Destination USA: Port-of-entry procedures

A port of entry is the first airport in the United States at which the student lands.

Hello readers! Last week, we discussed seven steps for travel preparation: prepare for travel, gather important documents, get health checks, buy health insurance, pack prescription meds, set up housing arrangements, and prepare U.S. currency.

Today, we will be discussing port-of-entry procedures.

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A port of entry is the first airport in the United States at which the student lands. This can either be the airport at the student’s final destination or a transit airport (in the case of a connecting flight).

When on their flight to the United States, the student should be prepared to fill out an immigration card. This will either be given to them near the end of their flight or they will have to fill it out at their port of entry.

Once in the airport, the student should go to the immigration section. After waiting in line, the student will have an interview with an immigration officer. The officer will ask the student about their plans in the United States. Students should be prepared to answer questions about their course of study, what address they will be staying at (temporary and final), source of funding, duration of their stay, and their university.

After going through immigration, students should look for baggage pickup. There will be a series of signs leading them to the pickup area, and a screen with the flight information and the corresponding baggage belt. If a student has a connecting flight (and does not have their bags checked through to their final destination), they will need to re-check their bags once they’ve collected them. This can be done at their airline’s check-in desk. If the student is at their final destination, however, they may simply remove their baggage from the belt and exit the airport to their transportation.

If the student has a connecting flight, they should be prepared to go through security after they have re-checked their baggage.

While foreign visitors to the U.S. used to be required to fill out an I-94 form, this is no longer necessary (the process has been automated).

For more information, please see the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) website: https://www.cbp.gov/border-security/ports-entry.

Next week, we will be discussing what a student should expect upon arrival to their university campus!

– U.S. Consulate General Hyderabad