Arriving in the United States
New Students
- Pre-Arrival Booklet
- SEVIS
-
International Students Handbook
- Adjusting to American culture
- Advisors
- English as a Second Language (ESL)
- Good housekeeping
- Health care
- Housing, utilities, and furnishings
- Immigration information
- International student clubs and organizations
- Issues related to children
- Legal issues
- Mail and the U.S. Postal Service
- Money and banking
- Opportunities for spouses in the Troy area
- Security / public safety
- Services in the Troy area
- Shopping tips
- Social services
- Transportation
- U.S. telephone system
- Working on- and off-campus
- Visa application information
- Office of Graduate Education (OGE)
- Office of the First-Year Experience (FYE)
I-94 Card
You will be issued a white card to fill out on the airplane before you land, or at a land border in the United States if coming by car or train.
This is called an I-94 card (or Arrival and Departure record) and you will need to present this to the immigration officer upon your arrival. After you meet with the immigration officer, the I-94 card will be stapled into your passport. Do not remove this document; you must keep it stapled in your passport. Do not lose the I-94 card; it is very important.
Arrival at a U.S. port of entry
Upon arrival at a U.S. port of entry, such as an airport, etc., immigration will ask you to present your I-94 card, I-20 or DS-2019, and your passport. You may also be asked to show your proof of financial support. Therefore, it is very important that you do not pack any of these items in your checked baggage.
The immigration officer will then stamp your Form I-20 or DS-2019 and the I-94 card with the date of your arrival, port of entry, and your nonimmigrant status and return them to you. They should be marked with "D/S," which stands of "Duration of Status." The I-94 card may be stapled to your passport. Again, do not lose the I-94 card. This is a very important document.
Review your documents carefully at the immigration inspection station to make sure the correct information was marked. If there are any errors, ask for them to be corrected there, as it might not be possible to have the corrections made once you leave the immigration inspection station.