You should plan to schedule a few days of rest before you leave home so that you can collect your thoughts, say good-bye to friends and family, and get ready for the transition to life in the U.S.

Be sure to arrive at the airport at least three hours before your flight is scheduled to leave. You will have a long journey ahead of you and do not want to start it in a hurry. A little extra time will lessen the stress. Remember that the United States does not allow you to bring in any fresh food, especially meat or sausages, so please leave them at home. For more guidelines, click here.

It is a good idea to have all of your documents in one folder where you can pull them out at any time. While traveling, hand carry (do not check in your luggage) the following documents:

• Your passport;
• Your I-20 or DS-2019;
• Proof of funding;
• SEVIS fee receipt and
• International Services (IS) and the International Cultural Center (ICC) contact information.

You should also store one set of photocopies of all documents (including your visa and passport) in your hand luggage and one in your suitcase, and leave one set at home, just in case something might get lost.

A word of caution: Always watch your belongings during your travels, even on the plane! In some cases, passports and money were stolen while students or faculty were on the plane.

While you are en route to the United States, flight attendants will distribute two forms for you to fill out: one form issued by immigration authorities and the other is a customs declaration.

Make sure you receive the white immigration form called I-94 Arrival/Departure Record. Read the form carefully before you start writing on it. If you make a mistake, ask for a new form. Once again, many people will ask you for your I-94, so please remember what it is. To fill it out, you will need your passport, the airline and flight number, the first airport in the U.S. where you arrived (Port of Entry), the place and date where your visa was issued. You will also have to give your address in the U.S. If you do not know where you are going to stay while you are in the U.S., you can use the address of International Services or the International Cultural Center  here at LSU.

When you write your name on the form, make sure that the spelling and the order of your name (last name, first name) are the same as in your passport (and, hopefully, your I-20 or DS-2019)! It is very important that all your immigration documents match! If the name on your I-20 or DS-2019 is different from the one in your passport, make the I-94 form match the passport. IS can correct your I-20 or DS-2019 for you later, but we cannot correct the I-94 form.

If you are traveling with your family, each family member must fill out his or her own I-94 card. Complete instructions for filling out the Form I-94 are can be found here. Frequently asked questions (FAQs) can be found here.

The customs form is much easier to fill out. If you are traveling with your family, you will only need one form for the entire family. Just remember to look at the reverse side and do not forget to sign it. Once you have filled out the forms, just place them in your passport. Make sure that you do not leave your passport or any of your documents on the airplane when you exit the plane.

Click here for an overview of the inspection process at the Port of Entry. Note: All students have to have their picture and fingerprints taken. Please bring a lot of patience and do not forget to give yourself lots of time (at least 3-4 hours) between your arriving and connecting flights.

The first airport in the United States at which you arrive is called your Port of Entry. At this airport, you will have to go through U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) before you can go to your connecting flight to Baton Rouge. Don’t worry about getting lost: just follow the crowd and you will get to where you need to go.

You will present your passport and the form I-20 or DS-2019 to the CBP officer at your port of entry. The officer may ask you a few questions while processing your papers. The officer will stamp the I-20/DS-2019 and return it to you. He/she will also stamp the small portion of your I-94 form and return the I-94 card to you or staple it to your passport. The I-94 card should indicate that you have “F-1" or “J-1” immigration status for “D/S” (“Duration of Status”). This means that you are allowed to stay in the U.S. as long as you study at LSU.

ATTENTION! This I-94 card is extremely important. DO NOT LOSE IT! If you do not receive an I-94 card or if it does not state “F-1” OR “J-1” AND “D/S,” ask for a correct card before you leave the CBP officer. If you are traveling with your dependents, each dependent should have his/her own individual I-20 or DS-2019. Each dependent must have an individual I-94 form. This form should state “F-2” or “J-2” and “D/S.”  Check the I-94 forms carefully before you leave the CBP officer.

Certain individuals are subject to special registration. If you belong to this category, the procedure is more complicated. Following your initial inspection, you will be fingerprinted, photographed and questioned under oath. You may also have to report to an immigration officer in person when you exit the U.S. You must use one of the specially designated airports when you leave the U.S. For more information about NSEERS, click here.

If something is not clear to CBP officials, they may ask you to proceed to secondary inspection. There is no reason to be alarmed if you are asked to go along for some additional questions. All legitimate students will make it through the process without difficulties, but it is very important to have all of your documents at hand. Answer all questions politely but briefly. Do not tell the officer anything she or he did not ask for. This may lead to misunderstandings.

If you are asked to do certain things, try to comply as best as you can with everything you are asked to do. If there are problems with your documents, you will usually be allowed to enter the U.S. and stay 30 days; you will get a form I-515 in this case. These document problems can usually be worked out when you arrive at LSU, but you must come to the IS office as soon as possible after your arrival to take care of the problem!

CBP officials rarely decide to deny a prospective legitimate student admission to the United States. However, should CBP officials decide to deny you admission, you should be extremely cautious about arguing with them. They can decide to issue an expedited removal which entails a five-year ban on admission to the U.S. There is no appeals process if such a procedure is deemed necessary by CBP. If you are denied admission, try to contact IS at LSU immediately at 225-578-3191. You also may let the CBP officers know that you are willing to consider withdrawing your application for entering the United States rather than being subject to expedited removal.

After going through CBP inspections, you can pick up your luggage and go through customs. You can put your luggage on one of the carts that you will find at any port of entry and proceed to a customs official who will take your customs declaration form. Of course, it is only that easy if you have nothing to declare. For more information, go to http://www.educationusa.info/pages/students/travel.php and click on “Review of Immigration Documents.”

After going through the customs, you are now officially in the United States! You will find ticket counters or kiosks where you can check-in for your connecting flight to Baton Rouge.