When to Arrive
When making your travel plans, you should arrange to arrive in the U.S. within 30 days before the start date of your program on the DS-2019 (see item #3). You may not enter the U.S. earlier than 30 days before the program start date. If you are delayed and cannot arrive by your program start date, contact International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) and your host department as soon as you know of the delay. You may need a new DS-2019 with a revised start date to enter the U.S.
Travel Tickets
Because visa processing times can be lengthy and variable, we recommend that you do not purchase travel tickets until after you have received your visa. However, if you need to purchase tickets before obtaining your visa, purchase a ticket that will allow changes to your departure date if necessary.
Travel and COVID
As of May 11, 2023 COVID vaccinations are no longer required for travel and entry into the United States. While vaccination is not required, we recommend all travelers take precautions to protect your health and the health of others.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
We want you to have a safe and worry-free trip! Here are some tips for international scholars traveling to the U.S.
- Don’t Pack a Pest While packing for a trip, it is important to know what foods and medicines, as well as plant and animal items, are not allowed in the United States.
- Can Border Agents Search Your Electronic Devices? It's Complicated (American Civil Liberties Union) The ACLU offers information on travelers' rights.
- Digital Privacy at the U.S. Border (Electronic Frontiers Foundation) Although this information is somewhat specific to travel to the U.S., many countries authorize their immigration and customs agencies to conduct searches of electronic devices at their borders, often with limited oversight and a broad scope of authority. Maintaining your digital privacy can smooth not just your travel, but also reduce the impact of loss or damage to your devices during travel. EFF's pocket guides may be helpful tools to review prior to and after travel to the U.S.
- Article about passengers' rights on domestic flights. (The Atlantic) While the article says you may not be required to show ID when deboarding a domestic flight, we advise international students to cooperate with law enforcement in all situations.
- If a non-citizen admits to an immigration official that he or she has ever used marijuana, the person can face very serious immigration problems. Read this important WARNING FOR IMMIGRANTS ON LEGALIZED/MEDICAL MARIJUANA (PDF).