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Immigration Services

Arrival Dates

F-1 and J-1 visa holders should plan to arrive in the United States within 30 days of their program start date.

We encourage you to wait until you have received your visa before making your flight arrangements to avoid financial loss if your visa is delayed or denied.

Arrival Eligibility

F and J visa holders are eligible to enter the U.S. 30 days prior to and no later than 30 days after their program start date.

If you attempt to enter the U.S. outside of these eligible dates you can be denied entry to the U.S. at the port of entry.

Program start dates are listed in Section 3 of the I-20 and DS-2019 forms. 

When to Arrive in Clemson

When choosing your arrival date, you should consider the following:

Applying for a Social Security Number (SSN)

To avoid delays in receiving a Social Security Number (SSN), the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) recommends that new international students be physically present in the U.S. for at least ten days prior to applying for their SSN at the local SSA office.

Social Security Number

Employment Expectations

If you are a graduate assistant or hold other on-campus employment, you should speak to the academic department overseeing your hiring to learn about any expectations they might have for your arrival dates.

Orientation Dates

All international students are required to attend the International Student Orientation alongside their Graduate or Undergraduate Orientation. If you are a graduate assistant or hold other on-campus employment, you should inquire about an orientation date for the academic department.

Immigration Services will offer multiple International Student Orientation sessions to provide flexibility due to travel schedules and arrivals in the U.S. We will send out email invitations with details of how to sign up for one of the Orientation sessions. 

If you are an undergraduate international student, you should check to see when Undergraduate Student Orientation will be held.

International graduate students have a required virtual orientation in addition to an optional in-person graduate orientation. We strongly encourage you to attend the in-person orientation if you are in the Clemson area. 

Additional Information

If you have any additional questions on when to arrive at Clemson University, please contact Immigration Services at is@clemson.edu.