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Welcome to our international scholar e-mail bulletin. We hope to provide you with useful information regarding services we offer, news related to immigration and updates on community events. We will continue to provide you with updates and important information on a quarterly basis and we welcome your feedback.
- Walk-in Advising and Appointments
- NEW International Spouses Network
- Consultations and Lectures
- Travel Plans?
- Web site Resources
- Three situations that could mean trouble!
- H-1B change of address with USCIS
- Travel abroad, visas & passport renewals
- Meet our new scholar advisors: Tami Lorenson and Becky Showmaker
- H-1B Employees Traveling Abroad
- iCERT for LCA and PERM filings
- Timing the H-1B Process
- Changes in academic positions and how they affect H-1B status
Immigration Links - Useful links to Department of State, USCIS and U.S. Embassies
Community Connection - See what's happening in Columbia!
1. Walk-in Advising and Appointments. Do you need a travel signature, information regarding how to invite your dependents to visit you in the US, or have questions related to your immigration status? Feel free to stop by during our walk-in hours, every Monday to Friday from 11:00-12:00. You can also make an appointment with a Scholar Advisor by calling 882-6007 or by e-mailing scholars@missouri.edu.
2. NEW International Spouses Network. ISSS is creating a new program just for spouses! Spouses of international scholars face a variety of challenges, and we want to help support them. If you know international spouses in Columbia, please encourage them to be a part of this new program. It's a great way to meet other spouses, get involved in the community, and gain resources to help make their experience here more fulfilling. For more information or to get involved, please see our Web site (http://international.missouri.edu/isss/isn/) or email Becky Showmaker at ShowmakerR@missouri.edu.
3. Consultations and Lectures. Employment in J-1 status is job and site specific, but you may accept an invitation to give a lecture or consultation if certain criteria are met. Please check with a Scholar Advisor or refer to our Web site (http://international.missouri.edu/isss/scholars-j1/employment.shtml) for required documents. Authorization for off-campus lectures or consultations cannot be given after the work has been performed.
4. Travel Plans? Summer time is here! If you have plans to travel abroad soon, please check our Web site for information regarding travel at http://international.missouri.edu/isss/scholars-j1/travel.shtml. If you need a travel signature, bring your DS-2019 to the front desk and we will return the signed document to you within 24 hours. Also remember that passports have to be valid for at least six months into the future. Please check your passport and make arrangements to renew it, if necessary, by contacting your embassy in the U.S. For a complete list of the embassies please visit http://embassyworld.com
5. Web site Resources. Please remember to check our Web site for updates, resources, and information regarding your J-1 visa status: http://international.missouri.edu/isss/scholars-j1/.
1. Three situations that could mean trouble! Please consult with the International Center in the following cases:
- Before any changes in an H-1B scholar's position occurs. This status is job specific so changes might require submitting an amended petition.
- This includes any change in wage, promotion, and/or responsibilities - If the scholar is leaving the University of Missouri-Columbia before the end of their H-1B petition.
- The petition and Labor Condition Application (LCA) must be withdrawn in order to end the department's salary obligations to the scholar. - If the Department plans to terminate a scholar before the end of their H-1B petition.
-The department might be liable for the reasonable costs of the scholar's return transportation to their last place of foreign residence.
2. H-1B Change of Address with USCIS. Individuals in H-1B status can report their change of address directly with USCIS online by using the electronic version of form (AR-11) which must be submitted within ten days of moving. There is no fee for this service.
3. Travel abroad, visas & passport renewals. Information needed for H-1B employees to travel abroad is located at our Web site: http://international.missouri.edu/isss/scholars-h1b/travel.shtml. No travel signature is required as it is for J-1 and F-1 status.
- H-1B Initial Petitions: Travel is not allowed while an initial change of status H-1B petition is pending with USCIS as the petition will be deemed abandoned.
- H-1B Extension Petitions: Travel while an H-1B extension is pending with USCIS is allowed, but please discuss your travel timeline with an H-1B advisor before departing.
- Passport Renewals:Passports are to be valid at least six months into the future as required by law. Please check your passport and make arrangements to renew it if needed by locating your country's embassy: http://embassyworld.com/.
1. Meet our new scholar advisors: Tami Lorenson and Becky Showmaker. We would like to welcome Tami Lorenson as the H-1B Advisor for the Scholar Services area. Tami graduated from Columbia College with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with majors in Business Management and International Business. She also completed a minor in Political Science. While at Columbia College Tami was active as a Student Ambassador and as intern in the international segment of the Admissions Department. Tami loves to travel and studied abroad in London last summer. We would also like to welcome Becky Showmaker as our new J-1 Scholar Advisor. Becky began working in the International Center as a Graduate Assistant in May 2008 and recently graduated with a Master's degree in History. She grew up in Indonesia and enjoys traveling, reading, and hiking.
2. Travel abroad. Department will need to complete a Letter of Employment form to reflect current employment for H-1B employees traveling internationally.
3. iCERT for LCA and PERM filings. The Department of Labor Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) is implementing a new portal system called iCERT for LCA and PERM filings. Starting June 1, 2009 LCAs will only be filed through the iCERT system. We anticipated that this process will increase petition preparation time by at least an additional week. Therefore, timing your H-1B petition is increasingly important.
4. Timing the H-1B petition process. The H-1B petition process requires multiple steps that on average can take 1 to 2 months for ISSS to process and submit to U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS). Once it is submitted to USCIS, it may take 3-4 months for the H-1B approval needed for work authorization. Premium processing is also available to expedite the approval from USCIS.
If a prospective employee resides outside the U.S., the H-1B employee must:
- Obtain approval of the H-1B petition
- Apply for an H-1B visa. Visa wait times vary considerably per location, for the current visa wait times please check the Department of State Web site.
ISSS can help develop a workable timeframe for these situations. In general we recommend that departments hiring someone in initial H-1B status contact ISSS as soon as possible, and that H-1B extensions be initiated by the department about five months in advance of expirations. Please see an outline of the process and FAQ section of our web site: http://international.missouri.edu/isss/scholars-h1b/faq.shtml.
- J-1 scholar port of entry information
- J-1 exchange visitor program information
- Department of State travel information
- US Citizenship and Immigration Services
For complete listings of community events visit the following Web sites:
- Columbia Parks & Recreation
- MU Events Calendar
- Columbia Convention & Visitors Bureau
- "The District"
- University of Missouri Concert Series
Movies in the Park 2009 - The Jungle Book (G) - September 11, 2009 7:45 pm. Sponsored by Columbia Parks & Recreation, KPLA, & US Cellular. The movies, shown on a giant inflatable screen, resemble a Drive-in without cars yet offers better sound, soft grass, and the gorgeous stars above. Grab a blanket or a low lawn chair and head out for an unforgettable evening of cinema. Concessions available. No Rain dates. Call the movie hotline at 819-0620. Pre-show activities and entertainment scheduled at 8 pm. Flat Branch Park, 4th & Cherry Sts. - 12 & Under FREE, Adults $1 per person.
Family Fun Fests 2009 - It's a Circus! - September 16, 2009 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm. Experience the arts! Enjoy free participatory art activities and kid-friendly performances of art, music and dance. Bike or stroller valet will be available courtesy of the PedNet Coalition. A Collaboration with the Office of Cultural Affairs. Flat Branch Park, 4th & Cherry Sts.
9th Street Summer Fest 2009 - Dr. Zhivegas - September 16, 2009 Gates open 6:00 pm. Enjoy your Wednesday evenings this summer starting in May! All of north 9th street (between Broadway and Walnut) will be blocked off for the biggest block party you've ever been to - complete with food and beer! Best of all, it's FREE, thanks to The Blue Note and all the good folks on North 9th Street. Summerfests are held May, June, July, August, September... Why not come and check it out? You know you want to...Sponsored by Miller Brewing Co., The Missouri Lottery, Inside Columbia, Socket, Choosik.com, Slumberland Furniture, Cumulus Broadcasting, and KRCG 13. North 9th St. - FREE
Annual Heritage Festival & Craft Show - September 19 & 20, 2009 10:00 am - 5:00 pm. Visitors will be taken back to the traditions of the past. Listen, learn, and see history as it comes alive. See artisans and tradesmen dressed in 19th century attire demonstrating their trades and selling their wares. A large contemporary handmade craft area will also be featured. Enjoy entertainment on three stages including music, dancing and storytelling. Saturday Evening Ghost Stories (8-9:30 pm) are sponsored by the Mid-Missouri Organization Storytellers. Tour the Historic Maplewood Home and the Walter’s Boone County Historical Museum. Great food and a beautiful park setting will make the Heritage Festival a family tradition! For more information, call 874-7460. - Nifong Park, Hwy 63 S at AC exit - FREE!
Have a great Fall Semester! ~ from your ISSS Team