Monday, October 10, 2016

PIER Newsletter: October 10, 2016

In This Issue:
·         PIER Chair Announcements
·         PIER - Government Officials Meeting
·         PIER Membership
·         CBP – Update on Land Port of Entry Online Application
·         SEVP Webinar on Form I-983
·         NAFSA Academy
·         PIER Meetings

PIER Chair Announcements

Dear PIER Members,

We look forward to seeing many of you at our next PIER meeting on October 21, 2016 with government representatives. This is an opportunity for you to meet representatives from our local CBP, ICE, SEVP and Department of State office.  Thank you to our members who have submitted questions. Details about the meeting are on our PIER website along with the agenda.

Next PIER Meeting
Friday, October 21 2016
10:00 am – 12:00 pm

U.S. Attorney’s Office, Federal Building
880 Front Street, Room 6273
San Diego, CA  92101

·         Valid/current photo ID is required for entrance into a Federal facility.
·         Paid parking is available in nearby parking garages for a fee of about $10.00.

Click this link to the agenda: https://goo.gl/fteX8q

PIER Membership and Dues Payment

If you have not yet registered to become a member for the 2016-2017 school year, you still have time. Please click on this link to fill out the 2016-2017 membership application at: https://goo.gl/LjNFYb The membership is per person, not institution.

PIER offers three options to pay your membership dues.
1. PAYPAL: (You will receive an email from PayPal with full instructions, a PayPal account 
    is not necessary to make payment)
2. CREDIT CARD: Pay in person at the October 21, 2016 or December 2, 2016 meeting.
3. CHECK: Make checks payable to PIER. Mail checks to PIER treasurer:

Vanessa Fennell
1111 6th Avenue, 6th Floor
San Diego, CA 92101

Payment is due no later than December 2, 2016. PIER charges a $5.00 late fee for dues received after December 2, 2016. Thank you for your understanding. The PIER membership for 2016-2017 ends June 30, 2017. We look forward to having you as a PIER member.

CBP Makes Online I-94 Application Payment Available to Travelers Arriving at a Land Port of Entry

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced an enhancement to the I-94 website, which allows travelers to apply and pay for their I-94 online prior to arriving at a land port of entry.  Travelers can speed up their entry into the U.S. by providing their biographic and travel information, and paying the $6 fee for their I-94 application online up to seven days prior to their entry.  For more information, please see: I-94 Update 

Tune into the SEVP Ask the Experts Webinar on the Form I-983 – Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016

Join SEVP for an SEVP Ask the Experts Webinar on Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016, from 2 to 3 p.m. EDT about the new Form I-983, “Training Plan for STEM OPT Students.”  The webinar is designed for designated school officials, F-1 STEM OPT students and STEM OPT employers. This webinar will provide an opportunity to learn about Form I-983 requirements and available resources to assist with completing the form. Following a brief presentation, SEVP presenters will answer pre-submitted questions from the audience.  For more information about the webinar, please visit Study in the States’ Stakeholder Webinars page.

Join the NAFSA Academy

The NAFSA Academy for International Education is an intensive year-long training program with many networking opportunities.  The Academy aids in learning about all areas of international education and prepares you for leadership, both within NAFSA and your own institutions.  If the Academy sounds like something you’d enjoy being involved in, then you are in luck! The application for Academy Class 14 is now open.  The deadline to apply is on December 2, 2016.

Going to the NAFSA Region XII conference in Palm Springs? There will be many NAFSA Academy members there, from both current and past Academy classes. There will also be a session on the program, 
Enhance Your International Education Expertise Through the NAFSA Academy.

If you would like to consider joining the next Academy class,
click here for more information.

PIER Meetings

Please save the date for our next regular” PIER meetings on December 2, 2016 from 2pm to 4pm at National University and on February 10, 2017 from 2pm to 4pm at The Scripps Research Institute.  We are in the process of planning our meeting dates and locations for 2016-2017.  Please go to our website www.piergroup.org for the most up to date information with locations, dates and agendas. As soon as dates and locations are available, we will post in the PIER website calendar.

Do you have an item or job posting you would like to post in the PIER newsletter that is valuable to PIER members? Please email piergroupsd@gmail.com with your inquiry. Thank you. The PIER Board reserves the right to edit content.

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PIER Board

Chair - Eric Abutin, National University
Chair-Elect Rhonaliza Reyes, University of San Diego
Treasurer Vanessa Fennell, Stafford House San Diego
Membership Coordinator Mia Scavone, Mira Costa College
Communications Coordinator John Akapito, National University