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<TITLE>Important Immigration Reminders for all MIT international students</TITLE>
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<BLOCKQUOTE><BLOCKQUOTE><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'>From: Danielle Guichard-Ashbrook <Danielle@MIT.EDU><BR>
Subject: Important Immigration Reminders for all MIT international students<BR>
Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2008 14:11:47 -0400<BR>
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September 8, 2008<BR>
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Dear International Students:<BR>
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</SPAN></FONT><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'><FONT FACE="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial">We hope that your Fall semester has started well! Please be advised that the ISO has begun Fall 2008 required registration reporting to Immigration through SEVIS this week. Please make sure you are registered full-time and that your SEVIS US address (No P.O. Box numbers), SEVIS International address, and your biographical data is accurate in WEBSIS. To check WEBSIS, go to <<U><a href="http://student.mit.edu">http://student.mit.edu</a></U></FONT><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"> <a href="http://student.mit.edu/"><http://student.mit.edu/></a> </FONT><FONT FACE="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial">> - you will need a personal certificate to use WEBSIS. Registration and address information is uploaded directly to SEVIS through MIT's Student Database. It is critical that accurate information is transmitted to immigration. As long as you maintain your full-time registration, keep your immigration documents valid, and your SEVIS address updated in WEBSIS, the data reported to SEVIS should be accurate.<BR>
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</FONT><FONT FACE="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial">It is absolutely critical that you remember that it is your responsibility to keep immigration forms I-20 (for those in F status) and DS-2019s (for those in J status) valid at all times. We cannot extend those documents once they have expired. If your document is close to expiration, and you have NOT completed your academic program, you need to make an appointment and apply for an extension. We need an absolute minimum of two weeks to extend an I-20 or DS-2019. So you must apply at least two, preferably three, weeks BEFORE the document expires.<BR>
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</FONT><FONT FACE="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial">We in the ISO are committed to doing everything possible to assist you in maintaining your legal status in the US. However it is imperative for you to understand that you have major responsibilities in this regard:<BR>
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</FONT><FONT FACE="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial">1. You must have valid immigration documents at all times: Forms I-20 or Forms DS-2019<BR>
2. You must be registered full-time, during both the fall and spring terms. You must be fully registered within 30 days of MIT's official registration date. This semester's deadline is<B> Wednesday, October 1, 2008.</B> (Full-time is at least 36 units for undergraduates. Graduate students should check with their department about full-time status. Usually graduate students <B>in MIT degree programs</B> are automatically registered full time.)<BR>
3. You must update your US SEVIS address on WEBSIS as soon as you change your US address. (You should not leave the SEVIS address fields blank on WEBSIS. You must have a US address and home country/international address reported on WEBSIS in order to comply with immigration regulations.)<BR>
4.<B> You must never begin work without legal authorization.<BR>
</B>5. You should keep your passport valid at least 6 months into the future.<BR>
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</FONT><FONT FACE="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial">Please contact me directly if you have any questions or concerns. Best wishes for a wonderful Fall semester!<BR>
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</FONT><FONT FACE="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial">Sincerely,<BR>
Danielle Guichard-Ashbrook <BR>
Associate Dean and Director<BR>
</FONT><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial">International Students Office<BR>
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</FONT><FONT FACE="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial"><B>NOTE: THIS EMAIL DOES NOT APPLY TO STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT YET IN THE US AND HAVE NOT STARTED THEIR PROGRAMS.<BR>
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