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IMMIGRATION SPOTLIGHT

In this week's edition:

Announcements: NYU Solidarity Week, ISSI Awards
Checklist Items & Updates: File Taxes, Invite Family to Commencement
Top Questions of the Week: Extension of Program, Online Classes, Taxes
Workshops: OPT, Visa, and Tax Workshops

ANNOUNCEMENTS

NYU Solidarity Week

It’s time for the 13th annual NYU Solidarity Week (April 10–14)! Solidarity practices should be engaged all year, however, we use this week to highlight resources and events that foster exploration, action, and education.

There are 4 exciting events that will be held virtually this year—kicking off the week on Monday, April 10 is Theory To Action: Moving from Allyship to Solidarity.

The highlight of the week will be the Marquee Event: Our Bodies, Our Stories on Thursday, April 13. What does it mean to be free in body, mind, and spirit? When has our right to exist within our bodies been restrained, policed, or disciplined? How do we pursue and manifest bodily autonomy across a spectrum of identities? We invite you to an evening of performance and discussion exploring how we can pursue and manifest bodily autonomy across a spectrum of identities.

International Student Support Initiative (ISSI) Awards

Nomination Deadline: April 7th

ISSI invites nominations for awards recognizing support for and leadership within the international student community at NYU. This year's award categories are:

International Student Solidarity Award for NYU Professionals
International Student Solidarity Award for NYU Students
International Student Leadership Award

Learn more about the ISSI awards and submit a nomination by April 7th!

CHECKLIST ITEMS & UPDATES

Reminder to file taxes!

The federal deadline is April 18 if you earned US income in 2022. Confirm the deadline for the state(s) you will need to file taxes in. If you were in the US even for 1 day during 2022, then you have tax filing obligations. GLACIER Tax Prep (GTP), a free service for all NYU students and scholars, makes it easy to fulfill these obligations. For state taxes, Sprintax is available to use. Confused? Please refer to our tax resource page for information on how to file.

Want to invite family to commencement ceremonies?

Please review our International Visitor page for instructions on how your family can secure entry into the US. For graduates who are able to access the StudentLink Center in person, simply visit the StudentLink Center and meet with a StudentLink Counselor to receive your commencement letter of invitation. For graduates who are unable to access the StudentLink Center in person, email a request for a Commencement Invitation Letter to StudentLink@nyu.edu from your NYU email address.

TOP QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK

This is a new section that we have introduced in the last Immigration Spotlight Newsletter.

Please find the most frequently asked questions that our staff has been receiving this week through phone calls and emails:

I am making summer plans and I noticed that my I-20 is expiring and this is not my final semester. What should I do?

If you haven’t met with your academic/class advisor yet, please do so. The advisor you should meet with is the one that helps you with your degree audit. Once it is determined that you need more time to complete your program and your I-20’s program end date is ending, you should submit an Extension of Program request to OGS before the current end date that’s listed on the I-20 passes. You should do this as soon as possible, no later than 2 weeks before your I-20 program end date. Don’t wait until the last day.

How many online classes can I take in Fall 2023?

An email was sent to all continuing students on Thursday, March 23, 2023 with the following information:

We anticipate that COVID exemptions will no longer be in place for the 2023-2024 academic year, therefore we request that students keep this information in mind in preparation for the Fall 2023 registration period. This means that all international students enrolled at NYU may take no more than 1 class or 3 credits of online class that would count towards the full-time enrollment requirement.

For additional recent updates from OGS via email, you may refer to our Immigration Updates and Events webpage. If you have any further questions, please contact our office.

Who can help me with Tax Questions?

Unfortunately, NYU is not equipped to advise on individual tax issues; however, OGS has some resources for students. Please check the information on our Tax website which has some basic information, tax resources, FAQs, and Glacier Tax Prep software (free tax filing software available to NYU students, alumni, and their families).

You can contact the Glacier Tax Prep Support Center via the Help link at the top of any screen when you are logged in for questions. You may also choose to register for and attend one of the tax workshops listed below in the Workshops section of this email. Beyond that, you must consult with a tax professional as listed in the Helpful Resources section of our Tax website.

WORKSHOPS

How to prepare your OPT application for the US government (USCIS)

April 4th | 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
April 6th | 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
April 12th | 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

After you've received your new OPT I-20, you should attend this session where an OGS advisor will go over how to prepare your OPT application for USCIS. Attend this session to make sure your OPT application meets all the guidelines, before you submit it to USCIS!

The Student Visa Application and Interview: What to Expect

April 6th l 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM ET

Learn about the process to get a US student visa, what to expect for the day of your visa interview, possible outcomes of your student visa application, and resources to turn to if your application is delayed or denied.

Post-Completion OPT Webinar

April 11th | 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM ET

Are you an F-1 international student getting ready to graduate? This workshop is designed to give you a firm understanding of what OPT is (it's a form of work authorization for students in F-1 status), how to apply for OPT, the processing timeline, what documents you’ll need, travel advice, and reporting requirements. We also briefly cover tax, health insurance, and OPT extensions.

Tax Workshops

NYU provides international students with tax filing software, Glacier Tax Prep (GTP) to meet the annual federal tax filing requirements. Learn more about GTP by attending one of their live Q&A sessions! The GTP Q&A sessions allow you to ask a question to a Tax Professional and then leave, if desired– it is not necessary to stay the entire hour, but it is possible to stay the entire time and hear others’ questions.

Glacier Tax Prep Q&A

April 3rd | 1:05 PM - 2:00 PM ET
April 5th | 4:05 PM - 5:00 PM ET
April 6th | 7:05 PM - 8:00 PM ET
April 10th | 1:05 PM - 2:00 PM ET
April 11th | 12:05 PM - 1:00 PM ET
April 13th | 6:05 PM - 7:00 PM ET
April 17th | 1:05 PM - 2:00 PM ET

To participate:

Log into GTP [You must be logged into your NYU account on the web browser you are using in order for the GTP link to work.]
From the menu, select “LIVE General Nonresident Alien Tax Information and GTP Q&A Sessions”
Click on the link and enter the Passcode

Nonresident Tax Workshop by Sprintax

Get an overview of tax for nonresident students and scholars, including who must file a 2020 US tax return, what income forms students/scholars may receive, and forms that need to be completed and sent to the IRS. Learn terms like FICA, ITIN and Form 1098-T, what happens if students don’t file, or misfile, details on state tax returns, IRS stimulus payments and how to use Sprintax to file your nonresident tax paperwork.