With final exams and planning for vacations, the holiday season is a hectic and exciting time. Studying and packing are important, but as an F or M student you must also prepare your documents for your return to the United States. Follow our blog every Tuesday in December for travel tips and information.

When you arrive at a U.S. port of entry to study in the United States, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers will verify your information. If you do not have some of your documents or the officer cannot verify your information, the CBP officer might direct you to a separate interview area called secondary inspection. This means that the CBP officer needs to conduct additional research to verify your information without delaying other arriving passengers.

If you go to secondary inspection, the CBP officer will try to verify your status in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). Have the name and telephone number for your designated school official (DSO) with you so the officer can verify information with your DSO about your school and program. The contact information should include emergency or non-business hours contact information for the DSO if you arrive on an evening, weekend or holiday.

A CBP officer who cannot verify your information may either deny your admission into the United States or issue you a Form I-515A, “Notice to Student or Exchange Visitor.” If admission is denied, you will need to immediately go to another country. If you are issued a Form I-515A, that gives you temporary admission into the United States. You have 30 days to submit the necessary documentation to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). If you do not submit your documents within the 30-day timeframe, you will no longer have permission to be in and must leave the United States.

If you have questions, talk to your DSO or contact the SEVP Response Center at 703-603-3400 or sevp@ice.dhs.gov.