Office of International Affairs

Brown Bag Seminar: US Tax System Basics, 1/17/08, 11:30 am-1 p.m., SAHS 2.208

In the United States (US), February through April 15 is a time we refer to as “tax season.” This is the time that all those who earned money in this country must prepare and mail an “income tax return.” This is an accounting of one’s income and tax that has already been paid to determine whether additional tax is owed or whether a refund of tax is required. Whether you are new to the US, or have been here a few years, you may find this process confusing and worrisome. We are pleased to be offering a Brown Bag Seminar on “US Tax System Basics” next Thursday, January 17, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the School of Allied Health Sciences, Room 2.208. Staff of H&R Block, a national tax accounting firm, will be presenting the seminar. The seminar will not cover completion of specific tax forms or any discussion of personal, individual tax situations. It will, however, explain the process of filing an “income tax return,” help you understand some important terms and concepts, and provide an overview to your responsibilities as a taxpayer in the US.

Seating is limited, so please contact Ms. Jackie Lynch, jdlynch@utmb.edu, or call 409-747-8823, to reserve a seat. Soft drinks and fresh fruit will be provided, courtesy of the Office of Diversity and International Affairs. Please feel free to bring your own “brown bag” lunch to enjoy while you listen.

Print the Flyer

Interested in a FREE Intermediate to Advanced Conversational English as a Second Language (ESL) class for you and/or your adult family members?

We have openings for those of you who are interested in taking an ESL evening class from Jan 22 to May 29, 2008. Classes will be taught on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, from 5:30 to 8:30 pm. at the UTMB Rebecca Sealy Hospital, Conference Room 1.123.

Pre-registration will be accepted on a first-come first-served basis to the first twenty five (25) respondents to this invitation. If you or your adult family dependents (over 18 years old) are interested, please print, complete, and submit the pre-registration form posted in our web page and also attached. You may by bring the pre-registration form to the Office of Diversity and International Affairs or you may send it to us via fax (747-8836) or e-mail to mcareval@utmb.edu. With you pre-registration you will be confirming your commitment to attend each and every ESL evening class for this 2008 Spring session, 3 days a week (M, T, TH) for 3 hours a day. If you cannot commit to attend every class you should not enroll.

Registration and Placement Testing will take place on January 14, 15, and 17 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
For additional information contact Ms. Maria Arevalo, 747-8828, mcareval@utmb.edu.
Thanks!

ESL Classes for Spring 2008 Flyer

Pre-Registartion Form for ESL Class Spring 2008

Tax Preparation Volunteers Needed: Make a Difference in Your Community

If you enjoy personal interaction, helping others, and are interested in learning about the United States income tax filing system, you may be just the VITA Volunteer we are looking for! VITA stands for Volunteer Income Tax Assistance. The VITA program was developed by the Internal Revenue Service, in partnership with communities, to provide free income tax preparation to taxpayers who are low income, elderly, not native speakers of English, and/or are unfamiliar with tax forms completion. Did you know that for the 2005 tax filing year Galvestonians left more than $1,000,000 in Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC) for low income taxpayers unclaimed? The twists and turns of tax credits and exemptions can be intimidating when unfamiliar. Now, you have the opportunity to de-mystify and simplify income tax preparation for members of the Galveston and UTMB community who need your help!

It’s easy to become a VITA volunteer. Though helpful, accounting or tax preparation experience is not required. Completion of two 8-hour IRS led training sessions is recommended for new volunteers and those who want an in depth refresher. All volunteers must pass a test on basic individual tax filing concepts, available on-line and in print version, to be certified as VITA Volunteers.

Training will be held on Saturday, January 5^th and 12^th, 2008 on the second floor of the UTMB Moody Medical Library. The Moody Medical Library will also be one of several Galveston County VITA sites, each with different days and times of operation to fit almost every schedule.

How do you get started? Register below for training!

Click here to register for training.

More Information

Update Regarding the Filing of Form I-485 “Application for Adjustment of Status” Under the July 2007 State Department Visa Bulletin

The US State Department Visa Bulletin for the month of July 2007, issued in mid-June 2007, indicated that immigrant visa numbers were available in all of the employment-based categories for July. Apparently, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) responded to this announcement by speeding up adjudication of pending applications for “adjustment of status” on Form I-485. The result was that all remaining employment-based immigrant visa numbers were, according to USCIS, exhausted for fiscal year 2007 which ends September 30, 2007. On July 2, 2007, USCIS announced that NO employment-based immigrant visa numbers remained and that therefore no applications for employment-based adjustment of status would be accepted until October 1, 2007 contingent upon availability as published in the State Department Visa Bulletin for October (which should be available by September 15, 2007, at the link provided below.) This unpopular decision met with a strong negative public outcry. In response, USCIS has reversed its July 2 decision and has announced that applicants who would have been eligible to file an employment-based immigrant petition under the State Department’s July Visa Bulletin may still do so. Furthermore, employment-based Forms I-485 will be received through August 17, 2007 and should be accompanied by the USCIS filing fees currently in effect.

This whirlwind of developments is understandably confusing. We will continue to provide updates as they become available. In the meantime, below are several links that may help to answer some of your questions:

USCIS Memo Regarding Increased Processing Fees Effective July 30, 2007
http://www.uscis.gov/files/pressrelease/FeeReminder23Jul07.pdf

USCIS Frequently Asked Questions About Employment-Based Adjustment Applications With Priority Dates Current in July, 2007
http://www.uscis.gov/files/pressrelease/EBFAQ1.pdf

State Department Visa Bulletin:
http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/bulletin/bulletin_1360.html

Effective July 30, 2007 the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will increase application processing fees for most nonimmigrant and immigrant visa applications. The fee increases are significant, in most cases about three times the previous fee.

The Office of Diversity and International Affairs will make every effort to file petitions with USCIS before the July 30, 2007 deadline provided they are received in this office, complete with all required documents, by Friday, June 29, 2007. Visa petition requests received after that date must be accompanied by money orders reflecting the new fee amounts. (Click here for a comparison of fees and link to USCIS announcement.)

Last Modified: June 17, 2008

This web page is designed to assist UTMB staff. It is not intended to provide comprehensive immigration information to the general public. For detailed immigration information, please visit the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) web site.