{"id":653,"date":"2024-04-04T05:22:49","date_gmt":"2024-04-04T02:22:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lnshah.com\/purdue\/?p=653"},"modified":"2024-06-07T14:18:05","modified_gmt":"2024-06-07T11:18:05","slug":"plan-your-itinerary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lnshah.com\/purdue\/2024\/04\/04\/plan-your-itinerary\/","title":{"rendered":"Plan Your Itinerary"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

American families typically come to drop off their kids on the day of the move-in and leave the same day or the day after. For them, it will seem strange that you would want to spend more than that time for dropping off your kid at college. The typical American kid also has probably been looking forward to be independent and wants the parents to leave after a brief drop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, these American families aren’t invited for a 3-day Parents Welcome like international parents are. Even Purdue realises that International Parents need to be put at ease and thus the special welcome. American families typically do their shopping from their home city and thus have little left to do in Lafayette. But international families, with the luggage restrictions, will have quite a bit of local shopping to do. Most international families come from a different culture – and this will probably be the first time their child will be living independently. Also, international parents generally want to get their kids established as well as they can and, unlike American families because they will be not seeing them for maybe a year again, want to spend more quality time with them.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Who will be going?<\/strong> Will you combine it with a holiday?<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t

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Is your child travelling alone to Purdue? Are one or both of you parents travelling too? Or will the whole family travel and maybe combine it with a holiday? We decided not to travel as a family as our younger child’s school was due to start in August at the same time too. Also, we did not feel it was wise lugging around our child’s bags full of dorm stuff around with us on holiday. But you may have different views. Maybe you want to meet and stay with a relative in the US prior, and with whom you can keep your bags while you even take a short holiday. All these will depend on individual circumstances and budgets. However, you need to be make these plans based on the time you will require at Purdue and the US F1 visa rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, no matter what you decide, you need to keep in mind that your child’s F-1 student visa has an important visa restriction- they cannot enter into the US earlier than 1 month prior <\/strong>to the start date of the first semester. So if the start date is 21 Aug, then the earliest entry is 21 July. Both these dates are mentioned in the I-20 which was issued by Purdue. Remember the date of grant of visa is not relevant for entry- it is just the day the visa was stamped on the passport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also do not plan to take an international trip after entering the US- see below as to why!<\/p>\n\n\n

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Travelling internationally after entering US<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t

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Travel after arrival to the U.S., but BEFORE<\/em><\/strong> the Program Start Date IS NOT RECOMMENDED.<\/strong> Once an international student enters the U.S. with a F-1, they use up their new\/incoming status. Thereafter, every entry back into the US will have to be as a “continuing student” and they must have all the required documentation as a \u201ccontinuing student\u201d. This becomes even more important when new students enter the U.S., exit the U.S., and the re-enter the U.S. before the program start date listed on their \u2018Certificate of Eligibility Form\u2019<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Example:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n