Initial Entry

You may NOT enter the U.S. more than 30 days before the start date of your program on your Form I-20 or DS-2019

When you arrive at the U.S. port of entry, you will present your passport (or travel document), visa, evidence of financial support, and a SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) Form I-20 or DS-2019 to an immigration official. You should also be prepared to present your receipt notice of having paid the SEVIS fee.

If you have previously been in the United States in F-1 or J-1 status and have been issued a Form I-20 or DS-2019, you may be expected to present the previous documents as well.

Upon initial entry in either F-1 or J-1 status, the immigration official must be satisfied that you intend to attend the school specified on the visa. If you are transferring to Emory from another university, the school indicated on your visa stamp does not have to be Emory University. Upon admitting you to the United States, the immigration officer will examine your Form I-20 or DS-2019 and record your entrance to the U.S. in the SEVIS system.

You will receive an I-94 card (Arrival/Departure Record), showing the date and place of entry, your status as an F-1 or J-1 student, and a unique 11-digit admission number. Your entry should be marked for “D/S” (“Duration of Status”), not a date-specific departure. Do not lose this card! It shows that you made a valid entry into the U.S. and is an important part of your essential immigration documents. Also, you will need to give it back when you leave the U.S. When filling out this card, be sure to write your name as it appears in your passport.

You may also be asked to show financial documentation of your support during your time at Emory (such as your award letter or bank statements from your parents if they are supporting you).

Following the border, or Point of Entry, immigration inspection, you will then proceed through U.S. customs inspection, after which you may continue to your final destination.

Note: If you are a male between the ages of 16-45 from any of the following countries, you may be required to special-register upon arrival: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Egypt, Eritrea, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, or Yemen.

IMMIGRATION STATUS

Entering the United States with the proper immigration status is very important; once you have arrived, changing your immigration status is extremely difficult. F-1 (student in academic or language program) and J-1 (exchange visitor) are the most common immigration statuses for international students.

Please DO NOT enter the U.S. with a B-1/B-2 visitor visa. You will not be able to enroll in classes unless you obtain a change of status to F-1 or J-1 student, and this process can take several months.

Please be familiar with the following immigration documents:

Passport: Be sure to keep your passport in a safe place. While you are in the United States, you are responsible for remembering when your passport will expire and contacting the nearest consulate or embassy of your country to renew the passport if necessary.
Visa: A visa is a stamped or affixed entry on a page of the passport. The visa enables the passport bearer to request the immigration officer at the port of entry to grant admission to the United States under conditions specified for the type of visa the bearer holds. The student visa is an entry document; once you enter the country, the visa may expire without loss of immigration status.

The following students are NOT required to have visas to enter the United States, but ARE still required to pay the SEVIS Fee; all are required to have a valid passport.

Canadian citizens who are entering the United States from the Western Hemisphere. However, if you have emigrated to Canada or Bermuda, you are required to have a valid passport and visa.
Citizens of the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia who have proceeded in direct and continuous transit from their country of citizenship to the United States.
Citizens of Bermuda

If you are unsure whether or not you require a visa, contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate nearest you. A student from one of these countries listed applies directly to an immigration inspector at a port of entry or pre-flight inspection center for admission as an F-1 or J-1 student. The procedure is the same as that followed by students subject to visa requirements, except that the student need not present a visa.

Form I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record): The I-94 is a small white card that you will be given at the port of entry. The card will show your immigration classification and endorsements made by immigration officers to indicate the place and date of your admission to the United States and the initial period of stay authorized. Most F-1 and J-1 student visa holders will have "D/S" written on the card for their authorized period of stay. "D/S" indicates "Duration of Status," which means that as long as you maintain your immigration status, you will be authorized to stay in the United States.

I-20: F-1 students will receive the Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status for Academic and Language Studies, called Form I-20, after being accepted by Emory University. The Form I-20 is a very important immigration document for an international student in the United States. Please read the 2nd page of your I-20 before you leave your country. Keep your I-20 in a safe place with your passport. If you have old I-20s from your previous schools, save all of them for your records and keep them with your new I-20.

DS-2019: J-1 students will receive the Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor (J-1) Status, called Form DS-2019.

SEVIS Fee Receipt Notice