Support Our International Students in the ASFC Election (Student Government Organization of Foothill College)
Khanh Nguyen, an international student from Vietnam, is running for President of ASFC.
Khanh Nguyen has been fighting to bring an open, transparent environment and equal opportunity to students regardless of their experience with the student government or their nationalities. As the only F-1 international student running for president, he sees the problems that international students have to face including the economical limitation and cultural differences. He also voices his concern for students on campus. As the chairman of Foothill Textbook Committee, he works closely with the committee's members to find ways to make textbooks cheaper.
The committee promotes the Foothill online textbook exchange and continues to do research on how older version of textbooks can save students money. As Vice President of Intramurals, Khanh organizes the self-defense class in the wake of the Virginia Tech shooting and various other activities including charity events. He is also a winner of 2007 Foothill Community College Scholarship. Outside of class, Khanh likes multi-cultural interaction and social dance activities.
Kelvin Ng, an international student from Hong Kong, is running for Vice President of Administration.
Alfina Ho, an international student from Hong Kong, is running for Vice President of Activities.
In order to comply with U.S. regulations, EVERY nonimmigrant who was physically present (whether you worked OR NOT) in the U.S. in 2006 should file some type of form with the Internal Revenue Service. This applies to every nonimmigrant in F-1/ F-2, and J-1/ J-2 status.
If you did not earn any income but were PRESENT in the US in 2006 (EVEN FOR 1 DAY), you are REQUIRED to file a federal Form 8843 with the Internal Revenue Service by June 15, 2007.
IMPORTANT: This rule is also applicable to your dependents, spouses and children in F-2 and J-2 immigration status.
Note: If you are considered a resident for tax purposes, you do not have to fill out Form 8843. For more information about tax residency, please check the special Tax Edition of I-NEWS
Note that June 15, 2007 deadline is not applicable to those individuals who already filed their 2006 tax returns by April 17, 2007.
This form is not an income tax return. Form 8843 is merely an informational statement required by the U.S. government for certain nonresident aliens (including spouses and dependents of nonresident aliens) who were present in the US in 2006.Form 8843 is a rather simple one-page document that requires you to answer some immigration questions and provide information about your program.
Instead of filling out the form yourself, you can still request a FREE CINTAX PASSWORD that will give you access to the special software helping you complete this form with a series of simple questions. CINTAX PASSWORDS ARE STILL AVAILABLE
Specific instructions:
No special postage is needed: the envelope with the form simply needs to be postmarked "June 15” and mailed to:
Internal Revenue Service Center
Austin, TX 73301 - 0215
If you expect to be employed off-campus under CPT during this summer, you should begin the authorization process immediately because there may be a limited number of openings for CPT through the Foothill CO-OP Office. De Anza will not have a CO-OP program this summer, and both Foothill and De Anza students will be applying for CPT through the Foothill CO-OP Office.
Although it is too early to register for Summer 07 classes, it is not too early to begin the CPT/CO-OP application process. If you already know the company for which you will be working, you should obtain the employer’s letter as soon as possible and bring it to the International Student Advisor, Arthur Levine, as soon as possible. After Arthur reviews the letter, you can go to the CO-OP office and sign up for the summer program. If you haven’t found employment for the summer yet, you should do it as soon as possible if you want to be employed off-campus under CPT.
You should not wait until summer class registration begins to apply for CPT!
The employment for Summer 07 can begin no earlier than July 2, 2007 and end no later than August 24, 2007.
Please note that the Immigration Advisor, Arthur Levine, will not be available from May 25 to June 1. He will be attending an immigration conference and meeting with immigration officials of the Department of Homeland Security. Requests for practical training, school transfers, less than 12 units approval, Social Security Letters, I-20 extensions, on-campus employment authorization and most other immigration-related matters will not be processed during this period.
If you have an upcoming immigration-related request or need advising, please plan ahead and meet with the Arthur during the expanded advising hours:
May 21 – May 25 and June 4 – June 8:
Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday: 12:00pm – 4:30pm; Wednesday: 12:00pm - 3:00pm.
There is no advising on Friday, or between May 28 and June 1.
You must be accepted for admission by another school.
You must bring the notification of acceptance to the International Student Office (ISO) after the 8th week of your last quarter at Foothill. When you submit the notification of acceptance you will complete a “Transfer Form” which takes about 2 minutes.
Within a few days the transfer form and acceptance notification will be reviewed by the International Student Advisor to determine if you are in lawful (valid) immigration status.
If you are in valid immigration status, the ISO will enter a release date in SEVIS. The release date will be the last day of your current term of enrollment. Until the release date is reached, you are a Foothill student and must continue attending full-time unless you have received an advance approval from the ISO to be less than full-time.
When the release date is reached, SEVIS will electronically transfer your immigration record to the new school. SEVIS does not allow the new school to issue an I-20 to you prior to the release date, only on or after. If you are not traveling outside the USA before attending the new school, many universities will not give you the new I-20 until you arrive on campus.
If you are planning to travel outside the USA after Spring 07 and are not returning to Foothill, you must use the I-20 of the new school to reenter the USA. It would be a violation of immigration regulations to use the Foothill I-20 to reenter the USA.
If you have applied to more than one school and you haven’t received a decision from your first choice school, you may want to delay informing Foothill that you want to transfer. Once we transfer you to a school and the release date is reached, we lose control of your immigration record and cannot transfer you to any other school. You should be certain of the school you want to attend before you request Foothill to release you.
Please contact our office for more information or meet with an immigration advisor.
If you plan to travel outside the US after the end of spring quarter, you should apply for a travel signature on your I-20 between June 4 and June 15. Many students request travel signatures for summer travel, and it takes time to process these requests under SEVIS. Please help us and yourself by applying early! If you don’t apply by June 15, your I-20 may not be ready by the time you are scheduled to leave the country.
Check your SEVIS I-20 to make certain it is signed for travel and reentry on the bottom of page 3. If the I-20 is not signed for travel, or if the signature is more than 5 months old at the time of your expected return to the US, you must request another signature.
Please stop by the International Student Office in Room 5922 to drop your I-20 for a travel signature.
Current students: Are you expecting to graduate soon and thinking about applying for Optional Practical Training (OPT)? If so, now is a good time to attend our Practical Training seminar and get all the information you need to prepare your OPT application.
New students: This is your chance to get all the information about employment and practical training options available for international students (Curricular Practical Training, CO-OP, CO-OP Education, Internships, OPT).
Practical training workshops will be held on Wednesday, May 23, 2007 at 1:30p.m.in Room 5972, and on Wednesday, June 13, 2007 at 10:00a.m.in Room 5972.
Wednesday, May 23
6:00 – 9:30 pm
Appreciation Hall (Room 1500)
Contribute your talent and ideas to the biggest multicultural celebration on the Foothill campus – the International Night Extravaganza that will be held on Wednesday, May 23 from 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm in Appreciation Hall. Let’s celebrate the cultural climate of Foothill College! Discover the world at Foothill – and share yours with us!
Every performer and fashion show model will receive a complimentary dinner ticket, a certificate of recognition from Foothill College and a special gift.
The purpose of this event is to celebrate the myriad of different cultures present on our campus, so if you can express, demonstrate or present your unique cultural heritage in any way, sign up now!
The planning committee is looking for participants and volunteers in the following areas:
Performers:
If you can participate in any type of multicultural performance activity (music, song, dance, drums, martial arts, other), please contact the Performance Committee Coordinator to sign up: Elfina Ho.
Fashion Models/Costumes:
If you would like to act as a model and join our international fashion runway, contact the Fashion Committee Coordinator: Vivian Chan. Costumes will be arranged for models based on availability.
If you have a traditional dress/costume/unique piece of clothing from your country that you would like to lend to our models for the International Night, please contact Vivian as well.
Food Committee Volunteers:
To help during the international food festival preceding the performances, please contact the Food Committee Coordinator: Winnie Sun.
The International Night planning committee meets every Wednesday at 2:00 pm in Room 3102. For all general questions, please contact student co-chairs: Tammy Fan, and Elize Dang.
Last Chance To Join! The Foothill- De Anza Sports Championship’ 07 is co-sponsored by the Foothill Hong Kong Student Union and the De Anza Hong Kong Student Association. The championship includes basketball, badminton and soccer tournaments. All Foothill and De Anza students are welcome to join. To participate, submit one completed application per team with an application fee of $7/participant no later than May 10, 2007.* Since the number of teams is limited, apply as early as possible to ensure a space for your team. Please contact Tammy Fan at (415) 632-7285 or e-mail: long_lastinglove@hotmail.com for an application package. Details of each tournament are as follows:
3 on 3 Basketball:
Friday, May 25, 2007, 5:00 pm at Foothill College Main Gym (Room 2601)
Men’s Single and Women’s Single Badminton:
Saturday, May 26, 2007, 10:00 am at Foothill College Small Gym (Room 2501)
6 on 6 Soccer:
Saturday, June 2, 2007, 10:00 am at Foothill College Soccer Field
You can also find the specific rules of each game in the application package.
*For participants who apply for more than one tournament, the fee for the second or third tournament is $3 each.
The International Student Office would like to warmly congratulate Sherri Mines on her new position as the International Admissions Coordinator. Sherri has previously worked as the assistant to the Dean and Director of the International Program, and handled student insurance questions as well as orientations for new students at the beginning of each quarter. In addition to overseeing international admissions, Sherri will continue to be in charge of international student insurance, so please stop by with any insurance-related questions in Room 5922. Congratulations, Sherri!
Maureen Chenoweth, a former International Admissions Coordinator, has been appointed the new Transfer Center Coordinator. Maureen has spent many years working in the International Student Office, and we will surely miss her! On the other side, international students should be excited to see a familiar and friendly face in the Transfer Center. Please stop by to say hello, welcome Maureen to her new position and feel free to discuss any transfer-related questions or concerns in the Student Development Building.
Please note that in observance of Memorial Day, the International Student Office will be closed on Monday, May 28. Week-end classes will not meet on May 26, 27 or 28.
Binghamton University in state of New York will visit Foothill College on Wednesday, May 9. In addition to having an informational table in the Library Quad from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, there will be a special workshop “How to Transfer to Binghamton University for International Students” at 2:00 pm in Room 3302 just for you.
Even if you are not thinking of transferring to this particular university, you are strongly urged to attend to find out how East Coast universities view and process international student transfer applications from Foothill College. “I assure you that you will receive valuable information to assist you in transferring to the university of your choice! Please do not hesitate to contact me in the Transfer Center with any questions or concerns.”
Maureen Chenoweth, Transfer Center Coordinator, Foothill College, (650) 949-7235.
Are you planning to transfer to UC Davis or SFSU this fall or in the future? This is a great opportunity to visit both campuses and get first-hand information about the transfer procedure. During the trip you will be able to get a campus tour, meet with international admissions officers and get tips on application and admission requirements; meet with advisors from International Student Offices and learn about their services; learn about different majors and programs at both universities.
Friday, May 18, 8:00 am – 5:30 pm
Bus transportation provided will be provided. Students should meet at 8:15 am in Foothill’s Parking Lot 5 near the International Student Office.
Cost: $12 (Early Bird Special by May 7)
$15 (after May 7 until filled)
Lunch at UC Davis, self paid.
Sign up early for this trip as it is limited to 40 students! For more information and to sign up, please stop by the International Student Office in Room 5922 or call (650) 949-7293.
If so, you should schedule an appointment with a counselor (does not need to be international) before May 1 so that your name can be in the Foothill Graduation brochure. If you have finished your AA or AS degree this past Fall or Winter, or will do so in the Spring or Summer, you are invited to attend the Foothill Graduation Ceremony on Friday, June 29 at 6:00 pm in the Library Quad. If you do not attend, your degree will still be mailed to you, but it is a fun ceremony, and you deserve to celebrate your accomplishments! More information about the graduation will be available from any counselor in mid-May.
If you are transferring to another university this fall, please DO NOT FORGET to see a counselor and fill out the request to be IGETC or CSU certified. The form will be mailed to your transfer school and will prevent you from having to take additional lower division general education courses after the transfer.
Application deadlines are coming up soon for the exciting Ireland and Salamanca, Spain programs offered through the Foothill and De Anza Colleges District Campus Abroad Program. International students are eligible to participate, and should meet with an immigration advisor to discuss this option.
Ireland Program: September 1 – September 21
Spend three weeks in September experiencing the cultural and natural beauty of the fabled “Emerald Isle”; tour the land of mystery with magnificent cliffs, castles and galleries while learning about photographic expression. For more information, please attend one of the informational sessions where you will get a chance to meet with professor Ron Herman and get a copy of the brochure/application.
Application deadline is June 1.
Salamanca, Spain Program: October 4 – December 1
Embark on a poetic, linguistic, photographic, historical, cultural and intellectually stimulating eight-week journey in Salamanca, Spain during the Fall 2007 Quarter.
Choose from a wide range of classes offered during this program including writing, composition and reading, poetry, photography and Spanish. The program includes spectacular sightseeing activities such as Madrid city tour, visit to the Prado museum, flamenco show, visit to the bull farm, and much more!
For more information about the Salamanca program, please attend one of the informational sessions where you will get a chance to meet with professors Scott Lankford and Wilfredo Castaño and get a copy of the brochure/application.
Application deadline is July 1.
For general questions about Campus Abroad Program, please contact Viktoria Kolesnikova at 650-949-7159.
Celebrate Latino Heritage Month at Foothill College by attending the numerous on-campus activities planned throughout May, including guest lectures, live entertainment, film screenings, performing arts and other events. Free admission to all events: http://www.foothill.edu/news/releases/lhm2007.html.
The Foothill College Career Center will host its annual Spring Job Fair on Wednesday, May 23, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm in the Library Quad. The event provides an excellent opportunity for students to seek entry-level positions, internships and summer jobs. Admission is free.
Students should bring copies of a current resume, dress appropriately, and be prepared to market their talents and abilities in on-site interviews with employers who are hiring.
In addition to a guest speaker from PruLatino, a division of Prudential Real Estate, from noon to 12:30 pm, the fair includes a raffle for an iPod Nano and Foothill logo apparel as well as free Jamba Juice smoothies.
Students will also present a dress-for-success fashion show from 12:30 to 1 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Foothill College Career Center, Associated Students of Foothill College, and Latino Heritage Month Planning Committee.
The Career Center will also present series of job-related workshops this spring, including:
Resume Critiques: Monday, May 7, 10:00 am – 11:00 am in the Career Center;
Resume Basics; Tuesday, May 8, 12:30 pm –1:30 pm in the Career Center;
Resume Critiques; Monday, May 21, 3:00 pm –4:00 pm in the Career Center; and
How to Prepare for a Job Fair; Tuesday, May 22, 12:00 pm –1:00 pm in Room 1220.
From Wikipedia: Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday that is observed on the last Monday of May (observed this year on May 28). It was formerly known as Decoration Day. This holiday commemorates U.S. men and women who have died in military service to their country. It began first to honor Union soldiers who died during the American Civil War. After World War I, it expanded to include those who died in any war or military action. One of the longest standing traditions is the running of the Indianapolis 500, which has been held in conjunction with Memorial Day since 1911.
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