|
Travel to any new place can be stressful
if you’re not well-prepared. Here
are some tips for a smooth trip to your
U.S. college or university.
You can arrive in the United States using
your student visa up to thirty days before
the start of your academic program. At a
minimum you will want several days to recover
from jet lag and adjust before your schedule
becomes busy. Also find out when your college
or university’s orientation program
for international students will be held.
Arrive in time to attend this and other
student orientation events—such programs
cover important information on campus resources
and requirements.
If you will have to change planes during
your trip, allow plenty of time—at
least three hours between flight arrival
time and any connecting flight’s departure.
Remember that you will have to go through
port of entry procedures, you may need to
travel from one airport or terminal to another,
and of course your arriving flight may be
delayed.
Let the international student office at
your college or university know your travel
plans well in advance of your departure;
also ask them about the best ways to get
to campus and the approximate cost.
Make sure that your housing arrangements
are finalized. Inquire with your college
or university international student office
about any temporary housing, hotel, motel,
or other arrangements that may need to
be
made if you are arriving early or during
the weekend. Arriving during working hours
(typically Monday through Friday, about
9 a.m. to 5 p.m., in the United States)
is generally preferable.
Get the name, address, and telephone number
of the staff person at your U.S. university
to contact in case of a travel delay or
an emergency, and carry this with you during
your trip. Also carry contact information
for a person at home and for or another
organization that
could provide you with support if needed,
such as an educational mission or sponsoring
agency.
Purchase travel insurance that will cover
the costs of your trip in case you should
have to cancel or delay travel for some
reason and that will pay expenses in case
of a medical emergency during travel. You
may also want to purchase baggage insurance
to cover against loss, damage, or theft
of your baggage.
Be aware what items may not be packed
in carry-on luggage--only small amounts
of liquids, aerosols, or gels are allowed,
though they can be checked in packed luggage.
Some other less obvious things that you
should not try to carry on a plane. Other
luggage must be checked and there are weight
and size limits on these pieces as well.
Keep photocopies of transcripts, passport,
visa, I-20, and other important documents
in your luggage, separate from the original
documents. (You may want to leave an additional
copy with someone at home.)
Take most of your initial funds (enough
to pay expenses over the first few weeks
while you set up a U.S. bank account, which
may run to $1,500 or more) in the form of
traveler’s checks. If possible, however,
also obtain $100-200 of U.S. currency in
small denominations—$1, $5, $10, and
$20 bills—for expenses on arrival
in case you are not able to immediately
change money at the airport.
Make a list of your belongings according
to where you packed them so you can more
easily make a claim if any luggage is lost.
Carry on a change of clothes, toiletries,
and any essentials that you will need upon
arrival or could not easily replace, including
all important legal, medical, or academic
documents.
All checked and your hand luggage is passed
through scanners at airports and may also
be opened. Random searches are also conducted—all
travelers, including U.S. citizens, are
subject to these searches.
Because the screening devices used for
checked baggage will ruin film, put film
in your carry on bags instead. Don’t
wrap any gifts that you are bringing as
they will be unwrapped in the case of a
search. Leave luggage unlocked in case officials
need to search bags—otherwise they
may be forced to break your locks. It’s
better not to pack food or drink in checked
luggage as some substances (such as chocolate)
may activate machines screening for explosives.
Do not stack books together in your luggage;
spread them out instead so they do not appear
as an unidentifiable mass. For easier inspection,
it’s suggested that you place small
carry-on items such as toiletries together
in clear bags and pack footwear on the top
of other contents in checked luggage.
Be aware what items may not be packed in
carry-on luggage—basically weapons,
explosives, and incendiary materials. Some
of the less obvious things that you should
not try to carry on a plane include fingernail
clippers; scissors; razors; pocketknives;
tools such as hammers or screwdrivers; and
sports equipment such as golf clubs or pool
cues.
Matches and cigarette lighters with fuel
may not be checked in luggage but up to
two cigarette lighters and four packs of
safety matches may be carried on board.
It’s also important to be aware of
customs regulations. Some types of items
that require a special permit for U.S. entry
or that are entirely prohibited include
any drugs and narcotics that are illegal
in the United States; weapons, ammunition,
and explosive materials (including fireworks);
offensive-smelling or irritating materials
such as pepper spray; fresh fruit, vegetables,
plants, seeds, and other unprocessed plant
products; wildlife or products made from
endangered species; and fresh fish, meat,
or seafood. You may also want to avoid packing
substances that may be difficult for inspectors
to identify.
Travelers on international flights are
generally advised to arrive at the airport
at least two hours in advance. If you are
traveling at a peak time such as a weekend
or holiday, you will want to arrive even
earlier. Call ahead to reconfirm reservations,
and also to confirm that your flight is
on time.
You will need to show your boarding pass/ticket
confirmation and a piece of government-issued
photo identification at security checkpoints,
so have these readily accessible. Only ticketed
passengers traveling on the particular day
will be allowed through security checkpoints.
All passengers are screened with a walk-through
metal detector. Therefore, avoid wearing
anything metal; take change and other metal
objects out of your pockets before passing
through the detector. If you set off the
alarm, you will be asked to step aside for
further screening with a handheld metal
detector as well as a pat-down search.
You will be asked to take your laptop computer
out of its case for separate screening.
You also may be asked to turn on the computer
or other electronic devices that you are
carrying with you.
Footwear inspections are standard for anyone
stopped for random searches; at some airports
all passengers may be asked to remove shoes
during screening. Shoes often have metal
in their heels so you may want to consider
taking them off before going through the
metal detector even if it is not required.
No smoking is permitted on any U.S. flights.
All passengers must by law obey any instructions
given by the flight crew, including remaining
seated during takeoff, landing, and periods
of air turbulence. Do get out of your seat
and walk a little at least every two hours,
or do some basic stretches in your seat—sitting
still for long periods is not only uncomfortable
but can occasionally lead to dangerous blood
clots.
Dry air in airplanes can cause dehydration,
which makes jet lag worse. Drink plenty
of water throughout the flight, eat lightly,
and avoid caffeine and alcohol, which will
make you more dehydrated. To help you sleep,
you may want to bring earplugs, an eye mask,
and/or a neck pillow. (Airlines provide
small pillows and blankets for you to use
on board, and sometimes other conveniences.)
Before landing, you will be given a customs
form to complete. This should not be complicated
assuming you have not brought any prohibited
items. You will need to show it to customs
inspectors at the airport.
The US-VISIT program (United States Visitor
and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology)
tracks basic information on all nonimmigrant
travelers from other countries from the
time of their U.S. arrival.
You should be provided with information
about the international visitor registration
process when you apply for a visa and also
receive a list of the air and sea “port
of entry/port of exit” points where
inspectors are located to register arrivals.
You should travel through one of these points
whenever you enter or exit the United States
(most major airports currently serve as
ports of entry).
On arrival in a port of entry, after collecting
luggage, all international visitors should
be directed to the office of the Bureau
of Customs and Border Protection within
that airport. Inspectors there have been
assigned to collect two “biometric
identifiers” from every traveler.
Currently this means that a photograph of
you will be taken and that your fingerprints
will be electronically recorded. You will
also need to show your travel documents
and will be asked about the length and purpose
of your U.S. stay. This process may be combined
with customs inspection (checking whether
you have anything to declare; possible random
baggage searches) or may be a separate step,
depending on the airport. Once you are cleared
to enter the country, you should receive
an Arrival/Departure Record (form I-94)
from the inspector. Keep this as you will
have to show it again when leaving the country.
If any of your luggage does not arrive
with you, file a claim at your airline’s
desk before leaving the airport. Write down
the name of the person who helps you as
well as the work address and telephone number
where this person can be reached in case
of any later confusion. The airline will
send luggage to you at your U.S. address
when it is found or provide reimbursement
if any is lost while in their system.
All airports have information booths to
help travelers, and there will also be signs
to direct you to local transportation. Guidelines
on what taxis should cost are often also
posted or distributed.
The best way to adjust to being in a new
time zone is to start following the new
schedule and to spend some time outdoors—sunlight
will help your “body clock”
reset itself. Try to stay up until it is
bedtime where you are and then to stay in
bed until morning.
Let the international student adviser at
your college or university know as soon
as possible that you have arrived. You will
want to meet with this person to learn how
to register as an international visitor
(which you will need to do after thirty
days in the United States and then annually
as well as any time you exit and reenter
the country or change addresses) and to
get all sorts of guidance on how to successfully
adjust to life and study on your new campus.
You have at last arrived—now enjoy
your stay!
|
