US Travel Checklist: Things to Carry to USA for International Students

Since you are here, reading this page, it is obvious to assume that your American dream has come true! Securing a seat in an American university is a big feat and your excitement about the impending study abroad journey must be at an all-time high. So, with you moving to the US for higher education, you are likely to stay there for a couple of years, for your course completion as well as for pursuing a job later. That said, it is wise to create a US travel checklist so that you carry all the essentials with you.

If you think packing bags is child’s play; it isn’t! Without a proper US travel checklist, you might miss out on something crucial while packing and feel exasperated in the new location amidst unknown people. In order to avoid any last-minute franticness, here’s a crisp blog by MSM Unify entailing all the crucial things to take from India to the USA. So, read on for the essential travel things list!

Documents to Carry to the USA 

The first aspect to make it to our blog on the US travel checklist is the list of critical documents without which you can be denied entry to the country! 

So, here’s a list of documents you should arrange for and keep themes safely in a folder. Ensure that you have this folder handy as you would need to present these documents to the US immigration officers.

• Valid passport
• Student visa
• Air tickets
• Unconditional acceptance letter from the US university
• University-mandated forms and documents
• Original academic transcripts
• Final year project report/ thesis
• Standardized entrance exam score sheets, such as GMAT, GRE, TOEFL, IELTS, etc.
• SEVIS Fee receipt ( proof of payment for the I-901 SEVIS Fee at the US embassy)
• Form I-20 ( a document certifying your admission and financial support for U.S. studies)
• Vaccination record
• LoR (Letter of Recommendation)
• SOP (Statement of Purpose), etc.

Please note: For the exact list of documents please refer to the US immigration website. Also, make sure you have a pen and passport-size pictures in your folder. Furthermore, it is a good practice to carry photocopies of all these crucial documents in a separate folder.

USA Travel Checklist

In this section, we will focus on all the other essential things you can carry with you to the USA. The following sections will primarily cover the following four checklists in detail.

• Travel checklist
• Wellness checklist
• Clothing/ accessories checklist
• Food/ cooking checklist

1. Travel checklist

Your travel checklist for the US will include all the essentials that you would need to keep handy while you are traveling to the USA from India. It includes essential items like your air ticket, passport, student visa, other important documents, payment cards, electronic gadgets, chargers, and adapters. Keep all these things separately in a small handbag.

Also, carry loose US currency (not more than 1000 USD) in separate denominations to make quick payments while traveling. Carry most of your money on Forex cards as they are cost-effective. Also, for making any payments to the university, it is best to wire the money directly.

Additionally, here’s a list of gadgets for your reference. You may add to the list according to your need.

• Mobile phone
• Laptop/ Tab
• Chargers, adapters, and USB cables
• Hard disk and pen drives
• Watch/ smart-watch
• Scientific calculator
• Headphones
• A clock with alarm
• Extra batteries

2. Wellness checklist

This checklist includes all the health-related things that you must carry for your overall well-being and to deal with medical emergencies.

It includes travel insurance, health insurance, and basic medicines for common ailments that include anti-allergies, painkillers, medicine for cough and cold, etc. Also, carry any prescribed medicines along with a stamped medical prescription, your vaccination record, sanitizers, and bandaids. 

If you use spectacles or contact lenses, it is good to carry an extra pair of spectacles and contact lenses along with their cleaning solution.

3. Clothing/ accessories checklist

This US travel checklist includes all the clothing items that you would need there. But, first, research the kind of clothes people typically wear in that particular area of the US. Also, despite any season, keep a few clothing items for all seasons.

The absolute clothing checklist will vary from individual to individual, however, here’s a list of recommended items that you might like to skim through.

• Formals shirts
• Formal trousers
• Blazers/suits/ ties
• t-shirts/ tops
• Jeans/ pants/ shorts
• undergarments
• Socks
• Towel/ Napkins/ handkerchiefs
• Swimming costume
• Winter wear, including light and thick jackets, sweaters, etc.
• shoes/ sandals/ other footwear

Also, carry a separate kit for toiletries that includes:

• Toothpaste and toothbrush
• Hairbrush, comb
• Face wash/ body wash/ creams/ moisturizer and sunscreen
• Deodorant /perfume
• Earbuds
• Lip balm
• Tissues, etc.

Some more items you should consider carrying are sunglasses, an umbrella, a wallet, a handbag, a belt for clothes, bedsheets and pillow covers, blankets, and comforters. 

4. Food/ cooking checklist

This checklist includes cooking items as well as food to carry while traveling. In the list of food to carry while traveling, including food items like parathas and sandwiches, biscuits, snacks, etc. You may also keep a travel mug handy to have tea or coffee.

Also, carry food items that you might need later during your stay in the US, including ready-to-eat packets, snacks, pickles, masalas, tea and coffee sachets, etc. 

Also, you might want to keep some cooking utensils, including a small pressure cooker, cooking pan, spoons, plates, glasses, bowls, water bottles, etc. You might need all these things, as you might prefer cooking food to save money.

Now that you know the US travel checklist in detail, you may add or reduce things from your list according to your preferences and requirements. Also, in the food to carry while traveling, ensure you don’t carry any banned substances or spillable food items.

The following table covers the entire checklist (apart from the key documents) for your quick reference.

Items to avoid on your US Travel Checklist

This is one of the most important sections of the blog that mustn’t be glossed over. You must avoid carrying certain items to the US that include banned substances or things that would add extra load to your travel baggage.

Here’s a list of these items:

• Heavy bottles of liquid
• Expensive jewellery
• Heavy books or reading material
• Too many winter clothes(one jacket and a sweater are sufficient, moreover you will get better stuff there!)
• Groceries including rice, oil, legumes, etc. (You will get these things in the supermarket)

Please note: Check the US Customs and Border Protection website to check the list of prohibited or illegal items to make sure you don’t carry any inadvertently.

With this, we conclude our detailed blog on the US travel checklist. There’s just one rule that you need to remember: Carry all critical documents and medicines, rest is secondary! In case you forget to take some of your clothes, stationery or food items, you can always buy these things there.

This US travel checklist by MSM Unify is to help you carry all the necessary items to the US so that you don’t need to stress or overspend in the first few days itself. If you have any questions or doubts regarding traveling to the USA to pursue higher education, contact MSM Unify counselors today!

FAQs

How much USD can I carry from India?

The legal limit for carrying cash currency from India to the USA is USD 3000. However, you may carry more money in the form of traveler’s checks, payment cards, etc.

What is Air India’s baggage allowance to the USA?

The Air India baggage allowance to the USA is two pieces with a maximum weight per bag not exceeding 32 kg. Also, the maximum dimensions allowed for the baggage is 62 linear inches or 158 cm (height +length + width).

What are the things to take from India to the USA?

The things to take from India to the USA as a student primarily include all the critical documents, clothing, accessories, medicines, medical prescriptions, food, etc.

What are the things to get from the USA to India?

There are many things that people like getting from the USA to India, including chocolates, clothes, accessories, skincare or beauty-care products, etc.