After You Land in USA: First-Weeks Checklist

Present the passport, F-1 visa, and Form I-20 to the CBP officer. Admission has historically been noted as 'D/S' (Duration of Status), tied to the program on the I-20 rather than a fixed date. A DHS final rule published on 17 July 2026 replaces that with a fixed admitted-until date, taking effect 60 days after publication, so check what your own I-94 actually says rather than assuming D/S. Keep the I-94 arrival record (available online via CBP), it is the official proof of admission.

Report to the university's international student office by the date it specifies (often just before orientation) to confirm arrival, this activates the student's SEVIS record for the term. Skipping this can put the SEVIS record, and therefore F-1 status, at risk even though there is no separate municipal registration step.

Students taking an on-campus job need an SSN; the international office typically provides an employment-verification letter to support the Social Security Administration application. An SSN is not required simply to study, only to be paid for authorized work.

Bring the passport, I-20, and proof of local address (a housing/lease letter or the university's confirmation) to open a checking account. Many banks offer student accounts with reduced or waived fees.

Most US universities require enrollment in their student health plan unless the student has comparable coverage that qualifies for a waiver, confirm the specific school's policy and deadline, since missing the enrollment/waiver window can result in automatic enrollment and billing.

There is no US national student transit pass (no Deutschland-Semesterticket equivalent). Instead it varies by campus and city: many universities bundle a U-Pass into mandatory student fees for unlimited local transit, e.g. American University's U-Pass gives unlimited WMATA Metrorail/Metrobus rides for US$136/academic year (US$68/semester) built into the student fee, versus paying full fare trip-by-trip. Big-city systems (Boston's MBTA, Chicago's CTA/Ventra, Washington DC's WMATA) commonly offer a campus-linked or semester pass; New York City's MTA, by contrast, has no general college-student discount (its reduced-fare Student MetroCard is K-12 only), CUNY/NYC students should ask their college's own transit-benefit or Fair Fares options instead of assuming a citywide student rate exists. Ask the international-student office whether a U-Pass or equivalent is already included in fees before buying a regular monthly pass.

• U-Pass Program (Metrorail/Metrobus student transit pass), American University, Office of Finance, Transportation

A local phone plan and campus ID round out the first-week checklist. Many carriers ask for a Social Security Number or a US credit check to skip a deposit; students without either can typically still sign up on a prepaid plan or by paying a refundable deposit, an SSN is only issuable to F-1 students who have authorized on-campus or other work, not simply for being enrolled. Unlike Germany there is no household broadcasting fee equivalent.

• Social Security Numbers, F-1 Student Overview, University of Colorado Boulder, International Student & Scholar Services