For more information, visit the International Student Advisor and pick up an OPT application.

F-1 Off-Campus Work Permit Due to Severe Economic Hardship

If you are experiencing severe economic hardship based on an unforeseen change in your financial circumstances, you may submit an application to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) for permission to work off campus. You will be required to document the change in your financial situation and your economic need. Examples of changes in financial circumstances are tuition increases of 30 percent or more, loss of a sponsor, severe illness in the family, etc. Permission to work off-campus based on severe economic hardship allows you to work in any type of job.

1.      Limits :  Limits imposed on off-campus work are:

Ø      Students authorized for off-campus employment by the USCIS may not work more than 20 hours per week while school is in session. During vacations and breaks, students may work full-time if not enrolled in classes.

Ø      Remember you can only work a total of twenty hours per week while school is in session.  So, if you have a campus job for 10 hours per week, you may only work off campus for 10 hours.  Scholarship service hours count toward this total as well.

2.      Eligibility Requirements:  You are eligible to apply for off-campus work permission based on severe economic hardship if you meet the following conditions:

Ø      You have been in F-1 status for a minimum of nine months

Ø      You are currently in legal status and carry a full course of study

Ø      You have made a good effort to find employment on campus

Ø      You are able to demonstrate unforeseen severe economic hardship

Ø      You are in good academic standing (Grade Point Average is at least 2.0)

3.      The following documents are required for the application:

Ø      $180 check or money order made payable to the USCIS

Ø      Pictures

Ø      Completed I-765 form

Ø      Student letter stating need

Ø      Documentation of economic hardship

Ø      Completed SEVIS Release Form

Ø      Immigration documents

o        Copy of passport expiration page, biographical data and picture page

o        Copy of visa page

o        Copy of I-94- FRONT & BACK

o        Copies of all previous I-20’s- FRONT & BACK

o        Copies of any Change of Immigration Status Approval Forms

o        Copies of any previous work permits

Ø      4.  Final Steps:  Schedule an appointment at CIE to complete your application. Within 30 days of mailing, the CIE should receive a receipt stating the average processing time and your file number. This information will be forwarded to you. Finally, when the EAD (work permit card) is received, the ISA will contact you for mailing instructions.   >

Health Insurance

The U.S. has a fee-for-service health care system. This is vastly different from many other countries where health care is socialized, or paid in part by the government. Health care is extremely expensive, and since it is not socialized or organized under a national health care system, insurance is the only way to ensure affordable care when it is needed. Insurance is organized and sold by independent and private companies. Arranging and paying for health care in the U.S. is solely your responsibility so please read the information below. The complicated information may indeed be “foreign” to many of our international students, but remember that your ISA can offer some assistance and suggestions.

1.       Premium:  Once you have collected information on several different health insurance plans, you’ll need to compare the similarities and differences. Some plans may require you to pay the premium, the price to purchase and maintain the insurance, in full before policy effective date. Others may require monthly payments.

2.       Deductible, Co-Pay or ­Co-Insurance:  To seek medical care, you may need to pay a deductible, co-pay or ­co-insurance. A deductible is an amount that you pay before your insurance pays. For example, if the deductible is $500, you will have to pay the first $500, and the insurance company will pay the remainder. Some insurance plans actually set different deductibles for doctor’s visits, prescriptions, emergency room visits, surgeries etc. They can also have a deductible for each separate injury or sickness.

Ø       A co-pay is typically an amount that you are required to pay for each doctor’s office visit or for each treatment. For example, if your insurance requires a $20 co-pay, you pay the doctor’s office $20 each time you visit, and the doctors office charges your insurance company for the remainder of the cost of your visit.

Ø       Co-insurance, on the other hand, is typically a percentage. For example, if you total doctor’s bill is $100 and your insurance requires you to pay a 10% co-insurance, you must pay the doctor’s office $10, and then the doctor’s office will charge the insurance company for the remaining $90.

Ø       Only go to the Emergency Room or call an ambulance if it is absolutely necessary. The costs can be astronomical for these services and treatments.

3.       Networks:  Most plans require that you receive care from a “network of doctors,” often called the provider network. This is a list of doctors from which you can choose for healthcare services. Otherwise, they may set a higher deductible, co-pay or co-insurance or not pay for the treatment at all.

Ø       HMO, Health Maintenance Organization, is the name for a type of plan that organizes your health care options under one primary care physician, or PCP. Under an HMO, you see your PCP first, and then he/she refers you to specialists that are approved within the HMO network.

A PPO, Preferred Provider Organization, is becoming more common, because you are given more control over the doctors you see (no referral needed), but you are still restricted to the PPO network.

Indemnity or POS (Point of Service), plans are generally more expensive because there is no network, and the insured can see any doctor.  Usually, the company reimburses medical expenses, and there is often a limit.

4.       Exclusions :  Exclusions are common and vary for each plan type you may choose. They are a list of medical expenses that are not covered. Most plans for international students state that medical care for pre-existing conditions are not covered, treatment received in your home country, injury sustained as a result of war, suicide, or self-inflicted injury, or treatment which is not medically necessary or which is experimental.

5.       Prescriptions:  Some plans will offer a limited amount of coverage for prescription drugs.

6.       Required Health Insurance:  J exchange visitors are required by law to obtain and maintain health insurance during their stay in the U.S.  All students (F and J’s) are required by Stetson university to have health insurance while in the U.S.  This insurance must meet the following criteria:

Ø       Medical Benefits of at least $50,000 per accident or illness

Ø       Repatriation of remains in the amount of $7,500

Ø       Expenses associated with medical evacuation of the student to home country of up to $10,000

Ø       A deductible not to exceed $500 per accident or illness, which meets other standards specified in the regulations

Ø       All copies of medical insurance documentation must be given to the C.I.E. within the first month of being at Stetson.

Traveling to/from U.S.

Traveling Outside The U.S

If you plan to travel outside the United States, reentry on an F-1or J-1 visa requires a valid I-20 or DS-2019, passport, and F-1 or J-1 entry visa stamp.

If you need a new entry visa stamp, see the visa renewal section of this handbook.

1.      Entry at the Border :  U.S. Customs will require that you present your I-20 or DS-2019 along with your financial documentation as you reenter. They may also want to review any previous I-20 or DS-2019 documents.

2.      If You Already Have a Valid Visa Stamp:  If your current entry visa stamp will be valid at the time you reenter the United States, you will not need to visit the U.S. Consulate. For reentry, you will need a valid I-20 or DS-2019 that reflects your current program, as well as a completion-of-studies date that is in the future. In addition, the USCIS requires a signature for reentry on page 4 of the I-20 or the back of the DS-2019 form. This signature should be made just prior to travel.

Ø      Note: The reentry signature is valid for 6 months only and must be renewed if it has expired or will expire soon. Also, if your entry visa stamp was issued for a school other than Stetson University, you should be prepared to present documentary evidence of your finances to the USCIS officials when you reenter. To make a request for a reentry signature, present your I-20 to the International Student Office at least two weeks before departure.

3.      If You Are Planning a Trip to Canada or Mexico:  If you wish to visit Canada or Mexico, find out whether you need a visitor’s visa to enter that country. To do so, visit www.embassy.org  and click on Canada. To reenter the United States, you will need a valid I-20 or DS-2019 with a current signature from the International Student Advisor. You are not required to have a valid U.S. reentry visa stamp in your passport if your visit to Canada or Mexico is for less than 30 days, unless you are a citizen of Iraq, Iran, or Lybia.

4.      If You Have OPT Authorization: If you are currently pursuing Optional Practical Training and plan to reenter the United States, you must present the following documentation for reentry

Ø       A valid I-20 that has been signed for reentry within the last 6 months

Travel Checklist

Verify expiration dates of passport and visa.  Make plans to renew if necessary.

Let someone know of your travel plans—roommate, RA, or ISA

Pack your passport, I-94 and I-20/DS2019

Give copy of passport, I-94, I-20 and visa to your “travel buddy” or pack in different location than your original documents.

Pack your insurance card and be sure you understand your coverage.

Have the following emergency contact information readily available:

Embassy or Consulate for your home country

Family contact information

CIE and Stetson University contact information

5.      If traveling by air, follow Federal Aviation Administration regulations regarding items prohibited on carry-on and checked luggage and check –in times.

6.      If you are traveling within the United States, immigration officials encourage international students to carry all identification documents at all times (passport, visa, I-20).  For practical purposes consider carrying photocopies while placing your passport and other documents in a safe place.

Taxes

Sales Tax:  Florida sales tax is 6% and applies to most items that you purchase such as clothing and electronics and clearly marked on your receipt.  Some counties in Florida add 1% to this, making it a total of 7%.  So be aware that sales tax may differ county by county.  You will notice that the sales tax is added on to the price of an item at the time of purchase.  Therefore, the amount you must pay will be higher than the amount on the price tag.

Income Tax:  All F-1, J-1, and M-1 students, even those with no U.S. income, are expected to file a tax return every year. Sources of U.S. income may include on-campus employment, scholarships, practical or academic training, and any compensation received for labor. Foreign students do not have to pay taxes on interest paid to them by U.S. banks. Note that "income" is not limited to wages paid to you in cash, but also includes that portion of your scholarship, fellowship, or assistantship that is applied to your housing and meal expenses. The portion applied to your tuition fees, books, and supplies is not counted as income. Once you have filed and income tax return, you have begun a tax record with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which can benefit you in the future.

Although C.I.E. staff members do not give tax advice, we do arrange a Tax Workshop for International Students each spring to help you with your tax questions.  Do not interpret the information presented here as individual tax advice.

Yearly Filing of Tax Return Forms:  Everyone in the United States, regardless of immigration status, is responsible each year for submitting a complete and accurate income-tax statement to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), an agency of the U.S. Treasury Department. Americans call the process "filing a tax return." Foreign students, regardless of whether or not they work or earn income while in the United States, must file an appropriate return each year.

Ø      In the United States, it is each individual's personal responsibility to meet his or her tax obligations; the government will not do it for you, but it will penalize you if you do not do it yourself. You are responsible for:

o        Helping your employer estimate how much of your income should be "withheld" (or deducted) from your wages for the purpose of paying taxes. Your employer pays those amounts directly to the U.S. Treasury on your behalf.

o        In your annual tax return, you must reconcile your account with the government to verify that you paid the right amount over the course of the year.

o        If you paid too much, you may claim a refund, which will be paid promptly unless the government disagrees with your calculations.

Ø      You must file a tax return even if you did not have income from a U.S. source, just to keep the government records straight.

Ø      Social Security Tax:

o        Students often have questions about payment of a U.S. tax called Social Security tax or FICA. FICA is a taxation system that provides benefits to retired workers. Most F, M, and J students are not subject to this tax, but J-2 dependents with work permission are.

Ø      Important Dates:

o        April 15: The last day on which residents and nonresidents who have earned wages from U.S. sources may file their U.S. federal income-tax returns.

o        June 15: The last day on which nonresident students and their dependents who have no wage income from U.S. sources may file their 104ONR-EZ or 104ONR returns