STEP 4: Travel to the U.S.
You must arrive in the United States at least by the date indicated on your Form I-20. You may arrive in the United States as early as 30 days prior to the official arrival date indicated on your I-20.
Travel Tips
- Reconfirm your flight at least three days before leaving your country.
- To reduce jetlag, drink plenty of non-alcoholic fluids on the plane and get some rest.
- Carry your money, passport, immigration documents, and important documents with you on the plane. Don not pack these items in your luggage. You should have at least $1,500 in Travelers Checks when you arrive to cover initial expenses such as taxi or bus fare, meals, first rent installment, books and supplies. Bank drafts, other than negotiable Travelers Checks will take one or two weeks to clear.
- Never carry a large amount of cash.
- If you need help, ask an airport employee.
- Never leave your luggage unattended.
- Be cooperative, patient and courteous when waiting in travel lines (queues).
Airport Status Information is available at http://www.fly.faa.gov/flyfaa/usmap.jsp
Entering the U.S. – What to do at the U.S. Port of Entry
Be ready to present your passport, visa, your Form I-20 and supporting documentation. You will be given a Form I-94 to complete either before your arrival or upon arrival in the United States.
What is an I-94 Arrival/Departure Record?
The I-94 card is a small white card that international visitors receive when they enter the U.S. It contains a unique eleven-digit number in the upper left hand corner, the name of the individual admitted, their birth date, citizenship, date of admission, and the immigration status given at the port of entry. This document is used to determine how long a foreign national is allowed to remain in the U.S. Most foreign nationals have an expiration fate written on the I-94 that represents the last day they are authorized to be in the U.S. students in F-1 status and their dependents, who hold F-2 status, are admitted as D/S (Duration of Status). The I-94 card should be attached to your passport.
I-94 card number
Legal Status
Expiration date
Annotation of sponsoring institution (if any)
The top portion of the Form I-94 will be kept by immigration, and the bottom portion will be stamped and returned to you. This portion should be stamped F-1 and the letters D/S should be written next to the stamp. Your Form I-20 should also be stamped.
If the bottom portion of Form I-94 is not returned to you, or a specific expiration date is instead of D/S, please ask the immigration inspector for clarification. Do not leave the immigration area at the port of entry unless your documents are in order; if there is a problem, it is much easier to take care of it before you leave the immigration area. Keep your portion of the I-94 with your passport. More information is available at http://cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id_visa/study_exchange/
U.S. Visit
U.S. Visit is a part of the new immigration system that will be used to track millions of visitors to the United States. All students are required to go through the screening process, which includes a digital photograph and electronic fingerprints. For more information go to U.S. Visit Program.
NSEERS
Students from any country may be required to participate in the NSEERS program. The immigration official at the port of entry has the power to require any person to participate. More information is available at ICE Special Registration Site and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Once students have registered in the NSEERS program, they are required to appear for register upon notification from the Department of Homeland Security.
Both initial and subsequent in-person registration includes fingerprinting and photographing. For more information go to http://www.uscis.gov
Additional Information
If you are issued an I-515A at the port of entry, you have 30 days to fix your immigration status. Bring the information to the International Office. We will help you mail the necessary documents to:
- SEVP
- Attn: Form I-515A Processing Team
- Chester Arthur Building
- 425 I Street NW Suite 6034
- Washington DC 20536
- Fax (202)353-4625
Transportation from the Airport
The Kansas City International Airport is located approximately 30 minutes from the college. Please note that KCKCC do not provide airport pickup.
For more airport information or for ground transport information visit the Kansas City International Airport online at www.kansas-city-mci.com
To reach a hotel, you can take a cab (taxi) from the airport. It costs approximately $40 to $50 USD, plus gratuity (tip). You can also take the KCI Shuttle (bus) Tel: 816-243-500. All major Credit Cards, Cash and International Travelers Checks are accepted.
Driving Directions:
From Kansas City International Airport to KCKCC:
Take I-29 North to I-435 South. Stay on I-435 South until you reach I-70 East and then continue to exit 415B (about a 30 minutes drive). Go North to State Avenue (first traffic light) and turn left. Once on State Avenue, turn right onto campus at the first traffic light.
From Downtown Kansas City, Missouri:
Take I-70 West or 670 West to exit 415 (about a 15 minutes drive). Go North to State Avenue (first traffic light) and turn left. Once on State Avenue, the first light will be the entrance to the campus, make a right onto campus. Or an alternate route is I-35 North to I-70 West to exit 415. Go North to State Avenue (first traffic light) and turn left. Once on State Avenue turn right onto campus at first traffic light.
From West side of the Metro:
Take I-70 east until you reach exit 415B. Go North to State Avenue (first traffic light) and turn left. Once on State Avenue, the first light will be the entrance to the campus, make a right onto campus.