Plan Your Arrival Date

International students with an F-1 or J-1 visa are able to enter the United States 30 days prior to the start of the semester. If you aren’t sure when this is, please review your I-20 or DS-2019 for the Start Date. If you plan your trip more than 30 days before your start date, you will be denied entry into the United States.

As an International Student, you may have many responsibilities to complete before classes begin. Please consider the following:

• International Orientation: All New and Transfer International students must attend International Orientation. Please review the dates and times on our Orientation Page.
• Housing: All students must secure their own housing. If you have not secured housing, please Review Housing Options. Once you have secured housing, determine when you are able to move in.
• Academic Orientation and Advising: Many of the graduate programs at Georgia State require students to attend Academic Orientation or Advising. Please confirm with your department.
• Adjusting to Atlanta and Georgia State: Atlanta is a large U.S. city and Georgia State is in the center. You may want to locate shopping, transportation and your classroom buildings before classes begin.

We encourage all students to arrive at least 2 weeks before the beginning of the semester to provide enough time to adjust and settle before the semester.