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International Center Updates – May 5, 2021

Wednesday, May, 5th, 2021 Newsletter

International Center Updates
May 5, 2021

Congratulations to our Spring 2021 graduates! We invite all students to join us for the Chapman Award and Year End Class of 2021 Celebration on Wednesday, May 19, at 11:00am. Register here!

Program Completion & End Dates
Spring graduates: as a reminder, following your degree completion date, you will have a grace period of 60 days to remain in the US to either prepare for departure, apply for OPT, apply for an I-20 to begin a new degree program, or apply for a change to another immigration status. Your degree completion date is based on the end date of the semester, regardless of whether there is a different program end date on your I-20 or the date of commencement.

This year, the end date for Medford Arts & Sciences and Engineering students will be May 14, 2021, the final day of the Spring 2021 semester. Following the program end date of May 14, you will have a 60-day grace period which lasts until July 12, 2021. Students in other programs may have a different completion date – check with your International Student Advisor if you are not sure.

Please be aware that you would need to plan to make arrangements to either depart the US or apply for one of these benefits before the end of your grace period. If you will not be completing your degree this semester and need additional time to complete your degree requirements, please be sure to contact our office as soon as possible, as you will need to extend your I-20 before May 14.

Please also be aware that authorization for on-campus employment ends on your program end date. Students who will continue to work on-campus following degree completion must have OPT authorization in effect in order to continue.

If you are planning to apply for OPT, please be sure to check out our OPT website for details about the application process, and to watch a recorded Information Session if you have not already joined a live session.

Form I-20 / DS-2019 Extensions
If you are an F-1 or J-1 student, and your Form I-20 or DS-2019 is expiring in May 2021, but you will need more time to complete your program, you must apply for an extension before your document expires! Take a few moments to check your I-20 or DS-2019 now and check the program end date on your form. If you need an extension, please go to https://icenter.tufts.edu/f1-extension for information about how to start the extension process online (or visit https://icenter.tufts.edu/immigration/j1-students/maintaining-j1-student-status/ for J-1 students).

Travel Signatures
Are you planning to travel outside the US this summer, or are you returning to the US after spending the semester studying remotely? If so, please be aware that you will need a valid travel signature on your Form I-20 in order to re-enter the US. Please be sure to confirm whether you have a valid travel signature while planning your travel. Travel signatures are issued on page 2 of your I-20 (F-1 students), or page 1 of your DS-2019 (J-1 students and scholars). Please be aware that:

  • Signatures are generally valid for up to one year or until the I-20 / DS-2019 expiration date, whichever comes first.
  • Travel signatures for F-1 students on post-completion Optional Practical Training and STEM OPT are valid for six months.
  • Travel signatures are not required to depart the US; signatures are needed only upon re-entry to the US to continue studies and related academic activities.
  • Travel signatures are not required if you are entering the US for the first time to begin your program.

If you need a travel signature, you can request one here: https://icenterportal.tufts.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=PublicDocuments.View&File_ID=79056.
Once your request is received, an International Center advisor will review the request. It will ordinarily take 3 - 5 business days to process a travel signature request. Once the request has been processed, an updated I-20 with a travel signature will be delivered to you electronically. J-1 students and scholars needing a DS-2019 will need physical copies, and we will work with you to arrange delivery.

Special Open Forum with Dr. Michael Jordan - Friday, June 4, 2021, 9:00am EST
Join us for this International Center Open Forum with special guest Dr. Michael Jordan. Dr. Jordan is the Tufts University Infection Control Health Director, as well as an attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine at Tufts Medical Center and an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Public Health and Community Medicine at the Tufts University School of Medicine. Dr. Jordan will present updates and answer questions regarding Tufts's Fall 2021 COVID-19 policies and safety measures. Registration in advance is required. If you have any questions or topics that you would like to submit in advance, please send them to Andrew.Shiotani@tufts.edu.

Final Reminder – Tax Deadline Approaching
The deadline for filing your 2020 tax return is May 17, 2021.

Our office has arranged tax filing software through Sprintax to assist you with the tax filing process. We encourage you to use this software to make sure your taxes are filed correctly. We have sent out information about how to use Sprintax to file your 2020 tax return – if you have not received it, please contact us to let us know.

Before your start your tax return, please take the time to review our detailed Tax-Filing Website so that you will know what to expect and have the forms you will need ready. We also invite you to join a free tax-filing webinar hosted by Sprintax for detailed information about the tax filing process and requirements, and the chance to meet the Sprintax team and ask any questions you may have. Webinars are scheduled throughout the remaining tax-filing period:

  • May 6, 2021 @ 1:00 PM EDT – Register here
  • May 12, 2021 @ 1:00 PM EDT – Register here
  • May 13, 2021 @ 9:00 AM EDT – Register here
  • May 14, 2021 @ 10:00 AM EDT – file:///C:/Users/nduffy/Downloads/•%09https:/attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2393018202341939983

Sincerely,

Tufts International Center
https://icenter.tufts.edu
internationalcenter@tufts.edu