Entering the U.S.
Students may not enter the US more than 30 days prior to the start date listed on their I-20 or DS-2019 Form. The program start date is governed by the student's school and may not be changed. Students wishing to enter the US prior to the 30-day start date may be able to enter on a B-2 tourist visa temporarily, but should plan to leave and subsequently reenter the US in F-1 or J-1 student status before commencing their program. Please plan your travel to the US accordingly.
Hand carry the following documents:
- Your passport (valid for at least 6 months)
- Your SEVIS form I-20 or DS-2019
In addition, it is strongly recommended that you also hand carry the following documents:
- Evidence of financial resources
- Paper receipt for the SEVIS fee, Form I-797
- Evidence of student status, such as letter of admission or recent tuition receipts
- Name and contact information for your Designated School Official (DSO)
You should enter the United States for full-time study in either the F-1 or J-1 visa categories. You should not enter the US on a B-2 tourist visa if you do not plan to leave the US shortly after your arrival and reenter in the correct status. In special cases, US consular offices could issue a B-2 visa marked "prospective student" which will allow you to change to F-1 or J-1 status without leaving the US. OIP does not recommend students to enter the US as a "prospective student" because you will not be able to commence your studies until your change of status to F-1 is approved by the USCIS. Generally, it takes the USCIS approximately 2 months to process a change of status application to F-1 and approval of the change of status is not guaranteed.
At the port of entry in the US, you will receive an I-94 "arrival and departure" card (a small white card) and an immigration officer will examine your I-20 or DS-2019, passport, and entry visa (not applicable to Canadians). He or she will stamp both your I-94 card and your I-20 or DS-2019 form. Please keep these extremely important immigration documents in a secure place.
Students must attend the school whose I-20 or DS-2019 form was used to obtain a student visa and to enter the US. If, for example, you enter the US on a Form I-20 issued by another university, but then attend Loyola, you will almost certainly have to leave the US shortly after your arrival and reenter using Loyola's I-20 or DS-2019 Form. Keep in mind that you cannot accept any employment at Loyola, including a teaching assistantship, unless you hold F-1 or J-1 status valid for attendance at the Loyola University New Orleans.
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