[bioundgrd] Important Immigration Reminders for all MIT international students

[MacKenzie Outlund]

>> From: Danielle Guichard-Ashbrook <Danielle at MIT.EDU>
>> Subject: Important Immigration Reminders for all MIT international students
>> Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2008 14:11:47 -0400
>> 
>> 
>> September 8, 2008
>> 
>> Dear International Students:
>> 
>> 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  <http://student.mit.edu <http://student.mit.edu/> > - 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.
>> 
>> 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.
>> 
>> 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:
>> 
>> 1. You must have valid immigration documents at all times:  Forms I-20 or
>> Forms DS-2019
>> 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 Wednesday, October 1,  2008.  (Full-time
>> is at least 36 units for undergraduates.  Graduate  students should check
>> with their department about full-time status. Usually graduate students in
>> MIT degree programs are automatically registered full time.)
>> 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.)
>> 4. You must never begin work without legal authorization.
>> 5. You should keep your passport valid at least 6 months into the future.
>> 
>> Please contact me directly if you have any questions or concerns.   Best
>> wishes for a wonderful Fall semester!
>> 
>> Sincerely,
>> Danielle Guichard-Ashbrook
>> Associate Dean and Director
>> International Students Office
>> 
>> NOTE: THIS EMAIL DOES NOT APPLY TO STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT YET IN THE  US  AND
>> HAVE NOT STARTED THEIR PROGRAMS.
> 

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