Complete your entry paperwork. Flight attendants or CBP officials will distribute both customs declarations and Arrival-Departure Record Forms (I-94) to be filled out.  

I-94 Form (Arrival/Departure Record): The I-94 card(s) are used to show your record of arrival to and departure from the United States.  It is very important to fill out the I-94 arrival/departure card with your name as it appears in your passport.  Also pay attention to the arrangement requested for your date of birth (DOB).  The U.S. is the only country that requires your DOB to be shown by Month, Day, Year order.  There is also a pre-printed number on the upper left-hand corner known as the I-94 number or sometimes referred to as the Admission number.

The top portion of the I-94 form you fill out is used to record your arrival to the U.S. and is very important to be legible and accurate, as it may affect your ability to get a social security number (SSN) if you have employment, or to obtain a driver’s license.

The second portion of the I-94 form is the departure section, which you will retain and is usually stapled to your passport. It should also be legible and accurate as this is used to record your departure from the U.S.  This card must be turned in at the airport when leaving the U.S.

When entering the United States the Port of Entry (POE) official will stamp your visa, I-94 departure card and your I-20/DS-2019 with a red stamp which indicates your POE, Date you arrived, visa type and duration of stay (see Expiration Date information).

 

After completing your paperwork, proceed to the terminal area for arriving passengers.  Have the following documents available for presentation:  1) Your passport; 2)  Your SEVIS Form I-20  if you are a student;  3) I-94; and 4) customs declaration form.  Optional:  supporting letters from the school or from IMG Academies. Note: The I-94 should reflect the address where you will reside, not the address of the school.

All visitors entering the USA must state their reason for entering the country. If you are attending the IMG Pendleton School or a nearby school,  and are in possession of a valid SEVIS form, tell the CBP Officer that you are a student. If you do not have an I-20 and are attending a tourist program,  tell the CBP officer you are a visitor/tourist. 

Once your inspection to successfully completed, the inspecting officer will:

• (Students)  Stamp your SEVIS Form for duration of status (D/S) for F-1 visa holders
• Stamp the I-94 Arrival/Departure Form and staple it into the passport. For F-1 visa holders it should say D/S. For B1/B2 visa holders it should have a hand-written date approximately 6 months in advance. 
• Students who do not have “D/S” written on their I-94 must see their International Advisor as soon as they arrive on campus.

After entering the United States, you should consult your I-94, NOT your visa,  to see how much time you have to stay here. Your visa is an entry-document only. Even if you have a 10-year tourist visa,  you cannot stay in the USA for 10 years. In general, if you are a tourist you will be given 6 months to stay in the USA before you have to leave, or less if the immigration officer sees a pattern of living in the United States. You can enter the USA up to the very last day of your visa’s validity.     

When can I enter the USA and how long can I stay?  Students may only enter the USA up to 30 days before their program start date as listed on their I-20. Tourists may enter the USA at any time within their visa’s validity dates.