The
University of South Alabama would like to welcome you
and are delighted that you are becoming a member of
our community and we sincerely hope that your studies and
research at USA will be beneficial and enjoyable.
This guide is designed to provide you with information
both to assist you in preparing for you trip to the
United States and to the University of South Alabama in
particular, and to give you guidelines on what to do
once you arrive.
Visas and
Passports
J-1
The J-1 is
an "exchange visitor" visa, which is managed under
the auspices of the Exchange Visitor Program (EVP) and
administered locally by South Alabama, which is a J-1
program sponsor. The J-1 visa is used primarily by
exchange students (non degree-seeking) and by research
scholars at South Alabama. To qualify for USA's
J-1 program, you must be "sponsored", in other words
funded by: your home university, South Alabama, a
government, an agency, a foundation, an employer, or an
international organization authorized to conduct an
exchange visitor program. Research scholars may
use personal funds, but still must be sponsored by an
academic department at South Alabama. If you
qualify for a J-1 visa, your spouse/dependent(s) will be
given a J-2 visa. Spouses in J-2 status may apply
to the Department of Homeland Security for permission
to work after their arrival in the U.S. Do not plan
on income from spouse employment since
employment authorization is not guaranteed and jobs are
sometimes difficult to acquire.
Please note
that J-1 visa holders are subject to the "two year home
country physical presence requirement" in certain
circumstances. J-1 holders who are subject to this
requirement must return to their home country upon
completion of their academic program for a period of two
years before reentering the United States in H-1, L-1,
or permanent residence status. For example, J-1
holders from countries which have identified specific
academic areas as critically needed in the home country
(an included in the Exchange Visitor Program "skills
list") will be subject. Also, J-1 holders
receiving government funds from either the United States
or their home country will be subject. Other
issues related to the J-1 visa will be discussed below.
H-1B
The H-1B nonimmigrant visa
may be used to bring a worker temporarily to the United
States if the individual will work in a "specialty
occupation" or a professional position. The
employment may be full-time or part-time, and may be
sponsored for periods as short as six months or as long
as three years. Presently, workers may obtain H-1
status for a period of up to three years, with one
extension of status for an additional three year period,
for a total of six years. Dependents of H-1B
workers may hold H-4 status. Employment is not
authorized for H-4 dependents. The employment to
be fulfilled must require the services of a person in a
"specialty occupation." This means a person who is
working in a professional position and who has a minimum
of a bachelor's degree or its equivalent. If the
position is one which does not generally require a
college degree, then it may not be possible to obtain an
H-1B visa for that occupation. In such
circumstances it is generally necessary to provide
substantial documentation of past hiring practices for
the employer or other employers engaged in similar
business. The individual worker must prove that
he/she is qualified for the specialty occupation, and
for the specific job offered by the employer. The
individual must be able to show that his/her foreign
university degree is equivalent to a U.S. degree, and
that the area of academic specialization is relevant to
the job to be performed. If the individual does
not possess a college degree, but possesses many years
of experience in the occupation, then professional
experience may be substituted for academic training
under certain conditions.
How To Get
Your Visa
J-1 Visa
You should
take your DS-2019, passport and evidence that the $100
SEVIS fee has been paid to the United States Embassy
or consulate post with jurisdiction over your home.
There, you will present the information to a
visa issuance officer, who will ask you to fill out a
preliminary application for the visa. Supporting
documentation may be useful in assisting the officer in
processing your application. Such supporting
documentation must include a letter of invitation from the academic department at South Alabama; evidence of a
residence in your home country which you do not intend to
abandon; evidence of family members in the home country
and other proof of strong ties to the home country.
Once you
have acquired your J-1 visa, which will be stamped in
your passport, you are ready to cross the border of the
United States. Be sure that you have in your
possession your DS-2019 (which the visa issuance officer
will return to you) and your passport when you travel.
When you arrive in the United States, your documents
will be examined and processed by a staff member of the
Department of Homeland Security at the port of entry,
your passport will be returned to you along with an I-94
card (Arrival/Departure Record) designated "D/S" which
means "duration of status." D/S refers to the time
that you are engaged in research at South Alabama as
indicated on your DS-2019. Your copy of the DS-2019
will be returned to you. These documents are
extremely important since they legitimize your presence
in the United States, and you should keep them in a safe
place.
Canadian
citizens do not need visas to enter the United States.
They enter by presenting the DS-2019 at the port of
entry to the U.S., along with detailed evidence of
financial support and a valid passport.
H-1B Visa
You should take the I-797,
copy of the H-1B petition and your passport to the United
States Embassy or consulate post with jurisdiction over
your home. There, you will present the information to a visa issuance
officer, who will ask you to fill out a preliminary
application for the visa.
Once you
have acquired your H-1B visa, which will be stamped in
your passport, you are ready to cross the border of the
United States. Be sure that you have in your
possession your I-797 (which the visa issuance officer
will return to you) and your passport when you travel.
When you arrive in the United States, your documents
will be examined and processed by a staff member of the
Department of Homeland Security at the port of entry,
your I-797 form and passport will be returned to you
along with an I-94 card (Arrival/Departure Record).
These documents are extremely important since they
legitimize your presence in the United States, and you
should keep them in a safe place.
Canadian
citizens do not need visas to enter the United States.
They enter by presenting the I-797 form, copy of the
H-1B petition, and a valid passport at the port of entry to the United States.
Arrival
Most new
students/researchers/physicians will find that arriving
by air is the easiest way to get to Mobile. We do
have bus service, but this is much slower and more
tiring.
Although
international airlines do not fly directly to Mobile,
the city (airport code MOB) has frequent domestic
service. Airlines that fly into Mobile are
Continental, Delta, U.S. Airways, and Northwest with
direct service from Atlanta, Birmingham, Dallas, Memphis
and Nashville. Bus service is provided by the
Greyhound and Trailways bus systems.
The first
thing you should do the next business day after your
arrival is to contact your hosting department.
Registration
in the Office of Enrollment Services
Shortly
after your arrival, you must bring your passport and
visa documents to the Office of Enrollment Services.
This should be done no later than your first date of
hire and before you apply for your Social Security Card.
The Office of Enrollment Services is located in the
Meisler Hall Building, Room 2400.
Climate and
Weather
As Mobile is
located in the southern part of the United States, the
climate here is generally quite mild. Winter
temperatures average about 50oF (10oC)
and summers average 85oF (30oC).
Be prepared, thought as we do have extremes in both
seasons! You will find winter days in which the
temperatures drop below 20oF (-7oC)
and summer days above 100oF (40oC).
There is also a lot of rain in Mobile-bring an umbrella
and other wet-weather clothing.
Money
It is
advisable to have around US$1,000.00 in cash and
traveler's checks to help you get settled during
the first few days here in Mobile. It also is
advisable to bring a major credit card with you in case
of emergencies. Both Visa and MasterCard are
widely accepted in the U.S.
You will
find it almost essential to have a checking account in
the U.S. Most shoppers here use checks or credit
cards for many purchases and usually carry only enough
cash for daily activities.
Coins
(cents) denominations are: penny=1 cent; nickel=5 cents;
dime=10 cents; half-dollar=50 cents; one dollar=100
cents=$1. Paper currency (dollars) denominations
are $1, $2 (seldom used), $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100.
Denominations above $100 are no longer printed, but some
of the larger denominations still remain in the hands of
private citizens. All currency in general
circulation is the same size and color, which can be
confusing at first.
Housing
Most
commercial apartments have, at minimum, a kitchen,
living room, bath, and one, two, or three bedrooms.
Kitchens usually contain a sink, refrigerator, and
stove. Most apartment complexes have central
laundry facilities for use by its tenants.
Unfurnished apartments have the kitchen basics but no
other furniture. Most traditional commercial
apartments are unfurnished but it is possible to find
furnished apartments. Used furniture may be
purchased from several civic and charitable
organizations at reasonable prices. New furniture
may be rented from several local agencies, which
specialize in furniture rental.
Prices for
apartments vary depending on location and amenities.
Rent for an unfurnished one-bedroom apartment in this
area starts around $450 per month and goes up depending
on the number of bedrooms, location, etc. Though
you pay rent on a month-to-month basis, you will find
that most apartments require you to sign a six-month to
one-year lease which is a contract binding you to pay
the rent for your apartment the length of time
specified. When you sign a lease, you should be
prepared to pay the rent for the time indicated in the
contract or find someone to "sublet" or take over the
lease when you leave. Some apartments do not
permit subleasing.
Water often
is the one utility in the rent price. Other
utilities, such as electricity and gas, often are not
included in the rent fee, and payments must be made
directly to the respective companies. To obtain
telephone service, you must contact the telephone
company directly. There is a basic monthly fee
that permits unlimited local calls. Long distance
calls are charged by the minute.
Overnight
and Short Term Accommodations
There are
many fine hotels and motels in the Mobile area.
The lodging choices listed below are suggested because
of their close proximity to the USA campus.
Best Inns of
America (251) 343-4911 Best Suites of America (251) 343-4949
Best Western
(251) 343-9345 Comfort Inn (251) 666-6604
Days Inn (251) 344-3410 Drury Inn (251) 344-7700
Econo Lodge (251) 479-5333 Family Inn (251) 344-5500
Fairfield Inn by Marriott
(251) 316-0029 Hampton Inn (251) 344-4942
Holiday Inn (251) 344-8030 La Quinta Inn (251) 343-4051
Motel 6 (251) 343-8448 Ramada Inn Resort (251) 342-3220
Red Roof Inn (251)
476-2004 Residence Inn by
Marriott (251) 304-0570
Transportation
Mobile has
local public transportation in the form of city buses
and taxis. Because taxis are expensive and bus
service is limited in some areas and often not available
at night, most people find it useful to own an
automobile.
If you plan
to own or operate an automobile while in the U.S., you
will be required to hold a driver's license and to
obtain automobile insurance in order to operate the
vehicle in Mobile. After you have found a place to
live and have settled in, and receive your social
security card, you can take the licensing exam and
obtain a license. Automobile insurance may be
purchased from one of many insurance agencies and costs
vary depending on the type of car to be insured, the age
and driving experience of the drivers, and the amount of
insurance purchased.
Taxes
Depending
upon your activities and your tax and visa history, you
may or may not be required to pay taxes. There are
four major categories of taxes: federal tax on income;
state tax on income; city and/or county tax on real or
personal property; and FICA or Social Security tax - a
federal retirement fund contribution based on income.
There are other taxes, which relate directly to owning
or operating a business, or buying or selling real
property (houses, land, etc.)
Tax treaties
between the U.S. and other countries exempt some
students, researchers and professors from paying U.S.
state and federal income taxes. Each treaty has its
own restrictions and provisions. The national tax
authority in your country or the U.S. embassy or
consulate can provide current information on tax
treaties. The Payroll Office at the University of
South Alabama will determine if you are eligible to
claim exemption from income tax withholding based on a
treaty.
Schools
If you plan
to enroll your child/children in school, be sure to
bring their immunization records. Public school
attendance for grades one through twelve (beginning at
age six) is available free. Public schools in the
U.S. are those supported by taxes paid to the
government. These schools are open to all children
residing within the school district. The public
school that your child attends is determined by where
you live.
Private
schools operated by either secular or religious
organizations usually charge tuition and may or may not
have admission requirements. Attendance at these
schools generally does not depend upon your place of
residence.
Time
The U.S. is
divided into six time zones. When it is 12 noon
Eastern Standard (the East Coast) it is 11:00 a.m.
Central, 10:00 a.m. Mountain, 9:00 a.m. Pacific Standard
(the West Coast), 8:00 a.m. in the state of Alaska, and
7:00 a.m. in the state of Hawaii. During the
summer almost the entire country goes on Daylight Saving
Time. All clocks are moved ahead one hour in order
to extend the number of daylight hours in the evening.
