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How many times have you dreamed of coming to the U.S.?
Maybe you’ve visited several times and now want to start a life here.
Maybe you have pictures on your wall of the famous cities you’re dreaming to see.
Maybe you prepared for a lengthy delay at secondary processing before being admitted into the country.
Wait…. what?!
Yes, unfortunately that is part of the story for some international students.
Fortunately, you can prepare yourself to navigate this situation smoothly and making the experience nothing more than a small speed bump on your international student journey.
Let me back up.
When travelers arrive in the United States they first must pass through a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) check.
For the vast majority of travelers, this process is relatively smooth.
But for some, the CBP officials have additional questions. In order to avoid holding up what is already a very long line of people waiting to enter the country, these questions are asked in a secondary screening area.
It can be quite stressful.
The process usually involves being sent to a private room.
And waiting. A lot of waiting.
Finally, a CBP official will come in and ask a series of questions, then make a decision about whether or not to grant entry.
Again, this is happens to a small percentage of people attempting to enter the U.S.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t be prepared.
Here are the 3 most common issues, and how to handle them:
Entering Too Early
International students can enter as early as 30 days before the program start date listed on the I-20. CBP is very strict about this- I once had a student sent back to her home country because she arrived 31 days before her program end date.
Fortunately, when she arrived home she was able to get right back on a new plane back to the U.S., and by the time she arrived the second time it was 30 days before the start date and she was allowed in.
But it was about 27 hours on consecutive travel, so make sure to plan accordingly- including taking different time zones into account.
Entering Too Late
Most students arrive before their program start date, and rightfully so.
Other times, life events may prevent students from arriving before the start of class.
So long as the entry date isn’t too far past the start date most students are fine. Still, I recommend having a plan in place to make up any coursework that may be missed prior to arrival, and even a support letter from the school stating that they are aware of your late entry and will be supporting you through the transition into the school year.
Entering Without Your Documents
Visa, passport, I-20.
These are the holy trinity of documents for entering the U.S.
You may also choose to bring your admission letter or travel endorsement (for current students).
Without the visa/passport/I-20, however, CBP may not let you into the U.S., so make sure to carry them with you onto the plane (they should not be in your checked luggage).
Now, mistakes happen, and forgetting or losing one of these documents may not mean an automatic refusal.
You can request something called an I-515, which is a temporary approval to enter the U.S. that requires the visa, passport, and I-20 be submitted to CBP within 30 days of entry. It’s not given in every case, so don’t rely on getting approved for the I-515; instead, you should always aim to have all of your required documents (and save yourself this headache!).
Pro tip: Schedule your arrival during your school’s hours of operation and know the school’s phone number. That way, just in case anything happens, CBP can call the school and your DSO can advocate for you.
Hopefully none of these issues will happen to you.
But as the saying goes, hope for the best, plan for the worst. So review everything in here, plan accordingly, and you can maximize your chance of avoiding these hassles.
If you have any questions or experiences to share, send me a message!
Because making the right entrance to the U.S. is the first step for you to…
Live Your American Dream.
Josh