Strategies for a Successful Entry into the United States
This is the third message being sent to new Fall 2008 international students by the Office of International Student and Scholar Services.
Remember, Your Travel Date into the United States Must Be On or Before August 18, 2008 (August 17, 2008 if you are an exchange student).
If you have been issued an I-20 from Binghamton University with a start date of August 18, 2008 (08/18/2008) or August 17, 2008 (08/17/2008), and you are traveling to the United States from another country, you are required by US federal law to enter the United States on or before that date. If you have any questions regarding this requirement, please contact the ISSS at isss@binghamton.edu
CONTENTS:
- What to Expect When You Arrive in the United States
- Special Note for Citizens of Canada
- Entering the United States by Plane? Know the Baggage Requirements, Permitted and Prohibited Items
- Carrying U.S. or Foreign Currency
- SEVIS
- US-VISIT
- National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS)
- Document Problems
- Conclusion
1. What to Expect When You Arrive in the United States
Immigration and customs are managed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. You will see CBP officers at all U.S. ports of entry. You should expect to go through both immigration and customs inspections at the U.S. port of entry. You may also be required to go through a pre-inspection procedure at certain airports abroad.
Due to heightened security concerns since the attacks of September 11, 2001, your carry-on and checked luggage may be thoroughly searched by airport personnel.
Whether you will be making your first entry into the United States or have entered the United States before, expect immigration and customs procedures at the various U.S. ports to result in some delays. You should present to the CBP Inspector your passport, SEVIS I-20 or DS-2019 issued by Binghamton University, and the completed white, I-94 arrival/departure card that will be distributed by airplane personnel once you are on your flight to the United States. You should also be able to present proof of SEVIS Fee payment if you have been issued an I-20 for “initial entry” or a DS-2019 to “begin a new program.”
Be prepared to state the reason you wish to enter the United States. It is very important that you tell the CBP Inspector that you will be a student (or exchange student if appropriate). You should also be prepared to provide information regarding your final destination in the United States, which is Binghamton.
If you have recently attended another U.S. school, your Binghamton SEVIS I-20 may read “transfer pending from” and the name of your previous school. If you are questioned about the “transfer pending” notation, inform the immigration officer that Binghamton has advised you that your transfer will be completed once you arrive on campus and register for courses.
Answer all questions politely and briefly. Do not offer any information that goes beyond the scope of the question asked you.
The CBP Inspector will return your passport to you, will place an arrival stamp on one of its pages, will stamp and give to you the lower portion of your I-94 arrival/departure card, as well as stamp your SEVIS I-20 or DS-2019. Both the I-94 card and the SEVIS I-20 or DS-2019 should be marked “F-1 D/S” on the immigration stamp.
Special Note: Remember that if you are entering the United States with a new F-1 or J-1 student visa that has never been used for U.S. entry before, the SEVIS I-20 or SEVIS DS-2019 that you present to the Immigration Inspector must be for the school listed on the visa, and you must enroll at that school. The U.S. federal immigration authorities report all arrivals to the school listed on the student’s SEVIS document, and “no shows” must be reported by the school to the U.S. federal immigration authorities.
If you have previously attended a U.S. school, have an unexpired U.S. student visa that has been used at least once to enter the United States so that you could attend the previous school, and if no more than five months has passed between the time you last attended that school and your entry date to the United States, you may use that visa and the SEVIS I-20 issued by Binghamton to enter the United States for enrollment at Binghamton.
Remember that if you carry more than $10,000 in U.S. or foreign currency, traveler's checks, money orders or negotiable instruments, you must report it on your Customs Form at the U.S. port of entry. Failure to do so can result in the seizure of the currency. For more information on this regulation, see article 4 below.
2. Special Note for Citizens of Canada
Citizens of Canada are not required to obtain a U.S. visa to enter the United States. However, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer will inspect your papers, either at a pre-inspection site in Canada or upon entry to the United States. You must have with you:
- your Canadian passport (mandatory if you are traveling to the U.S. by airplane)
- your admission letter to Binghamton
- proof of Federal SEVIS Fee Payment
- your Binghamton Certificate of Eligibility (I-20 or DS-2019)
- proof of financial support that corresponds to the information on your I-20 or DS 2019
It is essential that you enter the United States in the appropriate status, so be sure to have complete documentation with you.
3. Entering the United States by Plane? Know the Baggage Requirements, Permitted and Prohibited Items
If your trip to the United States will be by airplane, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the security and safety procedures that are currently in use by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration. Detailed information on security, access requirements, checkpoints for passengers and baggage, permitted and prohibited items, and recommendations for travel preparation is available at
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm
http://www.tsa.gov/311/index.shtm
Additional information on international travel may be found at:
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/duty_free_travel_alert.shtm
4. Carrying U.S. Or Foreign Currency
Sometimes, a student carries a large amount of money into or out of the United States. Please remember that it is a federal law that anyone carrying more than $10,000 in a monetary instrument of any form must declare that money, or risk having it seized by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials. Here is the explanation of the law:
"There is no limit on the total amount of monetary instruments that may be brought into or taken out of the United States, nor is it illegal to do so. However, if you transport or cause to be transported (including by mail or other means) more than $10,000 in negotiable monetary instruments on any occasion into or out of the United States or if you receive more than $10,000, you must file a Report of International Transportation of International Currency or Monetary Instruments (FinCen105) with U.S. Customs and Border Protection denoted in the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act, 31 U.S.C. 1101, et. seq. Failure to comply can result in civil and criminal penalties, including seizure of the currency or monetary instruments. Monetary instruments include U.S. or foreign coin, currency, travelers' checks, money orders, and negotiable instruments or investment securities in bearer form."
In past years, there have been students carrying large sums of money whose funds have been seized for failure to declare. Do not let this happen to you.
Procedures at the U.S. ports of entry accommodate both SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) requirements as well as U.S.-VISIT and Special Registration requirements (explained below).
CBP officials are required to record your arrival data into the SEVIS database at the time you enter, and return your SEVIS I-20 or DS-2019 to you, after they have stamped it. However, not all CBP officials will have access to SEVIS at their booths in the "primary lanes."
Depending upon the port of entry, some students may be directed to a secondary inspection area or separate "student lanes" so that their data can be entered into SEVIS. Do not be anxious or alarmed if you are directed to go to a secondary inspection area. It may well be that at the airport where you have landed, the SEVIS databases can only be accessed from computers in the secondary inspection area.
CBP has advised in the past that processing at land, sea, and air ports may take more time, so travel and connecting flight plans should take this into account.
US-VISIT stands for United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology. This is an entry/exit record keeping system for all non-immigrants (tourists, students, workers, etc) traveling to and from the United States. Race, religion, and national origin are not factors in the US-VISIT program.
US-VISIT requires that non-immigrants entering the United States have finger prints taken by placing their fingers on an inkless fingerprint scanner. Non-immigrants will then be asked to look into a camera for their digital photograph to be taken. The only non-immigrants exempt from this process are citizens of Canada, based on existing agreements with the United States and Canada.
US-VISIT is also in operation at land borders with Canada and Mexico.
For more information, visit: http://www.dhs.gov/us-visit
7. National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS)
Individuals subject to NSEERS or "special registration" will be directed to a separate area following their initial immigration inspection where they will be fingerprinted, photographed and questioned under oath. This may add significant delays to the amount of time spent at the airport. If traveling on a connecting flight, allow plenty of time. The current list of countries whose citizens or nationals aged 16 or over are subject to “special registration” are Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria. Additional countries whose male nationals between the ages of 16 and 45 may be subject to special registration include Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Egypt, Eritrea, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
The list of those subject to "special registration" can be expanded at anytime with the publication of additional countries in the Federal Register.
Additionally, the immigration inspectors at the ports of entry have the discretion to require any foreign national, regardless of nationality, to undergo special registration if the individual is considered a national security risk. The discretionary factors relating to national security risk may include dual citizenship with one of the designated countries, a foreign national's unexplained trips to certain designated countries, other instances of unexplained travel, previous visa violations, people who by their "behavior, demeanor, or answers" demonstrate that they should be monitored while in the United States, and characteristics determined by intelligence profiles. Because of the broad and discretionary nature of the criteria, additional non-immigrants could be subjected to special registration.
In the future, NSEERS will be integrated under US-VISIT.
In certain cases, if there is some problem with your documents, you may be issued a 30-day entry on your I-94 card and issued a form I-515A, usually with instructions to see your international student advisor. Examine your I-94 card carefully as you leave the immigration booth. F-1 students and J-1 students should have their I-94s marked "D/S" which means Duration of Status, along with a stamp indicating the date you entered the United States. If an expiration date is written on the I-94 instead of "D/S," and you are in F or J status, come to the Office of International Student and Scholar Services as soon as possible.
Anyone who is denied admission at a U.S. port of entry should be very cautious about arguing with the immigration official. You may risk being issued "expedited removal," which now entails a five-year bar on admission to the United States. If you are denied admission, first try to contact the office of International Student and Scholar Services for assistance, but also make it known to the Immigration Official that you are willing to withdraw your application for admission to the country rather than be subject to expedited removal.
The vast majority (99%) of all new Binghamton students will have few if any problems during their U.S. port of entry inspection. The most important thing to remember is to have all of your required visa documents with you. Do not put any visa documents such as your passport or I-20 (DS-2019 for J visa holders) that you will need for immigration inspection in your check-through luggage! Remember as well to be patient if you encounter long lines or additional inspections.
We close by wishing all of our new students a safe journey from their homes to Binghamton, and a smooth immigration inspection process. We look forward to meeting you soon.
Ms. Ellen H. Badger, Director
International Student and Scholar Services
Binghamton University, State University of New York