Visa & documents
Arrival and entry: from the visa in your passport to check-in in Jonesboro
A visa lets you travel to a US port of entry and ask to be admitted. The officer from US Customs and Border Protection at the airport decides whether you are admitted. This page gets you through that cleanly — and tells you what to do in your first week.
The 30-day rule
The earliest you may enter is 30 days before the start date on your I-20
A new F-1 student in initial status may not enter the United States more than 30 days before the program start date printed on the I-20. This is a US government rule, not a university one — read it on the Department of State student visa page and on Study in the States before you book a flight. Arriving earlier than that can mean being refused entry even with a valid visa.
Source: travel.state.gov — Student Visa · studyinthestates.dhs.gov · Updated Aug 22, 2026
- Take the program start date on your I-20 as the fixed point and choose your flight around it, not the other way round.
- A-State residence halls open on Aug 15, 2026 for the fall term. Being allowed to enter is not the same as having somewhere to sleep: arrive before the halls open and you will need temporary accommodation.
- Arriving after the start date is also a problem. If your flight or your visa slips, tell the admissions office and the international office before that date rather than simply turning up late.
- Book a flexible or refundable ticket. Interview scheduling and passport return are outside your control.
Hand-carry, never check
- Passport with the F-1 visa
- The original signed I-20 (the most recent one the university issued)
- Your A-State admission letter
- The SEVIS I-901 payment receipt
- The financial documents you used at the interview
- Your Jonesboro address and the international office phone number
- Prescription medication in its labelled packaging, with the prescription
Checked baggage can arrive a flight or two after you do. Anything a CBP officer might ask for belongs in your cabin bag — losing your I-20 at this point is the single most disruptive thing that can happen on the whole journey.
Packing
Cabin bag or hold
| Item | Where it goes | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Passport, I-20, admission letter, SEVIS receipt | Cabin bag | A CBP officer may ask for any of these at the border |
| Original diplomas and transcripts | Cabin bag | Needed for credit evaluation and registration, and hard to replace from abroad |
| Prescription medication with documentation | Cabin bag | Medication rules are enforced by CBP — read the current guidance on cbp.gov first |
| One change of clothes and basics | Cabin bag | In case your checked bags are delayed |
| Food, plant products, seeds | Consider leaving behind | Many are restricted or prohibited, and all food must be declared |
| Bedding and household electricals | Buy in Jonesboro | Different voltage, bulky, and cheaper locally than in excess baggage |
What may be brought in and what must be declared is published by CBP and changes over time — check cbp.gov before you fly.
Source: cbp.gov — US Customs and Border Protection · Updated Aug 22, 2026
Port of entry
At the port of entry: what happens
You clear immigration at the first US airport you land in, even if you still have a domestic connection before Memphis.
- 1
Step 1
Queue at passport control
Follow the signs for international arrivals. Have your passport and I-20 in your hand and your phone away.
- 2
Step 2
Answer a few questions
Usually: why you are coming, which university, what you will study, how long the program is, who is paying, and where you will live. Keep answers short and true — the same facts you gave on the DS-160 and at the interview.
- 3
Step 3
Fingerprints and photograph
Routine for arriving travellers. It is not a sign that anything is wrong.
- 4
Step 4
Admission
The officer records your admission, by stamp or electronically. F-1 students are normally admitted as F-1 D/S — “duration of status”, meaning you may stay for as long as you remain a properly enrolled student, rather than until a fixed date.
- 5
Step 5
Baggage and customs
Collect your bags, clear customs, then re-check them for your domestic connection if you have one. Allow generous connection time — this is where students most often cut it too fine.
I-94
Your I-94 record: check it in the first few days
The I-94 is the electronic arrival record created by CBP. It shows the date you entered, the class you were admitted in, and how long you may stay — and it, rather than the stamp in your passport, is the official record of your status. You can look it up and print it, free, at i94.cbp.dhs.gov.
Open i94.cbp.dhs.gov →Source: i94.cbp.dhs.gov — I-94 record · cbp.gov — US Customs and Border Protection · Updated Aug 22, 2026
Four fields to check
- The class of admission should read F-1, not B-1/B-2 or anything else.
- The admit-until date should read D/S (duration of status), not a specific date.
- Your name and date of birth should match your passport.
- The entry date should be the date you actually arrived.
If it goes wrong
If something goes wrong at entry
Sent to secondary inspection
A referral for additional questions or document checks. Many end routinely. Stay calm, answer honestly, produce your I-20 and admission letter, and say that you can contact the university international office.
You cannot produce your I-20
A common way to make everything harder — and the easiest to avoid. If your I-20 is in checked baggage, explain the situation to the officer rather than guessing at an answer.
You are issued Form I-515A
A temporary admission while you supply missing documents, with a deadline attached. If you receive one, contact the international office on your first day on campus. The deadline is not one to let pass.
You are refused entry
A visa is not a guarantee of admission. If you are refused, ask to contact your university and tell the admissions office as soon as you can, so the university can handle your SEVIS record and your start date.
The last leg
Getting to Jonesboro
Memphis International (MEM)
The nearest major airport, about 80 miles from Jonesboro — roughly a 90-minute drive. Most international students fly into a large port of entry and connect to Memphis on a domestic flight.
Start-of-term pickup
The university runs arrival pickups at the start of the term. Register in advance with the international office and give them your exact flight number and landing time.
Making your own way
There is no public transport link from the airport to Jonesboro. Do not land first and work it out afterwards — confirm your transfer before you fly, and have a fallback if your flight is delayed.
Week one
International student check-in during orientation
This is a requirement, not a welcome event: the university has to confirm your arrival to activate your SEVIS record.
- 1
On arrival
Take your documents to the international office
Passport, visa, I-20 and a printout of your I-94. The university registers your arrival and updates your SEVIS record — skip this and your record can be marked as a no-show.
- 2
Orientation week
Attend the required orientation
The international office covers the rules for keeping F-1 status: full-time enrolment, reporting an address change, travel signatures, on-campus work. This is where to ask about anything specific to you.
- 3
Before classes start
Register and finish university formalities
Meet your academic advisor to register for a full-time load, complete any required health screening, get your student ID, and open a bank account.
Source: ice.gov — SEVP/SEVIS · studyinthestates.dhs.gov · Updated Aug 22, 2026
Arrival FAQ
How early can I enter the US?
A new F-1 student may enter at most 30 days before the program start date on the I-20. This is a US government rule — confirm it on travel.state.gov and studyinthestates.dhs.gov before booking flights.
What if my visa expires while I am studying?
A visa is travel permission, not permission to stay. If it expires while you are inside the US and you are maintaining F-1 status, you do not have to leave; you need a valid visa only to re-enter from abroad. Ask the international office about your own case.
How is the I-94 different from the stamp in my passport?
The I-94 is the official electronic record of your entry and how long you may stay, available at i94.cbp.dhs.gov. The stamp is only a paper trace. If the two disagree, take both to the international office.
Do I have to declare the money I bring?
CBP has rules on declaring currency and monetary instruments carried across the border, with a specific threshold. Read the current rule on cbp.gov before you fly. Declaring costs nothing; failing to declare correctly is the problem.
Can my parents travel with me?
Yes, if they hold an appropriate visa of their own, usually B-2. They clear immigration in their own category, at their own counter, and their permitted stay follows their category, not yours.
When can I start working after I arrive?
Employment for F-1 students is tightly limited and always requires permission in advance. Do not accept any job before speaking to the international office — see our maintaining status page for the general rules.
Related
Read next
The F-1 visa interview
DS-160, the SEVIS fee, documents and how to answer.
→Maintaining F-1 status
Full-time enrolment, reporting changes, travel signatures, work.
→The I-20
How to read every field on your most important document.
→Getting to Jonesboro
Airports, transfers and your first days in the city.
→Enrollment timeline
Ten steps from choosing a major to orientation week.
→Ask the admissions office
Flights, arrival dates, documents — ask before you fly.
→Ready to study in the USA at A-State?
Book a free 1-on-1 session with our admissions team — pathway, scholarships, documents and visa in one meeting.