Newsletter: April 2024

We hope you are hanging in there during the last stretch of the semester! Please see the following immigration and citizenship news which may be of interest to you.

Beware of Scams

Scams are on the rise. Protect yourself from immigration scams. If you need legal advice on immigration matters, make sure the person helping you is authorized to give legal advice. Visit the Avoid Scams page for information and resources.

Register to attend the Journey to H-1B and Beyond Seminar

The ISSO will be co-presenting a seminar with immigration attorney David Swaim to talk about transitioning from F-1 to H-1B, the H-1B petition process, and beyond. Although this event is tailored to international students with an F-1 Visa, you should consider attending if you are interested in applying for a H-1B work visa or Permanent Residency in the future  This event will be hosted both in-person on UTD campus (FA 2.206) and virtually through Teams on Wednesday, April 17 at 5:00pm central time.

You must register for the event whether you attend in-person or virtually. In-person attendance is limited to 40 spaces, so please only register for in-person if you are certain you will attend, or cancel your registration if you are unable to come as planned so that others can register. Virtual registration is limited to 1000 attendees.

Virtual Registration: Journey to H-1B and Beyond

In-Person Registration: Journey to H-1B and Beyond

¡Lánzate!/Take Off! Higher Education Travel Award Program

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities and Southwest Airlines® have opened applications for the 20th Annual ¡Lánzate!/Take Off! Higher Education Travel Award Program. Application Deadline: April 26, 2024

Through this national initiative, HACU and Southwest Airlines will award roundtrip flights to undergraduate and graduate students across the country. Eligibility requirements include being enrolled at a college/university located at least 200 miles from a student’s home and the submission of required essays. Selected students receive tickets for use to travel between home and college or university.

A selection committee consisting of national education advocates and community leaders will select the award recipients. Recipients will be awarded four round trip tickets on Southwest Airlines for the student to use when traveling to/from the college/university. The tickets can be used for travel to any of the Southwest Airlines domestic destinations as listed on their website. 

Now is the time to apply for naturalization! USCIS Reduces Backlog

USCIS’s end-of-FY23 data showcases a historic backlog reduction of 15%, with processing times for naturalization applicants dropping from 10.5 months to 6.1 months. Visit our website for more information on how to apply for Naturalization or visit the USCIS website.

Reopening of USCIS International Field Office in Tegucigalpa, Honduras

On April 2, 2024, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will reopen an international field office in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, within the U.S. embassy. USCIS is expanding its international presence in strategic locations to support family reunification and refugee processing and to strengthen the integrity of the U.S. immigration system.

Don’t Forget to Update Your Address

Anyone who is not a U.S. citizen (unless in A or G status) must report address changes  within 10 days or less online at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services – Change of Address or by mail using Form AR-11

found at the following link: USCIS – FORMS.

Am I required to file taxes?

Yes. Even if you did not work or receive an income, most individuals residing in the U.S. must file with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). You can use the IRS online interview tool to find out if you need to file a tax return.  UT Dallas has arranged access to Sprintax Tax Preparation, an online tax preparation software, specifically for nonresident alien students. To gain access to the software, you will need to complete the online registration form to determine your residency status as a taxpayer. Depending on how long you have been residing on U.S. soil with your status, you may be considered a resident for tax purposes and would not be eligible to utilize this service. For those classified as residents, local community resources may be available to help you file your taxes for free. You can enter your zip code on the IRS website to find places close to where you live.  Or you can call this free hotline: 1-800-906-9887. For more information on using Sprintax, you can visit the ISSO page. If you have any additional questions about tax filing, contact the UT Dallas Tax Compliance Office at taxcompliance@utdallas.edu. 

Help Keep our Campus Safe and Welcoming

All members of our University community share in a collective responsibility to make our campus peers feel welcome and  safe. Stand up and step in by recognizing potentially harmful situations (physical, mental, social or emotional)  affecting individuals or groups, and respond in a way that could positively influence the outcome.  For more information, visit Comet Voice.

OICS is here for you

You can reach out via email to OICS@utdallas.edu or through your iComet Portal, for nonimmigrant categories.

Find us on the web

Immigration and Citizenship webpage and archive of news located at  – https://oics.utdallas.edu/newsletter/

Do not reply to this email. Clicking “reply” will send a message to the entire listserv. Unapproved listserv messages will be rejected. Instead, contact OICS directly – https://oics.utdallas.edu/immigration-advising/