USA
Travel Guide to Student visa (F1 Visa) candidates. When to Travel to USA after
getting US F1 visa approval? What are the documents to carry? What is port of
Entry? What is I-94. Questions asked by Immigration Officer when entering USA
at Port of Entry.
When can I enter into USA after getting visa?
Students who got their F1 Visa Approved for fall 2016 could enter into USA 30 days prior to start date which is nothing but the date mentioned on Form I-20. Suppose if the date mentioned on your I20 is August 20th 2016, you can enter USA only after 21st July 2016.
What is port of entry?
The first airport in USA where the flight lands in your travel to the final destination. Suppose if you are travelling to Kansas City (A City in the State of Missouri) from Hyderabad, your flight route may be can be like this.
Hyderabad -->> London -->> Chicago -->> Kansas City.
First place you land in USA is Chicago. From Chicago you will have a connecting flight to Kansas City. In this case Chicago will be the Port of Entry for you.
Common port of entries when you are travelling from India are – Newark, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, and Atlanta.
What is I-94?
I-94 form will be given to you while you are flying to port of entry. In the previous case mentioned, you will be given I-94 form by Flight Crew when you are travelling from London to Chicago. Fill the form and submit it to immigration officer at the Immigration Check. Check here for Online I-94 web application >> https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/consent.html you need to submit I-94 at the university to join the school.
What is Immigration Check?
Your documents (like passport, I20) will be validated and luggage will be scanned at the port of Entry. Immigration officer will check your documents and ask few questions like –
- Where are you going?
- Why are you going?
- Where do you stay over there?
- When did you get F1 Visa?
- Why only this university?
- Why you chose this course?
- How much amount are you carrying?
- What are the courses that you are going to take in the first semester?
- How will you pay your fee?
- Later, He will stamp your passport with the Travel date.
- Major documents required at Immigration check for F1 Students.
- Passport
- I20
- SEVIS Form
Note:
Please be confident on whatever you say. Giving genuine answers will always
help you. Kindly know about your university and the major which you are taking.
How long the Immigration check takes
place?
Immigration
check hardly lasts for not more than 20 minutes (Most of the cases). But the
waiting time will be long and it depends on the total number of immigrants at
the airport. Since most of the Fall students from India enter USA from Mid-July
to end of August, It will take minimum of one hour. If too many flights arrive
at the same time then it will take too long for the immigration check. It’s
ideal to have minimum of four hours of time gap at the port of entry to the
next connecting flight.
Note: Book
a flight that has sufficient time for the immigration & security checks at
the port of entry.
What will happen if I enter into
USA prior to 30 days period?
You will be sent back at the port of entry. Immigration officers don’t allow you to enter into the USA.
You will be sent back at the port of entry. Immigration officers don’t allow you to enter into the USA.
What should I do if I miss the
connecting flight due to Immigration check?
No need
to worry if you miss your flight. Just go to your respective Airlines help
desk. Tell them that you missed your flight. They will arrange the next
available flight for free and also provide an overnight stay in a hotel or at
the airport.
What is a Security check?
Once you
are done with the immigration check you are allowed to take the entire luggage
you brought with you. With the luggage you brought you need to undergo the
security check where the officers will examine the whole luggage and if they
find anything fishy they will take away that.
Note: Do
not carry any germinating or live things in the luggage.
Documents List
- Original Form I-20
- Original Passport with valid F-1 Visa.
- Original Form I-94 (Do not ever remove it, it is stapled to your passport!
- Demand drafts, Traveller’s Checks, and currency.
- Any sealed documents that the US Consulate gave you.
- Mark Lists (SSC, Intermediate & Btech)
- Other important documents, such as previous academic records.
- Vaccination Certificate.
- Letter of admission/financial aid (if applicable).
You must
keep them with you at all times during the flight. Also, make copies of the
relevant documents and keep one set at home. Carry one set and the originals
with you along with essentials including a pair of clothes in your carry-bag in
case the luggage is delayed at the airport. Carry some money in your pocket
(around $100) while travelling. You might need some money to buy things like
food items in airports.
Things to be carried in cabin
luggage:
Original
I-20, copy of passport, copy of ticket, financial documents (CA certificate,
Bank Statements), admission letter, affidavit of sponsor, all college or school
mark sheets and related certificates.
- Original documents except (passport, tickets).
- Address book/phone book.
- Copies of your photo (passport size).
- Once complete set of clothes, in case you need to change.
- Distribute your money - keep a certain amount in each piece of luggage, rather than keeping it all together. In your cabin baggage, keep clothing for 2 days, just in case your checked-in baggage arrives here later than you do.
- Have your name and destination and route and flight and date in all bags. Have them prominent and bold enough so that you can identify them easily from an ocean of similar ones. Some guys even put fluorescent labels, ribbons.
- Do not get too many clothes hangers (you might get a couple for starters, but they are of a different size here, and are available very cheap).
- Do not overload your baggage with blank notebooks, file folders etc.
Things to be carried on your
person (pouch):
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