International Students Orientation Module 0.3: Your Trip to the U.S. Congratulations on your Visa! After you get your visa; tell us immediately! Look at and take notes of the deadlines on your cost sheet and on your LCC admission Letter. ● Pay your housing confirmation fee ● Book your flight to arrive on the international student pick-up day listed on your admission letter Once you completed these steps, LCC will: ● Enroll you into classes ● Secure your housing ● Arrange for your airport pickup (for arrivals at PDX on the designated arrivial day only) Don’t wait, time flies fast! Start taking these important actions as soon as you know that you have been granted a Visa. If you meet any difficulty in completing these critical steps, e-mail us, we want to help you! [email protected] 1. Planning your Trip to the U.S. How to pay the Housing Confirmation fee You can pay your $300 housing confirmation fee with a credit card or with a bank transfer using this secure online portal: https://www.flywire.com/pay/lowercolumbia Book your Flight ● If you would like us to pick you up you must: ○ Arrive on the international student arrival day that is listed on your acceptance letter ○ Fly into Portland International Airport in Oregon (Airport code: PDX) ○ Submit your flight information to LCC though our new student arrival form: https://forms.lowercolumbia.edu/forms/new-student-arrival-form ● If you plan to come to the USA before the orientation date, you still need to let us know your flight information and what time you will arrive at LCC. We need this information so we can arrange to move you into your housing. If you will change flights after you first arrive in the USA, make sure you schedule a lot of time before the first flight arrives in the USA and the next part of your flight. For example: If your first airport of arrival in the USA is in Chicago, when you exit your plane in Chicago, you will need to go through customs and immigration before you can board your next flight. Customs and inspection can take several hours. We recommend that you allow for at least 4 hours between the flight when you first arrive in the USA and the next flight after that. Book your Flight ● If you plan to come to the USA before the orientation date, you still need to let us know your flight information and what time you will arrive at LCC. We need this information so we can arrange to move you into your housing. There are 2 cities in the U.S. named Portland - and they are on opposite sides of the country! Portland, Oregon, yes!! Portland, Maine, no! PDX PWM What to pack Generally, on international flights airline will allow you to carry a small bag and a personal item with you on the plane, and will allow you to check 2 large bags. Be sure to double check with your airline! ● There are limits to liquids and gels that can be brought in your carry-on luggage. Details: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/liquids-rule ● Do not check valuable items such as phones and laptops in your luggage. Bring them with you on the plane. ● For extra bags or overweight bags you will be charged an extra fee by the airline company ● Certain items cannot be brought into the USA. Please check this list before you pack your bags! https://www.dontpackapest.com/. ● Put a luggage tag on your bags with your name, email, and your arrival airport code. If the link below does not work, please contact us and we will send you a luggage tags form via email. What Clothes should I pack? Summer is warm, dry, and sunny with warm nights and cool evenings. The average high temperature in summer is 26C degrees. It is usually very pleasant, but can get up to 100 F or 40 C for several days at a time. Winters are cool and mild, with lots and lots of rain. The average high temperature of about 9C and l It can get very cold for brief periods of time with temperatures below 0C. It usually snows once or twice per year. Did we say rain? It rains a lot. Rain!.........RAIN! RAIN ❏ Hat, gloves, scarf ❏ 2 coats, both waterproof. One heavy coat for winter and one light jacket for fall and spring. ❏ Sweaters (Jumpers) and pullovers ❏ Jeans and trousers ❏ T shirts, long sleeve shirts ❏ Rain proof shoes/boots ❏ Umbrella ❏ Shorts and sandals Don’t overload yourself. A shopping trip is scheduled during international student orientation and you will be driven to a store to buy more clothes if you need to. Bath towels, wash clothes, bed sheets, pillows, and blankets will be provided by LCC (apartment) or your host-family. Don’t pack these items. Additional Items you may want to pack ● Particular cosmetics and hygiene products that you may only find in your country or can be expensive in the U.S. : i.e.: African /Asian hair shampoos and conditioners, face and body creams, beard oil and/or makeup, deodorant... ● Wrapped treats such as candies and snacks that you may not find in the U.S. (As long as they contain no meat products) ● Extra sets of glasses or disposable contacts if you wear any; replacing your glasses in the U.S. can be expensive ● A traditional-style outfit from your culture for celebrations ● Any other items that may help you feel like home in the U.S.! Pack these items to carry-on with you These documents should stay with you at all times. Get a small bag or backpack and put all your documents and important items in it. Make sure this bag is small enough to bring as carry-on. Your other bags will be placed into the plane’s trunk and won’t be accessible to you until you retrieve your bags at the end of your flight. Your carry-on bag should contain: ● Passport / Visa ● Signed I-20 and LCC admission letter ● Vaccination Record ● $200 cash (in case your credit card does not work in the plane or at the airport) ● Plane Ticket(s) ● Device with Wi-Fi (optional, but recommended) ● Wallet ● Your Emergency contact information at home and in the U.S. including LCC business and emergency phone numbers, and your country U.S. embassy contact information ● Laptop computers/phones or any other valuables you plan to bring with you Navigating Airports Once you’ve booked your flight write the following information on a notebook that will stay with you in the plane: ● Flight number ● Hours of departure and landing ● Gates numbers for each flight ● Airline name ● Your seat numbers Airports are huge and full of stairs, hallways, levels; they can be confusing. Download and/or print plans of the airports you will be landing to and mark the gates of your arrival/departure. It will help you find your way through the airport and choose the right bus/shuffle that will take you to your next flight. You can find airport plans online. If you need us to find one for you let us know and we will send you one. The airport plan can also help you ask the airport staff for help.. 2. Your Flight Find your airline and wait in line at the check-in counter Get in the security Go to the gate to see to check your bags (keep where your flight will Arrive at the airport 3 line for your terminal. the baggage claim tickets). board. Then you can hours before your When you check in, the Have your passport, departure time and plane ticket ready relax until your flight ticket agent will tell you the departs. terminal and gate for your flight. Go through US immigration. Have your Go to the gate to When you arrive in arrival forms (they will and wait for your Pick up your luggage, Re-check your bags Portland, we will be give you these on the next flight. then go through US for your next flight. plane) and your I-20, Customs waiting for you when passport and visa ready. you leave the security area. If you get confused or lost, ask for help! There will be airport staff happy to answer questions What to expect at the airport ● Arrive at least 3 hours early for your flight - International flights, and especially those going to the USA may require standing in many lines, which can take a while ● Go to the check-in counter for your airline. Have your passport and flight confirmation number ready. ● The ticket agent will give you separate tickets for each section of your flight. The gate you need to go to for your flight will be listed on your ticket, or you can look at your flight on one of the airport screens to see the departure time and the gate. ● At this time you will check your luggage. Ask if the luggage is checked all the way to your final destination, or if you will have to re-check it during any part of your flight. ● Make sure you carry your important documents, including the LCC emergency cell phone number with you and you do not check it in your luggage ● Get in the security line. You will most likely need to remove your shoes. Make sure you don’t have any liquids in your bags. Remember that the items on this list are not allowed: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring When you arrive in the USA: An Overview Flight Follow signs Stand in line Have your lands in to for non-US passport and USA immigration citizens I-20 ready Take Check Go to the luggage baggage for gate for through your next your next customs flight flight When you arrive in the USA Details: Immigration You will go through immigration and customs at the first airport you arrive at in the USA 1.