International Center Presents: Self-Defense Skills for Everyday Life this Friday, March 22!

Join the International Center this Friday, March 22 from 2:00-3:30PM in the International Center's Conference Room. You will learn and practice verbal and social skills for assertive communication, as well as physical skills for setting boundaries with acquaintances, friends, family, and strangers. Please note: You will NOT be learning martial arts. Also, you do not have to be physically fit to empower yourself by learning personal safety strategies and tools. No registration required and the cost is free!!

International Dinner: Friday, March 22nd @ 5:30pm

52nd ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL DINNER

Co-sponsored by the Ecumenical Center and International Residence and the International Center.

Everyone is invited to the annual International Dinner. This is a time to relax, meet new people, and enjoy the dinner (both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options are available) and a brief program.   

The dinner and the program will begin at 6 p.m., but come at 5:30 p.m. to enjoy conversation before dinner.

TIME:  Friday, March 22nd, 2013, 5:30 p.m. 

LOCATION: First United Methodist Church, 120 South State St. (near the Intersection of State and Washington) 

TICKETS:  Available at the door. 

COST:  $5 for students and scholars and $20 for others. Pay at the door - cash or checks only.

QUESTIONS: Call ECIR at (734) 662-5529

Info Session on Summer Orientation Peer Adviser Positions: This Friday, March 15 from 3-4PM in International Center Conference Room

Tax Resources for International Students

The United States has special tax rules for nonresidents, and there are additional special rules that apply to international students in F-1 or J-1 immigration status.  Since these special rules, like the rest of the U.S. tax code, are complex, the International Center has licensed GLACIER Tax Prep for international students to use to prepare nonresident federal (national) income tax forms.   If you have been an F-1 or J-1 student for five years or less (you entered the U.S. as an F-1/J-1 student in 2008 or later), you are probably a tax nonresident and can use GLACER Tax Prep.  You should not use tax preparation software designed for tax residents (TurboTax® is one example), since that software does not support preparation of nonresident federal tax forms.

Your deadline may be April 15, 2013 or June 17, 2013. See the deadlines sections of NonResidents for Tax Purposes for details.

GLACIER Tax Prep will verify that you are a tax nonresident and will take the special nonresident tax regulations and any applicable tax treaties into account as it prepares your tax forms.  It will then prepare a PDF containing an instruction sheet and your tax forms for you to print, sign, and mail. (Nonresident federal tax forms cannot be filed online.)

It’s important to understand all F-1 and J-1 students who are tax nonresidents and who were in the U.S. in 2012 are required to file tax forms with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. This includes students who did not have any U.S. income and students whose countries have tax treaties with the U.S.  If you didn’t have any U.S. income in 2012 you will not owe tax, but a tax form is still required. GLACIER Tax Prep can prepare that form for you.  If you did have U.S. income in 2012, U-M or another employer may have subtracted (“withheld”) money for taxes.  However, you are still required to submit a tax return form, which GLACIER Tax Prep can prepare. This is how the final amount of tax due is calculated, and this is how you determine whether the U.S. government owes you a refund or whether you are required to pay an additional amount in tax.  

If you have been in the United States long enough to be considered a tax resident, you can follow the same guidelines and use the same forms as U.S. citizens.  The last two resources listed below may also be helpful.

RESOURCES: 

•  GLACIER Tax Prep (U-M uniqname/password required)
• GLACIER Tax Prep FAQs
• International Center Tax Information
• Tax information for tax residents
•  Tax assistance for tax residents

Prepared by Louise Baldwin

Facilitation Training Opportunity for Students

Facilitating well is an important leadership skill that will enable you to be effective in achieving your goals. The Division of Student Affairs is piloting a new Facilitation Training opportunity offered to U-M students to enhance their facilitation skills in a variety of contexts, whether facilitating meetings, group discussions, workshops, or other things. Applications are due March 13, 2013.  

The International Center is holding a photo contest open to all students, scholars, faculty & staff currently affiliated with the University of Michigan. The deadline for submitting photos is Sunday, March 10th, 2013 at midnight. 

Submitted by In Jae Lee in 2012

Hello, Spring Break!

Hello, everyone! My name is Jessica and I am a graduate student at U-M studying to get my master's in social work. I also work part-time at the International Center. I am happily writing this blog post about one of my favorite topics: spring break! How are you spending your spring break? Many of my friends have taken this time to travel somewhere new (and warmer!), but I stayed right here in Michigan. I am trying to use some of my free time to begin applying for jobs, as I graduate this upcoming July. Although I will say, I am making sure to have some fun too! It's still a bit chilly in Michigan, but the sun has been making a desired appearance and I have been enjoying that. I am catching up with some friends that I have not been able to see in a while and spending some extra time with my family. I also have a conference for my internship at the Center for the Education of Women on campus this Friday, which I am very excited about. I cannot believe it's already Wednesday of spring break! This week is going by so fast. How are you spending spring break? Are you on a beach somewhere warm sinking your toes in the sand, catching up on course work, reuniting with friends you have not seen in a while? Or perhaps you are doing one of my other favorite things to do-sleep in! However you are spending your break, I hope it is fabulous!

Tue March 5th: IC closed from 8am-10:30am

On Tuesday, March 5th, the International Center is closed from 8am to 10:30am for a  staff meeting.

Looking for long term employment options? Wednesday March 6th, 10am-Noon, Room 116 of Hutchin Hall (Law School)

The "Long term employment authorization options: H-1B and permanent residency"workshop is designed for international students who plan to work in the U.S. following graduation, as well as internationals who are currently employed or are seeking employment at U-M. Topics covered include H1-B Temporary Work Visa, Employment-Based U.S. Permanent Residency, basic eligibility requirements, and specific procedures. The workshop presentation will not be provided at the workshop.