International Student and Scholar Services

Atlanta Campus and Perimeter College

January 2024 Newsletter

Welcome to Spring 2024 from ISSS! We hope that the semester is off to a great start. ISSS is here to assist you, so please don't hesitate to contact us!

F-1 and J-1 students wishing to speak with an ISSS advisor at the Atlanta Campus or Perimeter College over the phone or in-person must access the QLESS system in order to get into our virtual queue. Once in the virtual queue you will receive instructions regarding a call back from one of our available advisors or instructions on when to come into the ISSS lobby to meet an advisor.

For access to advising office options, please click >> HERE <<

--SEVIS REPORTING --

For SEVIS reporting purposes, all Georgia State University international students must be properly enrolled or re-enrolled via the “registration adjustment” process by January 31, 2024 by 5:00 PM.

Students who were dropped from classes should follow the steps in the email from Student Financial Services, with a subject line of 'Georgia State University Spring 2024 Registration Alert – Registration Cancelation Notice!' to seek class reinstatement of their spring semester course schedule.

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Enrollment Requirements for F1/J1 Students

Full-Time Students

Undergraduate Students = 12 hours in Fall and Spring

Graduate Students = 9 hours in Fall and Spring

All Students = limited to 1 online course per semester.

For details on this requirement,

For J-1 students, please click >> HERE <<

For F-1 students, please click >> HERE <<

Note: Please check your GSU student emails regularly for any necessary enrollment updates or changes that may occur during the academic year.

Spring 2024 Health Insurance

The deadline to complete Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) enrollment or waive out of SHIP for Spring Semester/Summer 2024 is January 23, 2024.

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To appeal a denied insurance waiver, submit an appeal to United Healthcare Student Resources at: Waiververification@UHCSR.com.

All correspondence must include the University/School Name, Student’s Name, and Student’s Panther ID. Please provide your confirmation of coverage (COC) from your insurance provider that confirms your dates of coverage and specifies the benefits that meet the school’s requirements

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The Spring/Summer insurance coverage is January 1, 2024 to July 31, 2024.

For more information, please click >> HERE <<

Students graduating in May could qualify for Optional Practical Training (OPT)!
OPT is an authorization approved by the government that allows you to work within your field of study for up to 12 months after you have completed your program. Students graduating at the end of Spring 2024 who are interested in applying for OPT should first view the Instructional Video on How to Apply for OPT on the ISSS website HERE. If you have questions you may check in to QLess during Advising Hours

Students will need to apply for this benefit with USCIS, and the processing time for OPT applications has been extended to 3-7 months. If you are interested in working after graduation, we recommend you apply for OPT as soon as possible!

The OPT application timeline is as follows. Credit: George Mason University International Programs and Services

For more information on OPT and the application process, visit our website >> HERE <<

Please be advised that CPT is not available at the associate degree level at Perimeter College.

Curricular Practical Training (“CPT”) is a temporary off-campus employment authorization for F1 visa students. Curricular means the work must be required or related to a course in the student’s major program of study, and the student must receive academic credits for the work.

Eligibility

Full-time enrollment for at least one academic year (Fall + Spring) prior to authorization at GSU or at another SEVIS-approved institution, unless your internship experience is required (and clearly stated in the Academic Catalog) to complete your program.
Active F-1 status
Good academic standing with the school
Completion of a ISSS CPT on-line workshop no later than the 1st week of the current semester
Availability of an existing course in the student’s major or program of study to support CPT authorization by the student’s academic department or supervising faculty member.
IEP students are not eligible

* New CPT applications must be complete and approved by the secondary approver, only pending ISSS review by the deadline each term to be processed. Regardless, applications submitted at the last minute are still subject to the normal 3-5 day processing time. You may not be able to begin work on Monday even if you submit a completed CPT application by the Friday deadline.

For more information click >> HERE <<

2023 Tax Filing Information

ISSS will provide more information about filing your 2023 U.S. Federal and State of Georgia Tax Returns in February, 2024. The tax‐filing deadline is April 15, 2024. What you need to know now is:

DO NOT BUY Tax Prep Software: like TurboTax, H&R Block or any others!
Those products were NOT designed for “Non‐Resident Alien” Tax forms.
ISSS will provide free access to special software called “Sprintax” around early March to assist you with your Federal Return.

For more information, please click >> HERE <<

BEWARE OF SCAMMERS!

Some GSU international students have been called by individuals posing as ICE agents. Students have reported that the caller demands an immigration bond fee. If the student does not provide money, the caller threatens deportation, arrest, and/or an issue with his or her immigration record. A legitimate ICE agent would never request money over the phone.

Please note, even if the number appears to be from within the United States, it could be an international caller. Any money transferred outside the U.S. may not be recoverable.

If you are unsure if the request is legitimate, please call or email ISSS to verify. We encourage anyone who has received a spam call to report it to the GSU Police immediately at 404-413-3333.

SEVIS Address Requirements

SEVIS regulations require all students holding F-1 or J-1 immigration status to maintain both a valid U.S. Local Address and a valid Out of Country address.  All F-1 and J-1 visa holders should verify their local and out of country addresses in iStart. ISSS now has an eForm that makes it very easy for you to meet this requirement. To verify, please follow these simple steps:

Log into your iStart account
Select F-1 or J-1 Student Services (option is dependent on your immigration status)
Click on the eForm: Address & Phone Verification and follow the instructions.

Explore GSU Campus Events*

*Log into PIN for a full listing of all the exciting programs and events happening at Atlanta and Perimeter campuses.

Virtual Healthcare for Perimeter College Students

Perimeter College students who have paid their student fees now have access to virtual healthcare through TextCare! TextCare helps you avoid unnecessary and expensive visits to the ER or urgent care by connecting you instantly with a licensed healthcare provider. No appointment is necessary and there is no additional cost, just send a text to 404-236-6142 to get connected.

Our Pantry locations distribute food, hygiene, and additional products to students to alleviate stress associated with short-term food insecurity in order to effectively reduce hunger and support educational success.
What We Offer: Due to Covid-19 safety precautions, all Panther’s Pantry locations have moved to a bag system. Goods will vary based on inventory. We offer standard food bags, vegetarian food bags, hygiene bags with female products, and hygiene bags with male products.
Who Can Shop: Students, faculty, and staff can pick up a food bag and a hygiene bag once per week.
We are looking forward to serving you at Panther’s Pantry!
Follow them on social media: @pantherspantry
Please visit the website HERE for campus locations and hours of operation.

Please follow us on Facebook and Instagram to get updates regarding ISSS events, policies, and other important information.

Instagram
@GSUISSS

Facebook
@gsu.edu.isss

For questions about any of the information mentioned above, contact:

International Student & Scholar Services

Georgia State University

Atlanta Campus: 404-413-2070

Atlanta Email: isss@gsu.edu

Perimeter College (Clarkston Campus): 678-891-3235

Perimeter Email: issspc@gsu.edu

Visit Website: isss.gsu.edu