HOT NEWS
2009 DV Lottery (Green Card) is now open for citizens from certain countries. We will be taking free pictures every day from 10 - 11am for any student who would like to apply. For more information about the lottery, visit the DV page. REMEMBER, this program is free, so you do not need to pay anyone to apply for you!

SALSU Halloween Skate Party. Come join SALSU and the OISS staff at this year's halloween skate party next Thursday night, October 25, from 9 to 11pm! Come dressed in your best costume and you just might win the best costume contest! If you need transportation to and from LSU, sign up by Wednesday, Oct. 24th at noon for a free ride here The OISS will pay for all international students attending!

The Stahl Center is calling all international students to participate in the Annual Stahl Center Sabbath, October 27. If you can dress in your national costume, even better! There will be a rehearsal on Thursday afternoon, Oct. 25, at the LSU Church and dinner will be provided! For more information, contact the OISS.

HAPPENINGS
For the latest and up to date upcoming events, visit the OSA's web site or refer to the LSU Student Handbook.

From the OISS

We hope your school year is going well. The OISS is excited about this new year. Our first Friday night worship was a success and our orientation drew over 40 of our new students! We are in the process of planning many more events for you and we are trying to find ways to bridge the gap between you and our office—and we need your help! We would love to hear ideas, comments, and suggestions from you so that we can better our services.

We are also looking for students interested in starting our International Students Club. If you would like to be an officer, please let us know!

Immigration Updates

DOL Announces End of Labor Cert Backlog
The Department of Labor (DOL) announced that as of September 30, 2007, the backlog in the Permanent Labor Certification program has been eliminated, with nearly 99 percent of cases completed. This is great news for all students in OPT trying to apply for an H1-B visa! Read More

Students completing their studies in December should apply for their OPT (Optional Practical Training) no later than the last day of classes, December 7, 20007). We will hold our first OPT workshop on Monday, October 29, at 12pm in the Palm Room, in the Cafeteria. Bring your lunch and join us for this one-hour OPT informational session. Click here to RSVP. Space is limited to 20 people.

Campus Updates

Congratulations to the LSU SIFE team on wining this year's Students In Free Enterprise world wide competition. You can read more about SIFE and the competition at the LSU SIFE News page.

Unfortunately, many of you have had the need to use your insurance cards at times you were not expecting. Please take a moment now to PRINT your card and put it in your wallet/purse. For instructions on how to print your card, click here.