Arriving to the United States

F-1 and J-1 students are expected to arrive to UC San Diego by the Program Start Date listed on their Form I-20 or Form DS-2019. There is no grace period for late arrival. Entry to the U.S. is at the discretion of the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers at the Port of Entry and is not guaranteed. 

F-1 Students: To learn how early you can arrive to the U.S., review the “Form Issue Reason” on page 1 of your UC San Diego Form I-20: 

• If your form says Initial Attendance, you may seek entry to the U.S. only within the 30 days leading up to your Program Start Date. Refer to the “Earliest Admission Date” on your Form I-20. 
• If your form says Transfer Pending or Change of Educational Level, you may seek re-entry to the U.S. at any point prior to your Program Start Date. The 30-day entry rule does not apply to you.  

J-1 Students: To learn how early you can arrive to the U.S., review the “Purpose of this form” on page 1 of your UC San Diego Form DS-2019: 

• If your form says Begin New Program, you may seek entry to the U.S. only within the 30 days leading up to your Program Start Date. 
• If your form says Transferred, you may seek re-entry to the U.S. at any point prior to your Program Start Date. The 30-day entry rule does not apply to you. 

You will first enter the United States through a Port of Entry (land, sea, or air). At the Port of Entry, you will seek admission into the United States from a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officer. CBP Officers are responsible for determining your eligibility to enter the U.S. based on the type of visa you present to them (F-1, J-1, etc.). Here you will be required to present your immigration documents (see next section below) to a CBP Officer. Be aware that this is a personal petition you are making, requesting that the U.S. government allow you entry to the country. Be prepared to hand the CBP Officer your documents and to answer questions related to your plans to attend UC San Diego. 

If the CBP officer determines that they are unable to verify your information, or if you do not have the required documentation, the officer may direct you to an interview area known as “secondary inspection.” Secondary inspection allows CBP Officers to conduct additional research to verify information without causing delays for other arriving passengers. To learn more about secondary inspection, review ISEO’s information on Port of Entry Delays.  

Ensure that you have your immigration documents in-hand and ready to present when entering the U.S. DO NOT pack these documents inside of your check-in luggage. They should be easily accessible in your carry-on bag and ready to present to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers at the Port of Entry: 

Required Documents

• Valid Passport: Review your passport and ensure that it is valid for at least 6 months after your date of intended entry into the U.S. 
• Valid F-1 or J-1 Visa: Ensure the F-1 or J-1 visa inside your passport is valid. Make sure that your first name and family/last name as shown on your visa, match your passport. If there are any errors on your visa, contact the U.S. Consulate that issued your visa immediately. 
• Form I-20 or Form DS-2019 from UC San Diego: Ensure you use the most recent Form I-20 or DS-2019 issued to you by UC San Diego, signed by an ISEO Student Advisor (electronic signature of Advisor is OK). U.S. law requires that you must print this I-20/DS-2019 and sign it by hand/with wet signature. Customs will only accept your printed I-20/DS-2019 with your wet signature. Photocopies of the Form I-20/DS-2019 will not be accepted. Additionally, you may not show an electronic version of your document; you must carry the printed document with you. 

Recommended Documents 

• Admission Letter: Bring the official letter you received offering you admission to UC San Diego. 
  • Exchange students: Print a PDF of the email you received indicating your acceptance to exchange at UC San Diego. Note: Ensure you print your acceptance email, not your nomination email. 
• Proof of payment of the SEVIS I-901 Fee: You must have paid the SEVIS I-901 FMJ Fee in order to seek entry to the U.S. The SEVIS I-901 Fee is a payment required by the U.S. government once per SEVIS ID#. Be prepared to show a copy of your I-901 Fee receipt. 
  • If your Form I-20 says “Initial Attendance”, or your Form DS-2019 says “Begin New Program”, you have received a brand new SEVIS ID# and are required to pay the SEVIS I-901 Fee. Do so prior to seeking U.S. entry.  
• Financial Documents: Be prepared to show financial documents in support of the sources and amounts of funding shown on your Form I-20/DS-2019. 

Information in this section is for students entering the U.S. by car/land border. Students entering the U.S. via air/flight do not need to request their I-94 in advance.  

If you will be entering the U.S. by car via a land border, you must request your Provisional Form I-94* prior to your entry. Request your Provisional I-94 within the 6 days before you travel by visiting the official I-94 website and clicking on “Apply for I-94". Please be aware that the I-94 you obtain online is only the first step in completing the I-94 process. To obtain the final Form I-94, you will need to complete the final steps in person at your Port of Entry. ISEO recommends that you confirm with the CBP Officer at the Port of Entry that your I-94 reflects type of visa you are requesting entry on (F-1, J-1, etc.). 

Students entering the U.S. via air do not need to request their I-94 in advance. CBP will automatically generate your I-94 for you upon your arrival at the Port of Entry. 

*All travelers to the United States are issued a Form I-94 by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) upon each entry to the U.S. Your I-94 confirms that you have been legally admitted to the U.S. in a specific visa status for a particular period of time. The Form I-94 is an important immigration document that you may be required to show to obtain future immigration benefits.

The Form I-94 is a lawful record of your admission to the United States, issued by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) each time you enter the U.S. Your I-94 confirms that you have been legally admitted to the U.S. in a specific visa status for a particular period of time. The Form I-94 is an important immigration document that you may be required to show during your time in the U.S. to obtain future immigration benefits. 

After you have arrived to the United States, follow these instructions to access your Form I-94 and review it for accuracy. Your I-94 will become available for download approximately 3 business days after your U.S. entry.