Travel Advisory - Leaving Stony Brook
IS staff are often asked what the immigration requirements are if a student will no longer be continuing at Stony Brook, either because they are returning to his/her home country, beginning Practical Training or beginning study at a new school.
Regardless of your plans, retain your old Form I-20s or DS-2019s. These forms represent your immigration history in the United States and should be kept in a safe place as you would any important document. In addition, you must complete a Departure Record and update your address on the University SOLAR System . If you were employed on or off campus during the current year, be sure to give your supervisor your forwarding address. This will allow tax documents, including W-2 forms, to be sent to you when they become available in January of the following year.
The U.S. federal regulatory process for transferring your F-1 status from Stony Brook to a new school requires that you notify the IS office of your intent to transfer. If you have already been issued a SEVIS Form I-20 by Stony Brook, there is a transfer out process for your SEVIS record which must be followed, or else your new school cannot issue you a SEVIS Form I-20. Also, it is important that you follow your new school's instructions for reporting to its International Student Office at the beginning of your tenure there.
Students who will be ending their studies in May but have no plans to apply for practical training (F-1), academic training (J-1) or continuing at a new school or in a new field or level of study, or plan to seek a change of non-immigrant status must depart the United States within sixty days of graduation or completion of their academic program if they are in F-1 status, or within thirty days if they are in J-1 status.
Sales Tax Refunds?
Students sometimes ask if it is possible for them to receive a refund of the sales tax they paid for goods and services in the United States upon their departure. In the U.S. , sales tax on goods and services is set by each of the fifty states, and state entities (such as cities and counties), not by the U.S. government. Each state and state entity determines what the sales tax will be (always a percent of the purchase price) and what items will and will not be assessed a sales tax.
Therefore, it is not possible for an overseas visitor to obtain a refund of the sales tax for a purchase made in the U.S. upon their departure. The best "official" explanation comes from the U.S. Customs Service, which is reprinted below. Go to:
"Foreign visitors to the United States frequently confuse the state sales tax with the value-added tax (VAT). The state sales tax is a small tax on purchases or services, calculated at the time of purchase, which individual states assess and which the U.S. federal government neither determines nor receives. The VAT, on the other hand, is a national tax commonly applied in foreign countries that is included in the actual sales price rather than at the time of purchase. The United States does not have a VAT, and the federal government cannot refund state sales taxes.
State taxes are generally not charged to diplomats or employees of some international organizations who have been issued a tax-exemption card. This card must be presented at the time of purchase in order for sales taxes to be waived.
Also, many states do not charge tax on items shipped out of state. Ask about state sales-tax policies in the state where you make your purchases."
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Shipping Books and Other Items Overseas :
A very inexpensive way to send large quantities of books overseas is to use the U.S. Postal Service's M-bags (large, canvas duffel bags) for "bound, printed matter." For more information, visit the Postal Service's website at: http://www.usps.com/international/mbags.htm. The rates are sometimes about half the usual parcel post rate. Each bag needs to weigh at least 11 pounds and no more than 66 pounds with all boxes addressed to the same recipient. Books are packaged by the sender in small boxes, with the destination address clearly written inside and outside each package. Take the boxes to any major post office and ask for an "M-Bag". Your boxes of books are then placed in the huge canvas sack (a.k.a. the "M-Bag"), the bag is closed and addressed to your destination, and the postage is affixed to the bag tag. The bag can be shipped via air or boat (economy), and the books should go from the point of mailing to the destination post office without even being taken out of the bag. This tends to increase the likelihood of their safe and intact arrival. Even if one of the packages breaks open in handling, the contents stay in the M-bag.
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If you choose not to use the U.S. Postal Service's M-Bags, or if you are shipping items other than books, you may want to use the services of the following companies to ship large items overseas. Call or write to them for information:
International Sea and Air Shipping Corp.
8 Connerty Court
East Brunswick, NJ 08816
(732) 390-0322
American Baggage Inc.
236 Pleasant St., Methuen, MA. 01844
(800) 752-6773 (USA and Canada) or (978) 975-0142
e-mail: AmerocamBaggage@discount-shipping.net
http://www.discount-shipping.net
ABACO International Shippers, Inc.
4201 West Wrightwood Ave.
Chicago, IL 60639
(312) 342-7100
(800) 621-4504
Lynch International
34-37 65th St., P.O. Box 1112
Woodside, NY 11377
(718) 672-8900
Emery Air Freight Corp.
Broome County Airport
(800) 443-6379
http://www.emeryworld.com
Federal Express International
(800) 463-3339
http://www.fedex.com
United Parcel Service
(800) 742-5877
http://www.ups.com
Permission granted by International Student and Scholar Services, Binghamton University, State University of New York to modify their "Travel Extra”, published April 2003.
Revised 07/2007
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