Announcements

Planet Partners

There are a few openings left for Planet Partners.

Any international student interrested in pairing up with an American Planet Partner

should contact Sara Osadov by phone: 915-7404 or by email: sara@olemiss.edu.

 

IMPORTANT TAX INFORMATION (click here for more..)

The School of Accountancy will no longer be providing international students with tax advice sessions.  For a $25 fee students can go
on-line to the web site listed below to get assistance in filling out their tax forms.  You may also hire a tax specialist in Oxford,
but the price may be much higher.  Remember, taxes are due by April 15.

For international student tax help, go to:

http://www.thetaxguy.com/

INTERNATIONAL GRADUATION SASHES

This year you may order international graduation sashes bearing your country flag over your graduation gowns for $30.  Contact Vision
Wear International at 1 800 688 9327 or email kathleen@visionwear.com  Order by April 15 to insure delivery by graduation and wear your
colors on graduation day!

SCHEDULE OF UPCOMING EVENTS

April 1:

April 2:

April 3:

April 5:

April 8:

April 9:

April 10:

April 11:

April 15:

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French Film Series For Spring 2002

March 26 Conte d’automne (Rohmer)

April 2 The Vagabond (Varda, 1985)

April 9 Le Gout des Autres (Zaoui/Bacri, 1999)

April 16 The Crazy Stranger-- Gadjo Dilo (Tony Gatlif, 1998)

April 23 Paris Belongs to Us (Jacques Rivette, 1958-60)

April 30 Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (Jacques Demy, 1964)

7pm Tuesdays in the Turner Center

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Institutional TOEFL Exam

Institutional TOEFL
April 27
9:00 a.m.
Bishop Hall Room 101

To sign up:

Go to Yerby Conference Center
Ask for Jonnie Fitch
You must have your University ID with you to sign up.
The fee is $20, payable at the time you sign up.
You will be contacted when the Examinee Handbook arrives.
You must pick up the Handbook before April 27.

You will not be admitted to the test location without your
University ID and admission form,
which will be in the Examinee Handbook.

Deadline for sign-up: March 26

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Academic Deadlines and Important Dates for Spring Semester

April 4	Thursday	Honors Day.
May 3	Friday	Classes end.
May 6-10	Mon-Fri	Final Examinations.
May 11	Saturday	COMMENCEMENT

For more information click here : http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/registrar/#acad_cal

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Insurance Waiver Requirements

All international students are required to have health insurance.  The premium for coverage should appear on your bill when you pay tuition and registration fees.  Those students who are already covered under a policy that meets the following minimum standards can request a waiver of the requirement to purchase the international student and scholar policy.  To be considered, you must bring proof of enrollment and coverage in English showing that your policy has medical benefits of at least US $100,000 per person per accident or illness, repatriation of remains in the amount of US $10,000, medical evacuation in the amount of US $25,000 and that it does not have a deductible that exceeds US $500 per accident or illness.  The deadline for submitting this information to The Office of International Programs is:

February 1, 2002                     Spring semester

September 1, 2002                   Fall semester

 

Insurance: Students can check their accounts at http://www.mckinleyinsurance.com

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Rebel Ride Trolley Update

The Rebel Ride Trolley will make a few changes for the 2002 Spring Semester to better serve and protect riders.

The Rebel Ride Trolley will begin a "Trolley Token" program that will replace the semester pass.  Riders can pay cash or purchase trolley tokens either from the Trolley driver or by completing a form off of the www.rebelride.com website.  The cost of each token will be the standard $2.00.  Riders can simply drop the tokens in the fare box on the trolley, which will be sure to expedite the boarding process during operation.

Also beginning in January 2002 the Trolley drivers will not be able to make change on board the trolley. If students do not have the exact change then the trolley driver will issue trolley tokens in lieu of change.  The drivers will not carry US funds in any manner for the protection of the riders and drivers alike.

 Any Student holding a Fall 2001 semester pass will be entitled to one free ride on the trolley for the Spring semester.  Simply drop your pass in the fare box for your free ride.

The Rebel Ride still has openings for charters for special events for the Spring semester.  Book your charters as soon as possible.

REBEL RIDE TROLLEY TOKEN RATE SHEET

1 TROLLEY TOKEN OR $2.00 EACH WAY

Campus (Any Location ) to and from Oxford Square

On Jackson Avenue up to Kiamie Bowling Alley

Apartments on Old Taylor up to Shiloh Apartments

Oxford Mall - Wal-Mart

University Ave - up to new Kroger Shopping Center

2 TROLLEY TOKENS OR $4.00 EACH WAY

Campus Walk, Saddle Creek, Turtle Creek, Old Sardis Road

Apartments on Old Taylor Road past Shiloh Apartments

On Jackson Avenue past Kiamie Bowling Alley

Deer Field and College Hill Road area

Oakgrove Subdivision

Any Service past 1:30 a.m. (by advance notice and subject to availability).

5 Trolley Tokens / $10.00 per person Round Trip or 3 Trolley Tokens One Way

To and from Yocona River Inn –

(Riders will get wristband for return trip if paid round-trip)

To and From Oxford Airport - $10.00 per person round-trip

Call for reservations for Yocona River Inn and Airport Services.

Groups of more than 10 receive discount for Yocona River Inn and Airport Service.

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Special Processing Requirements for Visas

The following is a summary from a message sent by a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

On Monday, Dec. 3, after test runs, the MINACS contractor, which schedules third country national appointments for Canadian posts and certain Mexican posts (Juarez, Matamoros, and Tijuana), was back in business scheduling appointments. The system is not the same. The system does still utilize either 900-443-3131 or www.nvars.com to make appointments. This system covers the following posts: Calgary, Ciudad Juarez, Halifax, Matamoros, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec, Tijuana, Toronto, and Vancouver. Nearly all December appointments have been filled.

PLEASE NOTE THAT MATAMOROS AND QUEBEC DO NOT TYPICALLY ACCEPT APPOINTMENTS THROUGH MINACS.
The changes in the system reflect the good faith attempts by the State Department to get the system back up after the imposition of Special Processing Requirements ("SPR") upon certain nationalities post September 11. Males between the ages of 16 to 45, who are nationals of certain countries, are subject to a 20-day security check wait. This procedure is not new. For example, certain Iranians have been subject to a Visas Eagle check, which is now only valid on a per visa entry basis and takes 30 days.

This new 20-day check allegedly applies to the following countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab
Emirates, and Yemen. We have heard of examples of females being subject to these requirements as well as other countries such as Bangladesh, but we are not certain if such rumors are based on the misapplication or application of this procedure. Please note that this list could also change. Please also note you cannot rely on the newspaper articles for accuracy as to the countries impacted by this policy. Some countries may be inaccurately listed or others inadvertently omitted.

As to the appointments through MINACS, now, applicants are advised to wait five business days after scheduling before making airline reservations or other travel plans to determine if they will be contacted by phone or e-mail to cancel the appointment. Those not contacted in this time frame have appointments.

Behind the scenes, each day MINACS forwards to the applicable posts lists of those scheduled. An officer at each post reviews the list to determine who would be subject to the wait. If subject, your appointment is cancelled. THUS, WHAT IS HAPPENING IS THAT BORDER POSTS ARE NOT BEING USED FOR THESE LIST OF 26* CASES SUBJECT TO THE NEW SPR REQUIREMENTS