Traveling to the United States

Before you travel to the U.S., you should contact the International Student Affairs office at your school so that any necessary arrangements can be made ahead of time such as airport pick-up (if available), alternative transportation and directions to the campus and where to check-in upon arrival. If the university does not arrange for transfers from the airport, be sure to ask the International Office or a current student for directions and the name of a taxi or shuttle service. (Sometimes the Indian Student Association on campus will also provide these services.) If the distance between airport and the university is more than 50 miles, you may want to consider alternate transportation to get to your final destination - a train or a bus, for example.

If you do not yet have a place to live, it's important to know where you will be going once you arrive; check with the International Office or the Indian Student Association on your campus to see if there is a current student who could host you for a few days while you look for a place to live, or make a reservation for at least 3 nights at a hotel or guest house before you leave. Be sure to bring the address of your accommodation with you in your carry-on luggage. In addition, if you are planning to check into a dormitory or on-campus housing, be sure to check the hours so you know that you will be able to check in on arrival.

It is advisable to arrive at the airport at least two hours before the flight departure time. If your university is in a city where there is no international airport, then you will go through customs and immigration clearance when you first arrive in the U.S., before traveling to your final destination. If you have to change planes en route, then you should make sure that there is enough time - at least three hours is recommended - to collect your baggage and complete the immigration and customs formalities.

In addition to your luggage and personal belongings, you should remember to pack the following items in a carry-on bag before you depart:

• Ticket
• Passport
• Paperwork from the university
• I-20 form
• Evidence of financial resources (documentation from bank, etc.)
• Original academic certificates and mark sheets
• Medical records
• Address and directions to the university, dormitory, hotel or apartment where you will be staying
• Contact information for the International Student, Admissions and Housing office at your college (if applicable)
• Traveler's checks and U.S. dollars

It is important to check in advance with the airline about the luggage requirements as this varies from airline to airline. In general, passengers are allowed two pieces of baggage to be checked in, each of which may be up to 70 lbs (32 Kgs) and may also be subject to certain dimensional restrictions. Passengers are also allowed to carry one piece of hand luggage on board. It is highly recommended to have a spare set of clothes and a toothbrush in one's carry-on baggage, in case the checked-in baggage is delayed or lost upon arrival. This may happen occasionally and passengers are entitled to monetary compensation from the airline for the loss. Always keep valuables - cash, traveler's checks, passport, visa documents, airplane tickets, International Driving Permit, original educational documents - in your carry-on baggage. It is also advisable to keep a copy of all the above documents at home before leaving for the U.S.

Customs Declaration and Form I-94
Before landing, each person arriving in the U.S. must fill out the Customs Declaration Form 6059B, which is distributed on the plane. It is not required to itemize items brought to the U.S. for personal use, such as clothing or toiletries. The forms are used to declare the value of any gifts or business items that passengers have brought with them to the U.S. Jewelry or similar articles of personal adornment valued at $300 or more and passed free of duty under the personal customs exemption and cannot be sold within three years unless duty is paid. If duty is not paid before the sale is completed, the articles will become subject to seizure. A person entering in to the U.S. may enter with professional equipment free of duty if it was owned and used abroad. This includes professional books and tools of trade, occupation, or employment.

The Arrival Departure Record Form (Form I-94) is also distributed on the plane and must be completed prior to landing. The I-94 form should reflect the address where you plan to reside, not the address of the school or program. (If you do not yet know where you will be living, use can use the address of the International Student Affairs office.)

Immigration Inspections
When you arrive in the U.S. you will first have to pass through Immigration and Customs at your port of entry; be sure to get into the line that is intended for non-U.S. citizens. You should be prepared to present your passport with visa stamp, evidence of financial support, your Form I-94, and your Form I-20 to the immigration officer. Make sure you have all this information in your carry-on luggage so that it is easily accessible. Once the immigration officer has inspected all these documents and asked you a couple of questions, you will be admitted to the United States in F-1 student status.

The I-94 card is another important immigration document. Essentially, the I-94 is your arrival and departure card and proof that you have entered the U.S. in student status. Be sure to check the visa and date stamp that the immigration offer puts on your I-94 card; this information is very important. Usually, the date will be the same as the visa validity date, but the date on the I-94 supersedes the visa date on the visa. The visa holder is allowed to stay only for the period mentioned on the I-94. It is your responsibility to check the date and make sure it is correct and it is much easier to correct a mistake upon entry than having to do it after the fact. The number that is found in the upper left hand corner of your I-94 is your Admission Number. This number will be used on all future immigration paperwork and will be used by the U.S. government to record all of your entries into and departures from the United States. Every time you leave the United States for more than 30 days, you will be required to relinquish your I-94 at the border. It's very important to keep your I-94 card in a safe place with your other immigration documents. If you lose this card, you must pay a fee to replace it.

In some cases you may be asked to go through what is called a 'secondary inspection." If this is the case, you should not panic. Due to strict security, secondary inspections are relatively common these days. In a secondary inspection, the Immigration officer will ask again to see your documents and will attempt to verify your status by using SEVIS. In the event that the officer needs to verify information with your university, you should have the necessary contact information available. Failure to comply with U.S. government entry-exit procedures may result in being denied entry. Under certain circumstances, the Immigration officer may issue a Notice to Student or Exchange Visitor Form (Form I-515A), which authorizes temporary admission into the U.S. if you are missing any of the required documentation. If this happens, then you must contact the International Student Office on your campus and submit the proper documentation within 30 days.