Traveling to the U.S.

On This Page: Tell Us Your Travel Plans • Enroll in Early Health Insurance • Request a Tucson Airport Lyft Code • Enter the United States • Download Your I-94 • Frequently Asked Questions

Tell Us Your Travel Plans

After you have made travel plans, submit the Visa and Travel Update e-form to let us know.

You are allowed to enter the U.S. 30 days before your program start date. You’ll find this date listed on your I-20 under “Program of Study” as the “Earliest Admission Date.” If you are transferring your SEVIS record from another school in the U.S., the 30-day rule does not apply to you and you may enter earlier.

VISA AND Travel Update e-form 

Enroll in Early Health Insurance

All international students registered for at least 1 unit must purchase the Student Health Insurance Plan. You will be automatically enrolled in the health insurance plan after you register for classes.

If you will be in the United States before the effective date of the Student Health Insurance, we strongly recommend applying for early enrollment or purchasing private health insurance so you have coverage during the gap.

Campus Health offers 2-week and 4-week early enrollment options for students arriving before the effective date.

Learn More About Using Your Health Insurance

Request a Tucson Airport Lyft Code

To assist with your transportation from the Tucson International airport, International Student Services is providing discounted Lyft codes for newly admitted students. If you are arriving to the Phoenix International Airport, you can pay to reserve a shuttle to Tucson from the airport.

Before requesting a code, understand the following:

• • Ride must occur between December 15 and January 14 

• • Ride must be from Tucson airport to a location within 2 miles of Main Campus 

• • You need an active Lyft account (new users must add a payment method) 

• • Any cost over $50 is your responsibility 

• • Only available to newly admitted students

You will receive an email with the link to access the portal.

Enter the United States

IMPORTANT Please check the Announcements page regularly for immigration updates.

You should hand-carry the following documents to present at Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the U.S. Port of Entry:

• I-20/DS-2019 (don't forget to print and sign!)
• Passport with a valid visa (if applicable)

Recommended

• Funding documents
• SEVIS I-901 Fee receipt (required for citizens of Canada and Bermuda)
• Visa & Entry Letter

Entry to the U.S. is at the discretion of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and CBP may require you to go through Secondary Inspection and/or choose to inspect your electronic devices to further verify the information. Since this may cause delays at your initial port of entry to the U.S., make sure you have enough travel time between any connecting flights.

If you're entering the U.S. for the first time, Customs and Border Protection may check that you plan to attend the school specified on your F-1 visa. This requirement only applies to initial entry in F-1 status. 

Read more about entry to the U.S. on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement website: Student Process Steps: How to Navigate the U.S. Immigration System.

Download Your I-94

Customs and Border Protection creates an I-94 record for every nonimmigrant who enters the U.S. The I-94 shows your date of entry, visa category, and D/S for Duration of Status. "Duration of Status" means you may remain in the United States so long as you are maintaining your I-20/DS-2019 SEVIS record. It also gives you a grace period to leave the U.S. at the end of your program (60 days for F-1 students and 30 days for J-1 students).

Students Entering By Land: Within 7 days of entry through a land port of entry, you can apply and pay $30.00 for your I-94 online. Please be aware that the I-94 you obtain online is temporary (a "provisional I-94") and just the first step in completing the I-94 application. To obtain the final, legal-for-travel Form I-94, you will need to appear at a port of entry in person with your immigration documents. If you are entering via an airport, you do not need to apply for an I-94 in advance in order to access your record at the CBP website.

To access your electronic I-94 record after entry:

1. Go to the I-94 website.
2. From the menu at the top, click “Get Most Recent I-94.”
3. Enter all information exactly as it appears on your travel documentation you used to enter the U.S.
4. Click “Next” to get your most recent I-94 record.

Can’t find your I-94? Try entering different combinations of your names (e.g., first and last name order, with or without hyphens or middle names) or use your SEVIS number instead of your passport number. See NAFSA’s I-94 Retrieval Tips for more guidance.

You are required to carry evidence of your admission (entry) to the U.S. at all times. You can carry your passport with admission stamp, a print out of your electronic I-94, or your paper I-94 to satisfy this requirement.

Frequently Asked Questions