Students may enter the US 30 days OR FEWER prior to the program start date typed on your I-20 or DS-2019 (the immigration document sent to you by UW Oshkosh).

YOU MAY NOT ARRIVE IN THE U.S. EARLIER THAN THIS DATE

Students may move in to their on-campus housing at UW Oshkosh on the official campus move-in dates only or into off campus housing on their lease start date. These dates will be communicated to admitted students by email from International Student Services.

Students who arrive in Oshkosh PRIOR TO the official campus move-in date or prior to their lease start date must make arrangements in a local hotel or may contact the UW Oshkosh Gruenhagen Conference Center (+1-920-424-1106) to rent a room on a short-term basis. As of 2023, the lowest rate available per night was $40.00. Plan an additional $25.00 per day for food.  To reserve a room in the Conference Center, contact Marc Nylen at nylen@uwosh.edu or +1 (920) 424-1123.  In your request, include your date of arrival and date of departure.

Carry this phone number with you when you travel. If your flight number changes, or you encounter major issues, contact International Student Services during business hours.

+1-920-424-2278

At the U.S. airport or port of entry, you MUST GIVE your I-20 (F-1 students) or DS-2019 (J-1 exchange visitors) to the customs official. The customs official will enter information from your document into the immigration database (SEVIS) and then return the document to you. DO NOT lose your document!

Carry these documents with you (not in your checked luggage!) when you travel to the U.S. A customs official may ask to see ALL or SOME of these documents.

• Original Passport
• U.S. Visa (this is inside your passport)
• Form I-20 (F-1 students) or Form DS-2019 (J-1 exchange visitors)
• I-901 SEVIS Fee Payment Receipt
• Financial Documents (bank statements, financial award letters)

It is recommended to check your Form I-94 before leaving baggage claim, if possible, to make sure your port of entry information is correct. The Form I-94 is your arrival record for the United States. You can follow these steps to check your I-94 after going through US customs:

• On your phone, go to U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Form I-94 Web page and agree to the terms listed.
• Enter your name, date of birth and passport information.
• Select “Get Most Recent I-94” or “Get Travel History.”  If you select “Get Most Recent I-94” the web page will display your most recent Form I‑94, which includes an I-94 number, most recent date of entry, class of admission and admit until date: take a screen shot to provide your Designated School Official (DSO) during F-1 orientation on campus;
• If your “Class of Admission” does not list the correct visa category, or the “Admit Until Date” does NOT say “D/S” (Duration of Status), you should speak with a customs officer before leaving baggage claim.
• If you are unable to do this before leaving the airport, you can access your I-94 later and provide it to your school official at orientation.

Canadians You MUST present your I-20 AND SEVIS I-901 fee receipt to the U.S. Immigration Authorities at the border. Do not simply enter the U.S. as a tourist! You MUST be admitted into the U.S. in F-1 student status.

Outagamie County Regional Airport (ATW) is located just 20 minutes away from UW Oshkosh main campus. It is the closest airport to campus. If you fly into this airport, transportation options to travel to campus are located on the airport website HERE.

If you fly to either Chicago or Milwaukee, transportation to campus is available by the Amtrak Thruway Bus Service. This journey would include an approximately 2-hour bus ride from Milwaukee to UWO’s Gruenhagen Conference Center. If you fly into Chicago, it would also include an approximately 2-hour train ride from Chicago to Milwaukee.

If you fly to a different airport, you should research transportation options from the airport to the city of Oshkosh before booking an airline ticket. Public transportation is neither efficient nor inexpensive, and in many cases, is simply not available. If you choose this option, you must plan, make reservations, and pay for the transportation on your own.