Preparing for Arrival Inspection
You will be issued two forms before the airplane arrives in the United States:
1. Form I-94, also known as the Arrival/Departure Record, is now online and can be
retrieved at the Get I-94 information, and the instruction can be find at U.S. Customs and Border Protection website.
2. You must also complete a separate customs declaration form. If you are bringing
$10,000 USD or the foreign equivalent into or out of the United States, you are required
to declare the amount on the customs form.
Upon arrival in the United States, each person will pass through passport control
(customs clearance), and then customs inspection. U.S. Customs and Border Protection
(CBP) officers take their duties very seriously, and we recommend that you remain
patient and polite during this time.
During the passport control phase of inspection, every student entering the United
States is required to present:
- A passport valid at least six months into the future, with
- A valid visa stamp (only Canadians citizens will not need a visa stamp)
- Form I-20 or DS-2019
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer may ask some questions about your purposes
for traveling to the United States.
Some examples include, but are not limited to: “What is your final destination?” “Where
will you be studying?”, or “How long do you plan to be in the United States?”
The Form I-94 card records the date of admission into the United States, and the assigned
immigration status. Form I-94 is the document that specifically assigns J-1 or F-1
immigration status while students are in the United States. The length of stay for
F-1 and J-1 students should be recorded as “D/S”, which means, “duration of status.”
Any J-1 or F-1 student who receives a date-specific expiration date on the Form I-94
card should contact International Services as soon as possible after arriving on campus.
Your Form I-94 card is a very important document while you are in the United States.
Upon exiting the U.S., travelers previously issued a paper Form I-94 should surrender
it to the commercial carrier or to CBP upon departure. Otherwise, CBP will record
the departure electronically via manifest information provided by the carrier or by
CBP. If you have questions regarding the form I-94, please visit the CBP website or
check out the I-94 Fact Sheet on the CBP website.