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Preparing and Arriving

For Your Trip to Syracuse

DO NOT FORGET TO TRAVEL WITH YOUR IMMIGRATION DOCUMENTS! 
It is incredibly important to make sure you carry the following documents on your person. Do not check them in your baggage! 

  • Passport with Visa (Note: Canadian citizens will not have a visa stamped in their passport.)
  • I-20/DS-2019, and SEVIS I-901 Fee Receipt
  • Evidence of financial resources (scholarship award letter from ESF, sponsor’s bank statement, etc.)
  • A pen to complete the customs documents you will be given on the plane
  • Your letter of admission or invitation to ESF and any other document that proves your status
  • Name and contact information for the Primary Designated School Official (PDSO) at ESF:
      Thomas Carter, Director of International Education
      SUNY ESF  |  global@esf.edu  | 315-470-4754

OIE recommends traveling with a light backpack or other bag that you can put all of your important documents and materials in. In this backpack, it does not hurt to bring: a spare change of clothes, phone/phone charger, and some USD. Other items you may want to consider include: toothbrush, deodorant, small towel, sweatshirt, pillow, etc.

  • Clothing – Pack light where possible! It’s always okay to purchase stuff in Syracuse later on if needed. It’s important to also remember that Syracuse’s weather is cold from November to May but hot in July and August. Eventually you will need a warm winter jacket and snow boots. Most of these items can be bought while in Syracuse though.
  • Medicine – If you need to bring medicine with you make sure to bring them in their original container. If possible, bring a letter from your physician (in English) attesting that you need to take them.
  • Electronics – Laptops and other expensive electronics are also highly recommended to pack. Don’t forget to bring a set of adapter plus that will adapt your home country plugs to U.S. outlets.
  • Miscellaneous – Try to pack at least one week’s worth of toiletries. This will help to make sure you are prepared until you are available to do some shopping. In addition, most students prefer to bring small gifts for friends and people they meet in the U.S. Small cultural items usually make great gifts (including food)! Other students also prefer to bring small items to help represent their home – this can include photographs, flags, instruments or other items that will help you when you are homesick.

Kitchen items and bedding (sheets, towels, etc.) can take up a lot of packing space. If you want to save packing space, consider leaving these behind and purchasing while in the U.S. Try to avoid packing any items that are of high value and/or are not replaceable. You never if something will get lost or stolen when traveling and it is best to keep these items at home.

  • Kitchen Items – Consider purchasing small appliances such as a toaster, coffee maker, blender, rice cooker, etc. You may also want to purchase the following: dish towels, pots and pans, dishes, silverware, floor mat, trash cans, etc.
  • Bathroom Items – Don’t forget to purchase a shower curtain, but also bathmats, towels, plungers, trash cans, and other necessities. Stock up on toiletries and make sure you have any medicine you would need.
  • Living Room Items – Consider purchasing a rug, wall decorations, floor lamps, DVD player, TV, and other items to help get settled down.
  • Bedroom – You may need bedding (sheets, pillows, and comforters), wall decorations, a small TV, trash can, desk lamp, and other items. Perhaps you will need to stock up on school supplies such as notebooks, pens, printer, paper, etc.
  • Cleaning Supplies – Consider the following items for purchase: floor duster, broom, vacuum cleaner, bleach spray, toilet cleaner, paper towel, trash bags, dust rags, toilet brush, etc.

 

Immigration Procedure

There have been many recent changes to the entry procedure. You will first pass through immigration where you will present the above listed documents to the officer. Your photograph and fingerprint scan will be taken (see OMBI section below), you will be asked to state the reason you wish to enter the United States, and to provide information where you will be staying. It is important that you tell the immigration officer that you will be a student at SUNY ESF.

  • If you enter the U.S. at an airport: After the officer reviews your documents and admits you, your passport will be stamped and notated with your visa status and duration of status.Before leaving the booth, be sure to check that the notation says “F-1 D/S”. if you have an I-20. If you have a DS-2019, it should say “J-1 D/S”. If there is a discrepancy, be sure to ask the officer for clarification. You will not receive any other document that indicates your visa status. You will be able to print a paper Arrival/Departure Record (commonly known as an I-94) from I-94 website. After your arrival to campus, you will need to provide a copy of your I-94 to OIE.
  • If you enter the U.S. at a land crossing: You might be provided with a paper Form I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record) at the port of entry which you will complete and give to the immigration officer. If admitted, the officer will stamp your I-94 with your visa status and duration of status. Before leaving the counter, be sure to check that the notation says “F-1 D/S” or “J-1 D/S”, If there is a discrepancy, be sure to ask the officer for clarification.

Note to Canadian Citizens: Since you do not have an F-1 visa in your passport, you will apply for F-1 status at the port of entry. It is important that you present the officer with your I-20 and let them know that you want to enter the U.S. as an F-1 student. Do not enter the U.S. as a tourist under the visa waiver program as you would need to depart the U.S. and reenter as an F-1 student before you would be permitted to study.)

 

Customs Procedure

After passing through the immigration inspection, you will collect your baggage (if you have traveled by airplane) and proceed to Customs. You will give the Customs Declaration Form (provided to you at the port of entry) to the officer when instructed and you will not receive it back. There is a possibility that your bags may be randomly searched. In the case that your bags are selected for a search, be sure to comply with the officer’s instructions. After you pass through Customs, you are officially in the USA!

 

 

Secondary Inspection

If your information cannot be automatically verified by the immigration officer or if you do not have all of the required documentation, you may be directed to an interview area known as “secondary inspection”. Secondary inspection allows immigration officers to conduct additional research in order to verify your information. If you are sent to secondary inspection and need assistance, please contact OIE.

 

 

Temporary Admission

Failure to provide proper documentation and/or to comply with entry/exit procedures is cause to refuse a student admission to the United States. In limited circumstances, if a student is mostly, but not fully in compliance, the student may be issued a Form I-515A “Notice to Student or Exchange Visitor”. This form authorizes temporary admission to the United States and requires the student to take immediate action to submit proper documentation. Noncompliance with the directions contained in these forms may result in denied reentry. If you receive an I-515A, it is important that you contact OIE as soon as you arrive to SUNY ESF.

 

 

OBIM

In March 2013, the Office of Biometric Identity Management was created to replace US-VISIT. OBIM maintains a comprehensive entry-exit registration system at all international airports throughout the United States, pre-clearance inspection facilities, and designated seaports servicing cruise ships. All nonimmigrant visitors holding visas (including students) will participate in the biometrics program that involves obtaining a scan of two index fingerprints and a digital photograph. Race, national origin, and religion are not factors in the biometrics program, as it applies to all nonimmigrant visa holders.