| Landing in USA |
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 Air Port |
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| On arrival atthe airport, the airline will give all non-United States citizens a form [Form I-94 (white)],to complete while still en route to the United States. Upon arrival, the airline personnel will show you to the inspection area. You will queue up in an inspection line and then speak with an Immigration Inspector. If you are not a U.S. citizen, you should use the lanes marked for non-citizens. |
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| The Immigration Inspector must determine why you are coming to the United States, what documents youshould possess and check if you are having those documents, and how long you should be allowed to initially stay in the United States. These determinations are usuallymade withinfew minutes. If you are allowed to proceed, the Inspector will stamp your passport and issue a completed Form I-94 to you. A completed form will show what immigration classification you were given and how long you were allowed to stay. You will then be permitted to proceed to Customs. |
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| Documents for F1 holders |
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 Passport |
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| I-94 |
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| I-20 - Original |
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| Letter from your University |
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| Keep the contact details of your university and address of your accomadation handy. If you are entering a different city than your university location, prepare to answer any questions like change of flights or your friend will pick you up from there like that. |
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| Documents for B1/B2 holders |
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| Passport |
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| I-94 |
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| Letter from your US sponsor (Company or organization or individual) |
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| Keep the contact details of your sponsor handy. |
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| If you have multiple VISA on your passport (Like H1B and B1) - Please specify which VISA you are going to use. Please visit our Visitor Visa page for new rules |
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| Customs |
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| Fill out your declaration (Customs declarations, Form 6059B, are distributed in planes) before you arrive so you can speed your customs and immigration clearance. You must complete the information requested on the front of the declaration. You need not itemize things you brought with you for personal use--for example, clothing, toiletries, portable radios--if they are within the exemptions allowed for arriving nonresidents. You must, however, declare the value of any gifts, business articles, or items which are not for your own use that you have brought with you to the United States. |
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| Exemptions Wearing apparel, jewelry, toiletries, hunting and fishing equipment, cameras, portable radios, and similar personal effects are exempt from duty if: they are for personal use; they belong to you; and they accompany you into and out of the United States |
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| If you are emigrating to the United States, jewelry or similar articles of personal adornment valued at $300 or more and passed free of duty under your personal customs exemption cannot be sold within three years unless duty is paid. If duty is not paid before the sale is completed, the articles will become a subject of seizure. A person emigrating to the United States may enter with professional equipments free of duty if it was owned and used abroad; this includes professional books and tools of trade, occupation, or employment. |
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| Pirated copies of copyrighted articles--that is, unlawfully made reproductions; articles produced without the copyright owner's authorization--are prohibited from importation into the United States. Pirated copies will be seized and destroyed. |
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| U.S. Customs and Border Protection - Web site |
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| Port of entry - INS information page |
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