Arriving in the United States
Arriving in Atlanta on an International Flight
International flights land at Concourse E of Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
Follow the signs for Immigration, and have your passport, visa, I-20 or DS-2019, admission letter, financial documents, completed Form I-94 and customs forms ready to show to the immigration officer. You will receive the I-94 card and customs forms on your flight. Carefully complete the I-94 card, writing your name exactly as it appears on your student visa and I-20 or DS-2019 Form. When the immigration officer returns this document to you, it should be marked with the notation "F-1" or "J-1" as well as "D/S," meaning you have been admitted for the duration of your status. Please review the I-94 before leaving the officer's desk in order to ensure it was correctly annotated.
After clearing Immigration, claim your baggage at the conveyor belt and move on towards U.S. Customs. (Please note that you will be asked if you are carrying any fruits and/or vegetables in your baggage as these items are not allowed to be brought into the United States.)
After clearing U.S. Customs, you must check-in your baggage again. You will then proceed through a second security checkpoint. At this checkpoint you will NOT be allowed to carry any liquids, so be sure to put any liquid items you may be carrying into your checked baggage. Once you have cleared security, proceed to the terminal and reclaim your baggage.
Follow directions to the Terminal building, which will take you down an escalator to a very long corridor. To the right and left are train lines. You should board a train heading towards the Terminal/Baggage Claim (this train will be on your right-hand side as you come down the escalator). Concourse E is more than one mile away from the main terminal. Trains arrive every 60-90 seconds.
When you arrive at the Terminal building, you will use an escalator to come up from the train. You will see a sign indicating which airlines are serviced through the North Terminal (turn right at the top of the escalators) and the South Terminal (turn left at the top of the escalators). Follow the signs to the appropriate baggage claim area.
This entire procedure usually takes about two hours.
Arriving in Atlanta on a Domestic Flight
If you enter the United States through another airport and then continue on to Atlanta your Immigration and Customs check will take place at the first airport. The Immigration and Customs process will be similar to the procedure at the Atlanta airport but it may not be identical.
Domestic flights land at one of four concourses (A, B, C or D) depending upon the airline providing the flight.
You may proceed directly to the baggage claim area following arrival on a domestic flight.