Study abroad5 min read
Arriving in the US on an F-1 visa: your first weeks, step by step
The Draimo team
Short answer
F-1 students can enter the US no earlier than 30 days before the program start date on their Form I-20. At entry you receive an electronic I-94 record, which you should download and check. Report to your school's international office when you arrive. During term you may work on campus up to 20 hours a week, and you need a Social Security number only once you have a job.
Try it in Draimo
Ask about your first weeks
- I start my F-1 program on August 25. What is the earliest date I can enter the US, and what should I do in my first week?
- Can I work off campus in my first year on an F-1 visa?
- Agent Mode
- Searches the live web, reads the pages, and cites every one. Use it to compare universities or read a government page.
- Monthly and yearly plans
- University lookup
- For more than a hundred top universities, Draimo reads the official website of the one you are aiming for and shows you the page.
- Every plan
- Documents
- Turns your plan, notes or checklist into a Word, PowerPoint or PDF file.
- Paid plans
Before you fly
- Check the program start date on your I-20. You can enter no earlier than 30 days before it.
- Carry your passport with the F-1 visa, your signed I-20, and proof of funds and admission in your hand luggage.
- Know your university's housing move-in date, which may be later than the date you land.
At the border and your first week
- At the port of entry, the officer admits you in F-1 status and creates your electronic I-94.
- Within a few days, download your I-94 and check that the name, date of birth and class of admission (F-1) are right.
- Report to your school's international student office, as your I-20 instructs. They register you in SEVIS.
- Attend orientation, enrol full time, and keep a copy of every document in one place.
Work, and the Social Security number
During the academic session you may work on campus up to 20 hours a week, and full time during official breaks. Off-campus work needs separate authorisation, such as CPT or OPT, arranged through your school.
You need a Social Security number only when you have a job. Apply with a letter from your school's international office and one from your employer. Bank accounts, phone contracts and housing can usually be arranged without one.
Where Draimo helps
Ask Draimo the dates for your own program, what your university's orientation asks you to bring, or whether a job counts as on campus. It reads your university's official international student pages and links the one it used. With Agent Mode on a monthly plan, it reads the government pages too, and Draimo can turn it all into a checklist document. Draimo does not apply for you, and your school's international office has the final word on your status.
Questions people ask
- How early can an F-1 student arrive in the US?
- No earlier than 30 days before the program start date on your Form I-20.
- Can F-1 students work?
- Yes, on campus up to 20 hours a week during the academic session and full time during official breaks. Off-campus work needs separate authorisation, such as CPT or OPT.
- Do F-1 students need a Social Security number?
- Only if they are employed. You apply with a letter from your school's international office and one from your employer.
Sources we checked
- Study in the States: F-1 postsecondary
- Study in the States: working in the United States
- ICE SEVIS: employment
Checked 30 September 2026. Dates and amounts change every year. Draimo reads the current pages when you ask.
Get the dates and steps for your own program.
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