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Whether you are planning your first trip to the US or you are a returning student, it is very important to review the most up-to-date information concerning US entry requirements. Please review the following information carefully and contact the Office of International Programs if you have any questions.
Travel Dates
New F-1 students are eligible to enter the US up to 30 days before the program start date on your I-20. To confirm your timeline, check the ‘Earliest Admission Date’ on page 1 of your I-20. Continuing F-1 students do not have this entry restriction.
Documents to Carry
Plan to carry the following documents on your person or in your carry-on luggage and not in your checked baggage:
- Passport valid for at least six months into the future
- Unexpired F-1 Visa (unless citizen of Canada or Bermuda)
- Unexpired I-20 with current travel signature (DSO signature on page 2 is not older than 1 year) make sure you are carrying the printout of your I-20, not a copy on an electronic device
- Recommended for new students: Meredith Admission letter, I-901 SEVIS fee receipt, financial support documentation
- Recommended for returning students: Unofficial transcript (confirming full-time enrollment) and financial support documentation
What to Expect at the US Port of Entry
The Port of Entry (POE) is the first place you land in the United States and is where you will encounter the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). CBP is part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and is the government agency that controls admission to the United States.
Meet with an officer
Meet with an officer who will review your documents and ask a few questions regarding the purpose of your visit to the US (to be a student). Customs officers may also ask to inspect your electronic devices (including social media accounts). You should comply with these requests, so do not carry anything that you do not want inspected. If an officer determines you require additional screening, you may be asked to go to an interview area called Secondary Inspection. This is not uncommon and not cause for alarm. However, Secondary Inspection can take some time, so we recommend keeping this in mind when planning layover time between flights.
Contact OIP if needed
Contact OIP if needed. Should you encounter any questions or challenges, you can ask the CBP officer to call OIP at +1 919-760-8397 during regular office hours (Monday-Friday 8am to 5pm EDT). After hours, please contact Meredith’s Campus Police at +1 919 760 8888 and they will get in touch with an OIP staff member.
Check your I-94
Check your I-94. Be sure to check your new I-94 to make sure Customs recorded your entry correctly (Admit Until Date: D/S and Class of Admission: F-1). Find a mistake or have trouble locating your new I-94? Contact OIP for assistance.
Traveling within the U.S.
International students are eligible and encouraged to travel around the U.S. during your time here. OIP encourages you to carry the following documents with you to prove your nonimmigrant status, if ever needed:
- Unexpired passport (valid for at least six months into the future)
- Most recent I-20 printout
- Most recent I-94 printout
- EAD (if applicable)
REAL ID
Effective May 7, a REAL ID-compliant form of identification will be required to board domestic flights in the US, as well as to enter federal facilities. A standard North Carolina driver’s license will no longer be accepted for federal use, but it will still be valid to certify lawful driving in the US. There are some benefits, as well as some real challenges, with the new IDs, so please read through the following information carefully.
What is a REAL ID?
This alternate ID has been in the works since Congress passed the REAL ID Act back in 2005, but it’s taken quite a while for the government to implement. A REAL ID is a state-issued driver’s license or identification card that complies with federal security requirements, according to the standards outlined in the Act.
Do I have to get a REAL ID?
No. If you are not flying domestically or entering a facility such as a federal courthouse, a REAL ID is not needed. And if you ARE flying domestically or entering a federal facility, you may use a REAL ID-compliant form of identification instead. A list of alternative IDs is available through TSA. For international students, an unexpired passport from your home country works, as does an unexpired EAD (for anyone on OPT, etc.).
How do I apply for a REAL ID?
To apply for a REAL ID, you’ll need to bring the following documents to a North Carolina DMV location:
(1) Proof of identity, date of birth and legal presence in the United States. International students prove this with the following documents:
- Unexpired passport
- Unexpired F-1 visa
- Printout of most recent I-94
- Printout of most recent I-20
(2) Proof of Social Security Number (SSN). If you have an SSN, you can bring your social security card. If you do not have an SSN, additional documentation may be needed to verify non-eligibility for a Social Security number.
(3) Proof of North Carolina residency. Two different documents with your name and NC address are needed. Examples of documents international students can use include bank statements, transcript, lease, utility bills, health insurance statements, etc.
More information about the REAL ID application requirements is available on the NC DMV website.
What challenges should I expect?
First, because the REAL ID rule is still being implemented, there may be updates or changes announced, as well as best practices we learn as we go. For now, here are some of the main elements of the law that will prove challenging for some international students:
(1) Unexpired visa requirement as part of the “proof of identity, DOB, and legal status.” While there may be updates in how this is interpreted, as it’s currently written, this would exclude international students’ whose visas have expired (which is only a problem for travel, not for status inside the US), as well as students from Canada and Bermuda who are exempt from having visas.
(2) Social Security Number (SSN) requirement. Though state IDs and driver licenses have always had this requirement, what’s different in the REAL ID regulations is that they specify that one must bring proof of an SSN or “verification that the person is not eligible for a social security account number.” At this time, it is unclear what ‘verification’ the DMV may require. It’s possible it could require a student to apply for an SSN, get rejected, and bring the rejection notice with them as the verification that they are not eligible for a SSN.
(3) Duration of the REAL ID. Regulations require that the duration of REAL IDs be limited to “the period of the person’s authorized stay or, if there is no definite end to the period of authorized stay, a duration of one year.” Since F-1 students are admitted for “Duration of Status (D/S)” (no explicit end date), it is possible that REAL IDs may only be issued for one year at a time for international students.
