Getting Started:
- You will need a passport
- You will need a visa
- Take extra passport photos
- Determine if you need to visit a doctor and/or receive inoculations.
- Arrange air transportation.
- Make arrangements with a responsible person and forward your mail to them while you are in the United States, if necessary.
- You will need your I-20 form
- Your I-94 card
- Your admission letter US currency or travelers checks
- Be familiar with the health insurance information provided by your institution/program.
Before You Travel:
- Make two sets of copies of important documents (i.e. passport, visas, insurance card). Leave one set of copies with a trusted person and bring an extra copy with you.
- Fill any necessary prescriptions.
- Reconfirm flight with airline at least 48 hours in advance and check baggage weight limits.
- Agree upon communication schedule with family, especially for arrival.
- Be sure to inform the International Student Services Office at the institution/program you will be attending of your travel plans, and make arrangements for transportation from the airport to campus.
Documents and Legal Items:
- Passport
- Visa
- Supporting financial documents
- Airline tickets
- Banking information and credit card
- Insurance information
- Photocopies of important documents (passport, visa, insurance card, etc.)
- Extra passport-sized photos
- Phone card
- Emergency contact information
- Contact information of person you are meeting in the airport
- Luggage lock and tags
- Your I-20 form
- Your I-94 card
- Your admission letter
- US currency or travelers checks
Packing Basics:
- Clothing for all four seasons (shorts, short-sleeve shirts to pant, boots, and sweaters, clothes that can layer easily)
- Bath towel and shower shoes
- Batteries
- Camera
- Toiletries
- Anti-bacterial hand lotion
- Jacket and umbrella
- Eye glasses, sunglasses, contact lenses and cleaning solution, and eye bring prescriptions
- First aid kit (including: motion sickness medications, laxatives, anti-diarrhea medicine, antacids, pain relievers, decongestants, antiseptics, and bandages)
- Prescription medicines and written prescriptions
- Laptop
- Comfortable shoes
- Backpack
At the Airport:
- On the plane, you will complete the Form 1-94 Arrival/Departure Record.
- At port of entry, present your passport with visa, I-94, and sealed envelope to INS inspector.
- Present your I-20 and original financial documents, which should be sealed in an envelope marked “For presentation at port-of-entry.”
- Once you reach New York, call the contact person at the institution/program you will be attending to notify them of your arrival and start making your way to campus.