Travel Information

U.S. entry and exit procedures have become increasingly more complex. Strict travel policies are enforced by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Transportation Security Administration. All travel regulations are the result of U.S. Government heightened concern regarding entry and travel to the U.S.

Please adhere to the following guidelines, in accordance with U.S. Government travel and visit requirements, in preparations for your travel to the U.S.

  • You must have your airline tickets with you to board the plane.
  • You must have your passport and visa with you to board the plane and enter the United States.
  • Try to always have your passport easily accessible, yet protect it against theft. Be prepared to show your passport when presenting your airline tickets, entering departure gates, going through passport control, when boarding flights, etc.
  • U.S. entry and exit procedures have become more complex than was previously the case. Visitors to the U.S. must be photographed and fingerprinted at the point of entry, and they must check out when leaving the country.
  • Carry-on Luggage: Do not put any sharp objects like nail scissors, razors, or pocket knives in your carry-on. Such items may be considered a threat to safety and could be taken away from you. Pack them in your checked baggage.
  • Random Baggage Searches: If you are stopped and asked to open your luggage, cooperate with the customs officials. Customs officials often conduct random baggage searches. Just because your luggage gets searched, it does not mean that you have done anything wrong.
  • Items confiscated by officials of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection or the TSA will not be returned – be sure to follow all travel guidelines to try and avoid such a situation.
  • If you are asked about the purpose of your visit to the U.S., you can state that you are visiting as part of a U.S. Government grant-funded program, the Study of the U.S. Institute for Student Leaders on Social Entrepreneurship, that is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and is hosted by the University of Connecticut. The mailing address and contact information for the program (which you will need to have available at customs) is:

University of Connecticut
Global Training and Development Institute
368 Fairfield Way, Unit 4256
Storrs, CT 06269-4256

Program Primary and Emergency Contact:
Roy Pietro, Director, Global Training and Development Institute
(860) 486-4252 – office
(860) 335-3057 – cell number
roy.pietro@uconn.edu

  • Body Searches: Airport security officials may conduct random searches using an electronic device they wave over you. In some cases, a security official of the same sex as you may conduct a body search using his or her hands, and/or ask you to remove your shoes for inspection.
  • Identification Tags: All your luggage should have a luggage identification tag with your name and contact information on it.
  • Never leave your hand luggage unattended, or with a stranger.
  • Copies of your itinerary and contact info in the US should be left with a relative or emergency contact.
  • Copies of passport and visa – bring one set of copies with you and leave another set of copies with a relative or emergency contact.

We strongly encourage you to visit the following websites to stay up to date on the latest rules and regulations regarding travel to the United States:

 

The YSEALI and SUSI programs are sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, administered by the University of Connecticut.