University of Michigan - Flint

When you re-enter the United States, you should expect more thorough screening procedures at airports and other ports of entry. Your identity and the validity of your visa and immigration document I-20 or DS-2019 will be checked against U.S. law enforcement databases.

You may also be subject to in-depth questioning about your immigration status, travel history, the purpose of your visit, background, and other issues, and potentially inspection of personal belongings and luggage, photocopying of documents, etc. You can potentially be delayed by a “secondary inspection” if you do not have proper documents, had some previous immigration problem or error, or simply fall under certain criteria or circumstance.

During these entry procedures, it is best to be honest, patient, and courteous with all U.S. government officials, even if they are not so with you. Remain patient and answer all questions clearly. If you do not understand a question, make sure that you ask for clarification before answering. Omission or misrepresentation of information can cause serious problems.

Due to heightened national security measures, information about air travel changes often. For the latest information on air travel regulations and restrictions, refer to the following resources:

• U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Safety Authority
• Your airline or travel agent

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requires a fee of $100 for all new F-1 and J-1 program applicants to cover the costs of the operation of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) program. The rule that implements this fee, called the SEVIS I-901 Fee, went into effect September 1, 2004.

The following list contains links to more detailed information about the SEVIS I-901 Fee:

• Information on SEVIS and required fees and instructions are available on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement web site.
• Students or exchange visitors who are applying for initial F or J status with a new Form I-20 or DS-2019 issued on or after September 1, 2004 must pay the SEVIS I-901 fee. You must pay the SEVIS I-901 fee every time you start a new I-20 or DS-2019 program.
• You must have a Form I-20 or DS-2019 before you pay the fee. You can schedule a visa application interview before you make the SEVIS I-901 fee payment. The SEVIS I-901 fee payment should be completed at least three days prior to your visa interview.
• At the web site above, you can pay the SEVIS I-901 fee with credit card. It is helpful to be at a computer with a printer, so you can print the receipt directly after the transaction. You should carry the receipt with you to the visa interview and when entering the U.S.
• Any continuing student or exchange visitor who received an initial Form I-20 or DS-2019 dated prior to September 1, 2004, has not completed their program and has maintained status does not need to pay the SEVIS I-901 fee. A change of level or transfer is considered a continuation of your current program.
• Even if you receive a Form I-20 or DS-2019 from your school or exchange visitor program with updated information printed on or after September 1, 2004, you do not need to pay the SEVIS I-901 fee. Payment is determined by the original issuance date.
• Spouses and minor child of students and exchange visitors (F-2or J-2) do not have to pay the SEVIS I-901 fee.

US-VISIT is a “check-in/check-out system” which collects biographic information and biometric identifiers on all foreign nationals entering the U.S. US-VISIT entry procedures are currently in place at U.S. airports and seaports with international arrivals and in the secondary inspection areas of U.S. land border ports of entry.

Upon arrival or departure at a port-of-entry where US-VISIT is in place, you are required to comply with the procedures. Procedures involve photographing and digital fingerprinting. Your information will be stored and checked against various national security and law enforcement databases.

For more information, refer to US-VISIT on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security web site.

When you re-enter the U.S., you may be required to follow “special registration” or National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS) procedures. If you are required to register with NSEERS, you must then comply with the program's regulations on departure from the U.S.

An immigration or consular officer has the authority to register any foreign national at the port of entry if the officer believes that an individual warrants further monitoring for national security reasons. If you have undergone NSEERS registration, you should receive an extra “hand written” number notation on the Form I-94 issued upon arrival, called a fingerprint identification number (FIN).

If you are a citizen or national of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan or Syria, you are required to be registered in NSEERS at the port of entry when you arrive in the U.S. Males age 16 or older who are nationals or citizens of the following countries are likely to be registered at the port of entry: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Egypt, Eritrea, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

If you were required to follow special registration or NSEERS procedures the last time you entered the U.S. you must be sure to comply with the departure control rules. As an NSEERS registrant, you must depart the U.S. through a port that has been authorized for NSEERS departure control. At the authorized port, you must report to a special departure control office, where your departure will be verified and your registration will then be closed.

Be aware that departure control offices may have limited hours of operation and may not be conveniently located to your airline. If you do not comply with NSEERS departure reporting requirements, you may have future difficulty when re-entering the U.S. Be sure to allow enough time at the airport for this procedure so that you will not miss your flight.

For more information, refer to NSEERS Special Registration arrival/departure procedure - click Walkaway Materials to find a list of the authorized NSEERS ports of departure.

When you are in the Flint area, we do not advise carrying your passport, I-20, and I-94 with you. Instead, keep your original documents in a safe and secure location. We strongly recommend that you make photocopies of these important documents and store them in a different place from your original documents. Keep your original immigration documents in a safe and secure location to avoid loss or theft.

When you are traveling in the U.S. (some distance from Flint), you should bring the following original documents on your trip:

• Passport
• I-94 (small white card that should be stapled inside your passport)
• I-20 or DS-2019

A little-known regulation exists which says that international visitors to the U.S. must carry their “registration document” with them. The “registration document” for F-1 students and J-1 students and scholars is Form I-94. With increased security precautions, particularly at airports, you should ensure you are in compliance.