International Student and Scholar Services

February 2022 Newsletter

Every February, the U.S. honors the contributions and sacrifices of African Americans who have helped shape the nation. Black History Month celebrates the rich cultural heritage, triumphs and adversities that are an indelible part of our country's history.

This year's theme, Black Health and Wellness, pays homage to medical scholars and health care providers. The theme is especially timely as we enter the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disproportionately affected minority communities and placed unique burdens on Black health care professionals.

"There is no American history without African American history," said Sara Clarke Kaplan, executive director of the Antiracist Research & Policy Center at American University in Washington, D.C. The Black experience, she said, is embedded in "everything we think of as 'American history.' "


Let's celebrate Valentine's Day Around the World!

Dunwoody Campus

Let's celebrate Valentine's Day Around the World!

Clarkston Campus


Are you graduating this semester?
Have you considered OPT?


Post Completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) is a benefit that allows temporary employment directly related to an F-1 student's major area of study upon program completion. OPT at the Associate degree level is for a period of 12 months maximum. For more information about OPT and to access the on-line OPT Workshop, go to HERE.

Students graduating at the end of spring 2021 who are interested in applying for OPT should first complete the on-line OPT workshop. The next step is to attend a Virtual OPT Workshop (see dates below) to review the application process.

The earliest date that spring 2022 graduates can apply for OPT is February 3, 2022.


Virtual OPT Workshop Dates for Spring 2021:

  • 2/2/2022 3:00 - 4:00 PM

  • 2/23/2022 3:00 - 4:00 PM

  • 3/23/2022 1:00 - 2:00 PM

  • 4/19/2022 1:00 - 2:00 PM


Registration is required through iStart. Five (5) students must be signed up for a session to start. Make sure you are signing up for Perimeter College sessions.

Call 770-274-5570 or 678-891-3235 or email issspc@gsu.edu if you have questions.

FULL-TIME ENROLLMENT REQUIRED: For SEVIS Reporting purposes, all Perimeter College international students must be properly enrolled or re-enrolled via the “registration adjustment” process if you were dropped for non-payment, by Friday, February 4th.

See below for spring 2022 enrollment guidelines.

IN CASE OF LATE PAYMENT OR COURSE DROP: You can go through the “Registration Adjustment” process to attempt to get back into classes once all tuition and fees are paid. Visit the Enrollment Services website HERE, or contact each faculty member individually and request this process. The process takes 3-4 days but does not stop the SEVIS reporting deadline. Failure to complete registration adjustment by the SEVIS deadline of February 4, 2022 will result in termination of status. (SEVIS reporting is done by ISSS.)


International Peer Assistant (IPA) Program is currently accepting applications for the 2022-2023 program


Would you like to make new friends while welcoming new international students to Perimeter College? Would you like to help plan International Coffee Hours and other cultural events to provide opportunities for culture sharing at Perimeter College?


If you are interested, please apply HERE

Applications due: Friday, April 1, 2022

The rewards include: gaining experience you can put on your resume, meeting new people, practicing valuable leadership skills. This will be a short-term paid position.

Panther's 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! Please complete the following form prior to your visit: Panther's Pantry Intake Form

Follow them on social media: @pantherspantry

Please visit the website HERE for campus locations and hours of operation.

Important Spring Break Travel Signature Reminder


Remember to have your form I-20 or DS-2019 signed before you depart the U.S over any break if your current travel endorsement is more than 6 months old. Your I-20 will be digitally endorsed and emailed to your GSU student email. Note also that there are still international travel restrictions in place.

For details on this requirement and request process for F-1 students, please click >> here.

Tip: Don’t wait until the last minute!
All requests in iStart take 3-5 days to process.

Note: Effective November 8, 2021, all non-immigrant, non-citizen air travelers to the United States are required to be fully vaccinated and to provide proof of vaccination status prior to boarding an airplane to the United States. Please read the  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) new Order for all air passengers traveling to the United States.

It is very important to continue monitoring the CDC website, U.S. Department of State’s travel advisories, the ISSS website, and Georgia State Ahead for up-to-date information regarding travel to the U.S. and campus. Some countries have restrictions on entry into the U.S., and we highly recommend that you check the above resources on a regular basis and/or speak to the airline you plan to use before flying. GSU is offering free saliva-based testing to all students, faculty and staff at the downtown campus and perimeter campuses: https://ahead.gsu.edu/covid-19-resources/. You may take a test before returning to campus for spring classes.



If you were physically in the U.S. even 1 day during the previous tax year (Jan. 1 – Dec. 31, 2021), then you have at least 1 IRS form to complete even if you had no income. If you worked and earned any amount of income in 2021, then you must file a complete federal tax return. If you were in the U.S. in 2021 and are currently outside of the U.S., please prepare to mail your tax paperwork from your home country to IRS.

IRS Deadline to submit tax form(s): April 18th, 2022

ISSS offers FREE tax prep software called Sprintax that is designed specifically for non-residents. ISSS advises you to ONLY use Sprintax, which is now available. Follow the iStart instructions to request the free code at the bottom by reviewing the tax information HERE

FREE SPRINTAX WORKSHOPS

Sprintax is hosting a series of free tax webinars about nonresident tax filing obligations for international students and scholars. Each webinar will cover the same topics listed below.

Please review the details and use the links provided to register for the date and time convenient for you:

The informational webinars will cover:

  • An overview of tax for nonresident students and scholars

  • Who must file a 2021 US tax return

  • What income forms you may receive

  • Forms that need to be completed and sent to the IRS

  • We cover terms like FICA, ITIN and Form 1098-T

  • What happens if students don’t file, or misfile

  • State tax returns

  • IRS stimulus payments

  • Sprintax overview


For questions about these webinars, please email hello@sprintax.com.


WELCOME TO AMIS

Welcome New International Students! AMIS Atlanta is a community organization that welcomes international students to Atlanta and can connect you with local friends in the community. Sign up for our mailing list here to receive our weekly emails which will let you know about our programs and events for international students around Atlanta. You can learn more about us on our website: www.amis-inc.org. While you are there, you can explore our student pages to learn about our Amigo International Friendship program, which can introduce you to a local American for friendship and sharing of cultures.


Martin Luther King Jr. Historic Park Walk


It is Black History Month and Atlanta is the birth home of American civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His birth home, the historic Ebenezer Baptist church, the King Center and memorials are on the site of the MLK National Park, where you can learn about Dr. King's life and legacy.

Join us on Saturday, February 12 at 2:00 pm for a walk through the historic park and explore the monuments to Dr. MLK, Jr's life and legacy.

This event is open to all international students and you are more than welcome to bring friends and family. Let us know you are coming by signing up here


TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL ONLINE LEARNING

Adopting positive behaviors to support your learning can help make a semester involving online learning successful. Please click HERE for helpful information about time management, academic honesty, connecting with your professors, using iCollege, academic support, and more to enhance your on-line learning experience.


HEALTH GUIDELINES TO REMEMBER


FREE COVID-19 Testing is available on-campus!


Georgia State is offering free saliva-based PCR testing to all students, faculty and staff at the Downtown Atlanta Campus and each of our five Perimeter campuses. This FDA-approved test is expected to return results within 72 hours. No appointment or medical referral is required. For more information: https://covidinfo.gsu.edu/covid-19-resources/covid-19-testing/

Free COVID-19 vaccines available. For more information, go to https://covidinfo.gsu.edu/covid-19-resources/covid-19-vaccine/

Follow us on Instagram

Follow us: @gsupc_isss

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

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

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

International Student & Scholar Services

Georgia State University Perimeter College

Clarkston Campus: 678-891-3235 Dunwoody Campus: 770-274-5570

issspc@gsu.edu (email)

isss.gsu.edu (website)