Author: King, Jennifer

Notice: ISSS Portal Outage This Weekend (6/15 and 6/16)

Dear Students, Scholars, and Faculty/Staff Users,

The ISSS Student Portal and ISSS Scholar/Employee Portal will be temporarily unavailable this weekend, June 15 & 16, for upgrade and maintenance.

During this time, there will be no access to ISSS portal requests, documents, reports, nor profile or personal information updates.   Please plan accordingly and submit any urgent requests or updates in the ISSS Portals before close of business on Friday, June 14.

We anticipate ISSS Portal access to resume on Monday, June 17.   Any further delays will be posted to our news section of our website.

Thank you for your understanding and patience during this upgrade outage.

Warm regards,
International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS)

OPT/STEM Reminders: Spring 2024

To F-1 OPT and STEM participants:

Please take a moment to review all of the below information/updates as one or more may pertain to you.
NEW OPT PARTICIPANTS IN PARTICULAR, please ensure that you read all carefully and familiarize yourself with your reporting requirements!

Email Address Updates & UConn Google Use Retirement
Please be aware that UConn is currently in the process of  transitioning away from Google. This means that alumni access to the google drive and UConn email will discontinue as of April 30, 2024.  Please visit the link here to find information on forwarding your UConn email to a personal mailbox: https://its.uconn.edu/google-to-microsoft-365-transition/

Note that the email in your SEVIS record is the same as your “campus” email address in StudentAdmin.  If you no longer have a “campus” email then it changes to your “personal” email type.  If your “campus” address in StudentAdmin is currently a UConn email, you will need to either forward the email to a personal account using the instructions linked OR change the “campus” email address to a personal email address to ensure that you continue to receive important messages from SEVIS.  When you update your email address in StudentAdmin, it will then update in SEVIS as well.

Reporting Reminder
Remember that during your OPT and STEM periods, you are required to report any changes in employment within 10 days of the change. All changes in employment are reported using the OPT Employment Update links on the OPT and STEM pages. If you are currently on a STEM extension, be sure that you understand and follow the additional STEM validation reporting requirements. Additionally, be sure to send us a copy of your OPT and STEM OPT receipt notice, approval notice and EAD when they are issued.  You can submit this to us by submitting the Immigration Document Update in the ISSS Portal.

H1B Filing & Cap Gap
If your employer has filed an H1B petition on your behalf and your OPT/STEM will end prior to the H1B start date, you may request a Cap Gap I-20 from ISSS. Please visit our cap gap information page for more information and instructions for requesting the document.
If you will move directly from OPT/STEM to H1B (no cap gap), you will need to report the change using the Program Update link on our website. Do this in prior to the H1B start date of Oct 1.
Note that if you will transition from STEM to H1B, you will also need to submit a final evaluation with STEM Validation Report in Sept (prior to the H1B start date).

STEM Validation Reporting
If you are currently on a STEM extension, be sure that you understand and follow the STEM validation reporting requirements. If you are due to submit a Validation Report, you must do so through the link on the ISSS website. Validation Reports are due every 6 months during the 24-month STEM period (at the 6, 12, 18 and 24 month points).

Travel during OPT/STEM
Keep in mind that all F-1 visa holders and their dependents who travel outside the U.S. while OPT or STEM should report their travel to ISSS by completing a Travel Information Record to notify us of the plans, even if a travel signature is not needed. During your OPT/STEM period, travel signatures are valid for six months from date of issue. Check page 2 of your most recent I-20 to see if you already have a valid signature. If you do need one, please follow the instructions at the link and note that signatures can be issued electronically if you are not in the area.

Address Updates
As a reminder, F-1 visa holders are required to update addresses within 10 days of any move. Follow the instructions here to update an address.

Please contact your ISSS Advisor if you have any questions about these reminders.

Thank you!
International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS)
https://international.global.uconn.edu

SEVP Portal Access and Display Issues

Attention UConn Sponsored F-1 OPT/STEM Students:

UConn ISSS has received several reports from students on OPT and STEM OPT Extension that they are no longer able to access the SEVP Portal or that their employment information is not properly updated in the SEVP Portal.  Please understand that these problems are occurring at schools all over the U.S. and that this is a known technical issue with the SEVP Portal.

SEVP will be closing down the portal today to implement the fix and students should be able to login again and see their employment information by April 29.  In the meantime, ISSS can still access and update the SEVIS database with your employment information.

Be sure to continue submitting any employment updates to ISSS directly via the OPT Employment Update in the ISSS Portal.  Submit any personal address changes to ISSS via update your address in the ISSS Portal.

Continue to submit your address and/or employment updates to ISSS to ensure your data is properly updated in SEVIS.

Thank you,
UConn ISSS

Academic English Support Course for International Students

The University of Connecticut American English Language Institute (UCAELI) will offer (2) special 6-week courses this semester designed to provide academic support to international students. These courses will feature strategies for developing English skills and academic skills in English to promote success. These are great courses for students who are struggling in their university courses because of English and/or because of a new academic culture. These courses will take place at the Storrs campus.

 

Topics in Academic English I
March 22 – April 26, 2024 (6 weeks)
Fridays, 3pm – 5:15pm

Deadline to Register – 3/21

 

Developing Reading Skills to Improve Speaking and Writing. 

This course will focus on the academic English skills needed to respond in speaking and writing to reading passages. Students will explore how to use readings to improve their sentence structure and vocabulary. The course will also review strategies on how to deal with long readings with many new vocabulary words and how students can use the material to demonstrate comprehension effectively.

 

Topics in Academic English II
March 18 – April 22, 2024 (6 weeks)
Mondays, 3pm – 5:15pm
Deadline to Register – 3/17

 

Using Lectures to Improve Listening, Speaking and Writing. 

This course will focus on integrating what is covered in lectures and discussions with listening, speaking, and writing skills. Academic strategies will include note taking and how to use course content, especially new vocabulary, to improve English proficiency.

 

Please visit our website for more information about these courses and to submit a request form to enroll.

https://englishlanguage.institute.uconn.edu/current-students/

 

Let us know if you have any questions, we are here to support your English language development.

Email contact, ana.s.colon@uconn.edu

 

Ana Colón-Wallace, M.A. 

Program Assistant, UCAELI

 

UConn Global Affairs

Center for International Student & Scholars (CISS)

2019 Hillside Road – Unit 1198

Storrs, CT 06269-1198

Phone: 860-486-0307
www.ucaeli.uconn.edu
www.ita.uconn.edu

ISSS/UConn Airport Shuttle Canceled

Dear Students and Scholars,

Due to the anticipated bad winter weather on Sunday, we need to cancel the ISSS shuttle. We anticipate that flights scheduled to arrive at Bradley on Sunday could be rescheduled. The following information will help you to plan for your arrival to Connecticut.

Alternate Transportation Options

  • Taxi – Look to the Bradley Airport Taxi stand to find available taxis. The current one-way rate from Bradley Airport to Storrs, Connecticut is $79.00 USD. Taxicab drivers are also tipped at a rate of 15-20% of the fare. You can tell the taxi driver the total amount you want to give them, including tip, when you arrive at your dorm/residence.

 

  • Public Transportation – City buses provide cheaper transportation, but require cash. Depending on the severity of the weather, they may not be operating during the storm. Take the 30-Bradley Flyer bus from Bradley Airport to Union Station in Downtown Hartford (fare $1.75). Pick up is from Terminal A, and the International Arrivals terminal. Have exact change ready. https://www.cttransit.com/services/bradley-flyer

 

From the Hartford train station, take CT Transit Bus 913 to Storrs. The route schedule is posted here.  If you are a new student, you will need to have cash ($5.00). This hourly bus service runs from 6:00 a.m. until 12:00 a.m. stopping in Manchester at Buckland Hills Mall and Union Station Bus and Train Station in Hartford.

 

Hotels at the Airport

If you are stuck at the airport due to the storm, there is a hotel at the airport – the Sheraton is connected to the airport. There are other hotels nearby that may be less expensive, with hotel shuttles that leave from the airport. Check at the airport information desk for information on other hotel options nearby.

 

We wish you all safe travels and sincerely apologize for this inconvenience.