Arrival Plans
Have your travel documents in order and confirm with Jim Trelstad-Porter at the Office of International Programs your arrival date and your attendance at the International Student Orientation.
- Arrive a day or two before the expected report date of the program.
- Several hotels in the community offer a Augsburg Preferred Rate. If you or your family need to make hotel arrangements, please request this rate.
- Make arrangements to have U.S. currency available upon your arrival to the United States.
- Do not carry large sums of cash; traveler’s checks are safer.
If you wish to ship some of your belongings ahead of time, you may do so two weeks prior to the report date. E-mail Marissa Machado at beintl@augsburg to make these arrangements.
Arrival into a U.S. Port of Entry (POE)
The immigration officer at the Port of Entry will request the following forms:
- Passport valid for at least six months
- F-1 visa, unless exempt from visa requirements as for Canadian citizens. For initial entries, the name of the school on the F-1 visa stamp must match the name of the school on the SEVIS I-20 form.
- SEVIS I-20, properly signed by the DSO and by the student
- Evidence of financial support, including the same financial support information used to obtain the F-1 visa
- I-94 card (Arrival/Departure Record), marked with the date and place of entry
The immigration officer will stamp "F-1 D/S" in your passport (F-1 visa page), and SEVIS I-20.
You will be directed to the Customs area for inspection of your luggage.
Admission Number for First F-1 Entry
Immigration uses the pre-printed admission number in the upper left-hand corner of the Form I-94 card (issued to you from the airlines prior to your arrival) for its arrival/departure database known as the Nonimmigrant Information System. Using this system along with the SEVIS system, immigration will keep track of the following information:
- Arrival/departures of F-1 students
- Field of study
- Degree objectives
- Transfers to other schools
- Permission to work – Curricular Practical Training, Optional Practical Training
- I-94 Subsequent Entries
- F-1 students are required to surrender Form I-94 upon leaving the United States and will be issued a new Form I-94 card upon their re-entry.
- Duration of Status (D/S)
- Duration of status refers to the period that a student is pursuing a full course of study at an educational institution approved by immigration.
- I-515 Form – Temporary Admission
If the F-1 student appears at the Port of Entry in good faith without a properly completed SEVIS I-20 or properly endorsed SEVIS I-20, but otherwise appears eligible for admission as an F-1 student, the immigration officer may grant the student a 30-day “date certain” admission by issuing the I-515. If you should receive this form, please bring it to Orientation.
Transfer from One SEVIS School to Another SEVIS School within the United States
- F-1 student must notify the International Office at his/her college/university of the intent to transfer to Augsburg.
- F-1 student will need to obtain verification (Transfer Eligibility Form) from his/her current school’s DSO that he/she has been maintaining student status and is eligible for transfer.
- F-1 student’s present school will "Transfer Out" in their SEVIS system.
- F-1 student meets the eligibility criteria and obtains a new SEVIS I-20 from the DSO at the new school.
- DSO at the new school will "Transfer In" the student in their SEVIS system.
- F-1 student must enroll in the new school in the first term after leaving the previous school or the first term after vacation.
Transfer from One SEVIS School to Another SEVIS School by Re-entry from Abroad
- F-1 student must notify the International Office at his/her school of intent to transfer to Augsburg.
- F-1 student will need to obtain verification (Transfer Eligibility Form [Microsoft Word Document]) from his/her current school’s DSO that he/she has been maintaining student status and is eligible for transfer.
- F-1 student’s present school will "Transfer Out" in their SEVIS system.
- F-1 student meets the eligibility criteria and obtains a new SEVIS I-20 from the DSO at the new school.
- F-1 student presents the SEVIS I-20 from the new school to the immigration officer at the Port of Entry in the United States.
- F-1 student checks in with the DSO at the Office of International Programs, Augsburg College.
