Final Reminders, SSN's, and Driver's Licenses   
Issue 10
Greetings!
This tip of the week includes information on how to pay your tuition, a warning about scams, social security number details, and how to obtain your MD driver's licenses. 

This is the final Tip of the Week!  We look forward to meeting you soon during the International Student Orientation!


Are you already on campus? Graduate Student Life is organizing walking tours of College Park on August 14, 15, and 16.  To register, please see their Facebook page.  


Meet Your Orientation Student Leaders!

Check out the link below to meet some of the smiling faces you will see at orientation!



Early Immigration Sessions & Immigration Reminders

If you are on campus now, consider attending an early immigration session on August 13, 14, or 15.  In iTerp, these sessions will be found at the bottom of the drop-down box.
 
As an F-1 student, you are required to complete a few requirements in order for our office to activate your SEVIS record (I-20 document). Before we can do that you must do the following:
 
1)    Attend an F-1 immigration session

2)    Complete documents check process. AFTER YOU HAVE ARRIVED to the U.S. we require that you complete an online document check-in process. Please review the detailed instructions on our website.


D O NOT try to do the check-in until AFTER you arrive in the US. This is a required step in your SEVIS registration process, please complete it prior to attending the immigration session during orientation.

3) Register for at least one course for the fall semester.
 
If you are a TA, RA or GA we highly suggest you attend an early immigration session. I-20 activation is necessary in order to receive an employment confirmation to be placed on payroll.  
 




Note: Applying for Social Security and the Driver's License requires a government agency to verify your arrival in the US and your immigration status--
yo u must wait at least 2 weeks after doing your iTerp check-in  before this data becomes available to them.  Do not apply too early  or it will require secondary verification, resulting in longer delays.


You can pay your student account via Testudo.  Below are the steps to view your account and process payment.





First go to the following website for the bursar: 














Click the Access Account the top of the page and a separate tab will pop-up with this screen.
















Click on Student Log in, and enter Your Directory ID and Password and it will bring up this screen.







Click Current Activity Details to find out how much you owe and leave that tab open.
Then Click on Make a Payment button. This is also where you will select the amount that you want to pay on your account.  If you wish to pay the full amount of your account, make sure the number you input here matches the total account balance on your student account activity details page. 

The final step is to input your method of payment.  Be aware there is a 2% processing fee for credit or debit cards.  You are not charged this fee for transfer payments from checking or savings accounts.  When everything is input click submit. 
In two or three days, your payment should show up in your student account inquiry page. 

AVOIDING SCAMSScams

We wanted to alert you to a scam that some international students are reporting: Several new students received phone calls from a phone number that appears to be from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), a US government agency. In reality, the phone call was from a scammer who claimed to be a government official. The scammers requested students to buy a pre-paid credit card or visa gift-cards and then provide the numbers over the phone. Students, fearing trouble from the IRS, followed the instructions and have since lost thousands of dollars! Please be careful and do not let this happen to you! When in doubt, hang up the phone and call the entity that was calling you directly this ensures that you are talking to the correct individuals. Also, there are ways to make the caller ID on your phone look like the scammer is calling from a particular agency, so do not trust that either. 
WHO CAN APPLY FOR THE SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER (SSN)?SSN

Social Security numbers are issued for tax purposes only. They are used to identify you within the government tax and retirement system.  Only those with authorized employment are eligible for Social Security cards.
 
You must apply for the SSN in any of these cases:
  1. You have an offer to be a Graduate Research Assistant or Teaching Assistant
  2. You get an on-campus job or off-campus paid internship in the future (once you have the offer).
  3. You also need to apply for the SSN if you will apply for a Maryland Driver's license, although if you do not have a job, you will be found ineligible for the number. It is a little complicated, but we will discuss this in detail at the workshop.

WHEN DO YOU NOT NEED TO APPLY FOR A SSN?

You are NOT eligible for the SSN if you do not have income because, again, the primary purpose of the SSN is to tax income. 

DON'T WORRY! Not having the SSN does not prevent you from renting an apartment, opening a bank account or utility account (gas, electric, etc.) getting a cell phone plan, etc. If a business representative asks you for a SSN, simply inform him/her that you are an international student and do not have a Social Security Card. There will be another system to identify you.
WHEN DO YOU NEED TO APPLY FOR A DRIVER'S LICENSE?Licence

If you will drive in the US, you will need a driver's license. You should apply for the license in the state in which you reside. That means, apply for a license in DC if you live in Washington, DC or in Maryland if you live in Maryland. Each state has different processes and rules of the road. 

Information is also available on the website  here , with links to the relevant websites for Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC licenses. 

On September 10, 2019 12:30pm- 1:30pm the Office of Graduate Legal Aid and ISSS will be offering a Maryland Driver's Licenses workshop . Stay tuned for information on registration is forthcoming! 
Immunization Reminder
Be sure to complete all immunization requirements!  Go to the bottom of the link below to review immunization information.  There are consequences to not completing the requirements in a timely manner, so please take care of this immediately!  More information was provided in a previous Tip of the Week.




If you do not intend to enroll at UMD and would like to stop receiving these emails, please inform the admissions office (undergraduate students) or the Graduate School and your academic department (graduate students)
Sincerely,
 

International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS)