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Love and Honor—"I am Miami"
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Documents to Bring With You When You Travel to the U.S.When you travel, you should carry some specific documents with you. Do not pack them in your checked baggage! If your baggage is lost or delayed, you will not be able to show the documents to the immigration officer and, as a result, may not be able to enter the United States. Here are the documents you should carry with you:
- Passport
- Original Form I-20 or DS-2019 from Miami University
- Evidence of financial resources (as you submitted at the time of your admission to Miami and your visa interview)
- Miami University Admission Letter
- SEVIS Fee (I-901) Receipt
- Contact information of Designated School Official (Molly Heidemann, Director: 513-529-8600, international@miamioh.edu)
- If you are a SEVIS transfer student, previous institution's I-20 or transcripts
- Pen or pencil for completion of the customs form
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Customs Form and Port of Entry
If you are traveling by airplane, the flight attendants will distribute a Customs Declaration Form before you land at your initial point of entry in the United States. Complete this form while you are on the plane and submit it to the appropriate Immigration Officer upon your arrival. If you do not understand the form, ask the flight attendant for assistance.
Upon arrival at the port of entry, have your passport and I-20 or DS-2019 available for presentation to the Immigration Officer. You will be asked to state the reason you wish to enter the United States and will be asked to provide information about your final destination. It is important that you tell the Officer that you will be a student or exchange visitor at Miami University (501 E. High Street, Oxford, OH 45056).
Once your inspection is complete, the inspecting officer will stamp your passport. Your stamp should state "F-1, D/S" or "J-1, D/S" depending on your status. D/S stands for "duration of status." It is very important that you double check this stamp immediately before leaving Customs to make sure it indicates the correct visa classification and duration.
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How to Contact ISSSISSS is currently open Monday to Friday from 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM. During these hours, you can contact ISSS at 513-529-8600.
During orientation, from August 15-23, we will also have an emergency phone you can call or text outside of regular business hours: 513-582-8737. Please do not call after 9:00 PM unless there is a true emergency, such as a medical situation, safety issue, etc.
ISSS is located on the second floor of MacMillan Hall, room 214 (501 E. Spring Street).
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Arrival Reminders
We have several reminders for you:
- After you arrive at the Cincinnati Airport (CVG), you will see Hotel Information and Courtesy Phones near the baggage claim. You need to call the DoubleTree Hotel or other hotel you have booked and ask them to pick you up.
- If you are taking our bus to campus, please be ready in the DoubleTree Hotel lobby at 9:00 AM on Thursday, August 15. ISSS staff and iPOLs will be in the hotel lobby to assist you. If you have not purchsed a bus ticket, please do so now.
- Please pack some extra clothes in your carry-on bag. If your checked luggage is lost, it will take a few days for the airport to deliver your luggage to campus.
- If you arrive at Miami University on your own, we encourage you to get your Student ID from the Campus Services Center (located in the Campus Avenue Building) during office hours (7:30 AM-4:30 PM, Monday-Friday). If you arrive outside of office hours, you will need to book a hotel room (note that the Marcum Hotel & Conference Center is located on campus).
- Check Oxford weather for orientation week: weather.com (Zip Code 45056).
- We will provide buses for you to go to Walmart to shop during orientation. We have buses running between Maple Street and Walmart from 4:00-7:00 PM on Thursday, August 15.
- We will also provide buses for you to shop at Kenwood Towne Center on Sunday, August 18 - see "Sign Up for Optional Activities" below.
- We have a list of "what to bring" and "what to buy in the U.S." below. You also need to bring all the documents we mentioned previously.
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Sign Up for Optional Activities
To help you get settled and explore the surrounding area several bus trips will be offered during orientation. Please review the options now and sign up if you are interested.
Sunday, August 18, 12pm-6pm:
Thursday, August 22, 12pm-6pm (sign up for no more than one):
*Please note that your departmental orientation takes priority over optional activities.
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Orientation Welcome Session
This session will kick off international student orientation with a welcom from ISSS staff and Fall 2019 iPOLs. Students will receive an overview of orientation, what to expect and meet their orientation group. A light breakfast will be provided starting at 8:15 am.
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Graduate Alumni
Yashodan (Yash) Mandke
Yash Mandke, from Pune, India, graduated from Miami University’s Experience Design Master of Fine Arts program in May 2018. Yash shares: “I was fortunate to have passionate teachers and friends at Miami University who supported me despite being new to a foreign culture, and who helped me develop confidence in myself. Miami University has really great exposure programs which allowed me to work in the industry, helping me kickstart my professional career. Despite being a small town (I come from a big city in India with more than 3 million people), Oxford has its own charm and has a lot to offer. Miami also has various clubs and groups that you can join which helped me make a lot of new friends from different countries and cultures. I came to Miami to be a better designer, but my 2 years of graduate experience also helped me become a better person--a truly global citizen!” Yash currently works as an Interaction Designer for Crown Equipment Corporation based in New Bremen, Ohio, one of the leading forklift truck manufacturers in the world.
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Chulin Zhuang
Chulin Zhuang from Guangdong, China graduated from Miami University’s English Master of Arts program in 2017.
Chulin writes: “I have been away from this beautiful campus for more than one year now and I really miss it! As an English major, I had longed for an opportunity to go abroad to further my studies and broaden my horizons and Miami opened a window for me, through which I not only gained profound insights, but also developed precious friendships. The good old school days are unforgettable due to my dear supervisor, professors and colleagues. I am grateful to all of them, and also to myself for making my way here bravely. After all, striving for a master's degree is quite challenging. I’m glad I made it. Such experience will always encourage me to march into the unknown.
After I graduated from Miami University and came back to China, I decided to give myself a gap year to explore more possibilities and potential. I participated in several new programs, mainly related to English teaching and training. Currently, I’m working with an education technology company in Shenzhen, devoting myself to refining teaching and learning resources with the help of technology. By doing so, we are hoping to enable better learning and envision broader education.”
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