Category Archives: ISSS Posts

Posts from International Student & Scholar Services at St. Cloud State University.

Student Spotlight – Milan Raj Paswan

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This week we are proud to present our new Student Government President-Elect, Milan Raj Paswan! Milan is a Marketing Major from Nepal. He is also a student worker at our CIS Front Desk!

He would like to extend his gratitude for his recent success:

“It feels great to be elected as the President of the Student Government Association. With all of your support, we will for sure be able to initiate changes to support every student on campus.”

Milan’s favorite spot on campus is Atwood because there are many places that can help one relax. You can sit by the fireplace or grab some Chick-Fil-A and hangout in the main lounge!

One thing Milan would like to tell international students is that it can get pretty overwhelming when you are applying to or are here in another country. But don’t panic! Reach out to seniors, student organizations and CIS to ask questions! Once you are here, SCSU offers tons of resources to help you ease your transition. You will eventually find your home away from home.

Congratulations Milan!

USCIS: Delayed Receipt Notices

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USCIS is experiencing delays in issuing receipt notices for some applications and petitions (OPT, STEM Extension, Severe Economic Hardship) filed to USCIS lockbox facilities. This is due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors that are out of CIS’s control.

According to USCIS: “If you have already filed your application and are waiting for your receipt notice, we appreciate your patience. We are working as quickly as possible to complete the intake of all filings. You can take steps to decrease the time it takes us to process and send your receipt notice or find out the status of your case:

Finally, visit our Form Filing Tips webpage for more information on filing with USCIS and our online tools for help in managing your application.”

USCIS: Flexibilities for OPT Applicants

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On February 26, 2021, USCIS announced flexibilities for certain international students affected by delayed receipt notices for Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization. These flexibilities apply only to applications received on or after Oct. 1, 2020, through May 1, 2021, inclusive.

USCIS has experienced delays at certain lockboxes in issuing receipt notices for Form I-765 for Optional Practical Training (OPT) for F-1 students. These delays are a result of COVID-19 restrictions, a dramatic increase in filings of certain benefit requests, postal service volume and delays, and other external factors. While they have made progress in addressing the problem, they are extending the following flexibilities to assist certain applicants for OPT impacted by the delays.

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I-20 End Dates

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If the program end date on your I-20 or DS-2019 falls in May 2021, please review the following options for maintaining your status in the U.S.:

1. Apply for an extension of your I-20

If you have not yet completed your program of study, please follow the application procedures for a Program Extension for F-1 Students and submit a completed Program Extension form to CIS at least 2 weeks before your I-20 end date. Due to the pandemic, CIS is waiving the requirement for proof of financial support. Please note: the extension absolutely must be made by your I-20 end date. SEVIS will not allow us to extend your program after that.

2. Apply for OPT

If you are completing your program of study this semester, you may be eligible to apply for OPT. The latest USCIS can receive your OPT application is July 5, 2021. More information can be found on our webpage: OPT Application Procedures.

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CIS Staff Spotlight – Stephanie Trottier

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It’s Spotlight Thursday time!

This week we are highlighting our new Office Manager – Stephanie Trottier! She recently joined our CIS team and is excited to meet all of you!

Her favorite part about being with CIS is the opportunity to work with international students. She really enjoys getting to know students and learning about their culture! She’s also a new DSO. She’ll be working on travel signatures and I-20 reprints.

Stephanie is also a proud SCSU Husky! She graduated with her Bachelor’s in Global Studies and will complete her Masters of Public Administration degree in Spring 2022!

Stephanie’s favorite hobby is to make handmade earrings out of clay. One piece of advice she would provide for international students is to be active on campus and seek out new experiences. It’s the best way to learn about American culture and meet new friends.

Stop by our office to say Hi to Stephanie!

Journey Across South Asia 2021 Event Highlights

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Thanks to a collaboration of SCSU student organizations, Journey Across South Asia, on April 10, was a success! Check out this amazing video that was created to highlight this great event!

Student Organizations:

  • Indian Heritage Club https://huskiesconnect.stcloudstate.edu/organization/india_heritage_club
  • Nepalese Students Association https://huskiesconnect.stcloudstate.edu/organization/nepalese-students-association
  • Pakistan Student Association https://huskiesconnect.stcloudstate.edu/organization/pakistan-student-association
  • Ayubowan Sri Lanka Student Organization https://huskiesconnect.stcloudstate.edu/organization/ayubowan-sri-lanka-organization

Welcome to CIS

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Hello Huskies!

We at the Center for International Studies (CIS) are happy to announce that we now have our own blog! We will cover topics for prospective, current, and past international students, as well as share information from our education abroad programs.

We have a team of knowledgeable and caring professionals who are dedicated and ready to assist you in your transition to the United States or to other countries like England, Germany and South East Asia for study abroad opportunities!

The Center for International Studies strives to create a community of international students and scholars by

  • Providing opportunities for international students to study at St Cloud State University
  • Creating international opportunities for U.S. students and Faculty for study, research, and teaching abroad
  • Assisting in creating international institutional partnerships which are designed to enhance the global dimensions of both universities

You are more than welcome to drop by the CIS office or contact us for any questions or concerns that you might have!

Follow us on our social media pages to keep up with the latest updates and events that we have!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CISstcloud

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SCSUCIS

Instagram: @scsu_international

Tiktok: @scsuinternational

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPejwpA76LBVdgPvUwNEHwg?view_as=subscriber