Traveling Tips for Students

 Things to be done after getting I-20

The next thing to do is blocking tickets (this implies no financial

commitment). This can be done via travel agents. Make sure the Travel Agent

is good (examples of dependable travel agents are - Travel Corporation of

India (TCI), Parrys Travels, All India Travel Agency (AITA) - Parsn Complex

Block flights with many airlines/agencies. Put pressure on the agencies and

get as much info as possible. Much before the flight call the airlines

themselves and confirm your ticket.

o  - Indicate whether you want Asian Vegetarian Meal (AVM),

non-smoking section, etc

o Cross-check everything the travel agent says

o Some airlines offer Frequent Flier programs (e.g. Air France,

TWA) [i.e. after a certain # of miles of flying with that airline you get a

free ticket]. Enroll in such programs.

o  - Delta, British Airways ?

o Avoid change of airline. A direct flight is the best. If change

of airline can't be avoided, leave at least 4-6 hrs gap between the

scheduled arrival of one flight and the scheduled departure of the

connecting flight.

o Baggage is usually safe with a single airline - change of

airline sometimes leads to misplaced luggage. Some airlines don't take care

of baggage transfer - you may have to personally carry it (check this while

booking)

o Do not trust an Indian Airlines connecting flight (in case you

use IA allow atleast a day)

Emigration Clearance

o Get this after the visa

o You can get this from a venue other than the place of issue of the passport - by showing that your place of residence falls in the  jurisdiction of that passport office (It might take some time, and pain)

o  - Anything to do with the Passport Office can & usually  will involve a LOT of time & pain

o In Madras, the passport office is located on the II Floor, Shastri Bhavan, Haddows Rd

o Take the following things with you -

a) Passport

b)ECNR (Emigration Clearance Not Required) form - get it from your travel

agent, avoid queue at passport office

c) Original of the Provisional Certificate (PC) - to show

d) Xerox copy of the PC

o Procedure in brief :

At one counter show the filled form & get a slip; go inside and show your

documents at the checking counter; pay Rs.20 at the cash counter; collect

passport next day with ECNR stamp.

o Suggested timings :

I day 11:00 to 11:15 A.M. (submit)

II day 4:50 to  5:00 P.M. (collect)

Getting permit for $750

This can be got from any bank authorised to do so (need not go to RBI for

this). You can get this within a month of the date of the flight.

The following documents have to be taken along to get the permit :

Passport + copy, air ticket, I-20 student copy + copy, grade cards + copies,

PC + copy, XII std pass/mark sheet + copy, aid & admission letters + copies,

bank advance/ any other form of payment.

You may take part of the $750 in currency notes - upto $50 is okay (legally

upto $100 allowed)

Things to be done in advance

Certain things have to be done in advance, i.e., as soon as you get your aid

- much before the flight.

o Learn typing

o Learn driving

o Learn to cook

o apply for bank loan (if necessary)

o make your passport valid for 6 months more than your stay

indicated in your I-20

o  - make sure your passport is valid for 6 months atleast.

All other changes are best made in the U.S.

o make outstation purchases (sweater, thermal underwear, cassettes, etc. -    available/cheap in Delhi, Bombay ...)

o get medical checkup done

a) dental

b) fresh checkup, especially if you have a major ailment

Get prescriptions & medicines for all common ailments (the technical name of

the medicine along with Indian/US brand name).  See Appendix I.

c) get your eye-sight checked - get a new prescription. Buy atleast one extra pair of glasses.

d) get tested for TB if possible (chest X-ray) - else they will do it at the Univ

e) get requisite immunization done (especially MMR)

o get cassettes recorded which you may like to take with you

o write to the India club/OIPS giving your flight #, time & date

of arrival; they may pick you up & give temporary accomodation

if necessary

o if you are very interested in any Indian magazine (Gult, Tamil,

etc.) subscribe to them - you can subscribe to them after going to the US also.

o note your/parent's bank A/c #

Packing

o Start your packing well in advance

o Buy two good boxes - they should be able to withstand a lot of

mishandling. They should be as large as possible within the size limitations

(however most airlines are not very strict about baggage size). Put

identification marks and labels both inside & outside the boxes (apart from

this the airlines will also provide you with adhesive labels). Boxes with

independent top & bottom are preferable.

o Box specifications

As an example the Air India economy class baggage specifications to the USA

are given below. Note the specs. may be different for other countries/airlines.

2 pieces of baggage with total linear dimension (l+b+h) not

exceeding 270cm (106"). Moreover the total linear dimension

of each piece should not be over 158cm (62"). The weight of

each bag should not exceed 32kg (70lb) [note: they are not particular about this]

Carry on baggage : In addition you can carry a bag with linear dimension not

exceeding 115cm (45") onboard (fits beneath the seat).

For most other airlines the baggage spec.s are similar (confirm)

If you are taking a break outside USA/Canada contact your travel agent or

airlines for details.

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