar year. Students physically inside the U.S. during 2020, whether they worked or not, are required to file an income tax return. By the end of February 2021, any students who have worked at MIT during 2020, including receiving assistantships or fellowships, should have received the necessary documents needed to complete their income tax returns by the April 15 deadline.
MIT provides a number of resources to support international students completing their required income tax returns. Links to the available resources are available on the ISO Taxes webpage (https://iso.mit.edu/maintaining-status/taxes/).
A brief overview of the available tax resources are as follows:
Tax Guidance for Non-Resident Tax Filers
The MIT Office of the Vice President for Finance, in cooperation with the International Scholars Office (ISchO) and the International Students Office (ISO), created a website for foreign nationals to provide resources and links related to receiving payments from MIT and guidance on income taxes. This is the best place to start with any questions about taxes and filing your income tax returns.
MIT Tax Workshops Presentation Recordings/Slidedecks Now Available
On March 2, 2021, MIT hosted Tax Workshops for MIT students and scholars regarding the filing the 2020 calendar year income tax returns.
The Workshop recordings and slidedecks are now posted on the MIT VPF “How to Get Tax Help” webpage.
Additional tax information for international students and scholars is available on the VPF website.
Glacier Tax Prep Software
The ISO makes available to MIT international students for free a license for the Glacier Tax Prep software to assist in completing the Federal income tax return. The software is available now but please wait until you have received your tax forms from MIT before using it. |
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| Navigating MIT Series - Spring 2021 |
Starting TODAY, March 19 @1pm
First session: Understanding American Culture & Friendship
Sign up for each virtual session at this link |
Various topics to support international students with adjustment to MIT and the U.S. during the spring semester. Most topics are repeated from the fall semester since some students have newly arrived for the spring. Open to all international students.
All sessions will be held virtually over Zoom. Even if you cannot attend the session, if you register, you will receive the slides (a recording may not be possible). |
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| Language Conversation Exchange "Conversation Cafe" |
Next Event on Friday, April 2
12:00 - 1:00 PM EST |
Co-sponsored by LCE & ISO
Advance registration for each event is required at this new link: http://bit.ly/LCECafeSpring21
After a short opening culture or language presentation, language learners will be sorted into breakout rooms by language where you can practice with native speakers.
Participants, please start arriving at 11:50 AM so that presentation can start promptly at 12noon.
Subscribe to the LCE email list |
| Registration Link |
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| Zoom Break: Codenames |
Thursday, April 15, 2021
1:00 - 2:00 PM EST |
Join your fellow students and have some fun playing Codenames!
Sign Up requested.
Open to entire MIT community during IAP
Co-sponsored by ISO and Postdoc Association (PDA) |
| SIGN UP |
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| Zoom Break: Among Us |
Thursday, April 29, 2021
1:00 - 2:00 PM EST |
Join to play an hour of Among Us with us!
The game can be found here for Android and here for iOS.
A quick introduction video to how the game works is here! |
| Sign Up |
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| Forum for Equity: Women’s Leadership in Higher Education |
Wednesday, March 24, 2021
3:00 - 4:00 PM EST, Online via Zoom |
MIT president emerita Susan Hockfield, Harvard president emerita Drew Faust, and Wellesley College president Paula Johnson.
The focus will be on challenges facing women leading colleges and universities and will offer insights on topics including equity and inclusion on campus.
Registration required for Zoom link. |
| Register Here |
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| Capoeira with Mestre Acordeon: a half century of cultural diplomacy in the US and Brazil |
Thursday, April 1, 2021
12:30 - 2:00 PM EST |
Mestre Acordeon can be credited with popularizing capoeira in the United States. Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines equal parts fight, dance, music, improvisation, and philosophy. With origins in the collection of acrobatic fighting techniques, masquerading as play, as used by African slaves to defend themselves against colonial oppression, in the mid-20th century capoeira was formalized into martial arts practice, and— through it’s beauty and virtuosity— has since become one of the key entry points by which foreigners discover Brazilian culture, in no small part due to Acordeon’s award-winning teaching and leadership in the Bay Area since the late 1970s.
In this lecture, we invite Mestre Acordeon to tell his story and discuss the history and impact of capoeira. Participants are welcome to bring questions for discussion, or just sit back and learn about one of Brazil’s most beautiful and captivating art forms. |
| SIGN UP |
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| Wellness Events & Resources |
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| Community Wellness Workshops |
| Click here to register |
Hack Your Sleep
Strategies to help you reboot your sleep schedule, get the best quality sleep you can, and make getting up in the morning easier. Learn about MIT resources to decrease stress and improve sleep health.
- Wednesday, March 31 12:30-1 pm
Motivation and Productivity: COVID-19 Edition
Manage time, energy, and productivity, connect with deeper motivations to avoid burnout and maintain focus, and make a blueprint for your own productivity plan.
- Tuesday, March 30 12:30-1 pm
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| Daily Table Grocery Store |
| Recently opened in Central Square |
| No one should have to choose between their health and their budget when it comes to food. That's why Daily Table sources nutritious, delicious food at prices that every budget can afford --an average of 30% less than other local supermarkets. |
| READ MORE |
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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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