Things to do after getting your U.S. visa
Getting ready for the U.S. Departure — Part 2
- Make travel arrangements
The first thing to do immediately after you get your visa is to book a flight. But before you do that, take a look at CDC’s study abroad travel guide:
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/studying-abroad
Now, have you received your passport back with a stamped visa? Congratulations, you deserve it. This is your reward after all your hard work and sleepless, frustrating nights. Make your travel arrangements as soon as possible, as tickets become expensive. (Remember, you cannot arrive more than 30 days before your program start date. So book your flight accordingly).
· Agents or 3rd party websites
You can either purchase the ticket yourself or get it through an agent. The 3rd party sites that can be used to purchase tickets are Expedia, Kayak, and Cheap O Air. Depending on the site and city of your agents, tickets could be cheaper, but they might not be able to help in case flights are canceled or changed. On the other hand, purchasing directly from the airline gives you more flexibility and peace of mind. For the long indirect flights with layovers, tickets through the airline directly are recommended.
· Airlines
The options to fly from Pakistan are Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, and Emirates. Turkish and Qatar are usually the best value given their good customer reviews, food quality, economical pricing, and airport amenities. Etihad is also cheap, but very small legroom can be a real deal-breaker for long flights. Qatar also had seriously bad reviews about their rude and incompetent staff at the immigration counter in the Abu Dhabi Airport. Emirates is also considered being a good option but on a higher price end usually.
All these airlines have membership clubs that you can join to earn points and use them for shopping later.
· Best deals
Find the app called Hopper, it predicts the prices for specific dates, you can choose the cheapest dates and know when to purchase.
To book a flight, the price graph on google flights is pretty handy. The price graph can show you the cost for a whole month and you can choose a cheaper flight if your dates of travel are flexible.
Google flights have advanced search features that allow you to find flights from different cities near you. For example, if you want to travel from Faisalabad to Washington D.C., you can search for flights from Islamabad/Lahore to Washington D.C./New York, and find the best deal according to your convenience.
2. Vaccinations and Medical
Get a polio vaccine from a local hospital for international travel. They will give you a card valid for a year, it is required by some airports.
Your university will ask for some immunization records. Make sure you have those ready from a local hospital where you got post-birth vaccinations. If you have health insurance from your university, you can get some of those vaccinations at your university after your arrival for free.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, all the airlines are requiring a negative PCR test for covid taken 72 hours before your flight. But to be safe, get vaccinated as well before you fly.
Also, consider getting a complete medical exam and treat the problems if any. Medical in the U.S is expensive overall, but you would be out of luck with eye or dental problems. Get your eyes checked and keep at least two pairs of glasses or contact lenses if you wear them. A detailed dental exam is highly recommended and get all the implants and treatments before you travel.
3. Documents
Keep your passport, i20 or Ds-2019, and other important documents with you. Your passport should be valid for at least six months from the date of travel. Double-check your name, father's name, and date of birth on these documents. All the details should be consistent with your academic certificates.
Keep them in a hand-carry or backpack that you can carry with you, not in the luggage that is with the airline.
Don’t forget to bring a birth certificate and marriage certificate (if married) and also obtain their notarized translation if they are not in English. You will need all these documents for registration at your university and tax purposes in the U.S.
