Student Experience
The Pre-Arrival Checklist Every Partner Should Run With Students
The gap between a visa in hand and a student sitting in class is where enrolments are quietly lost. Agencies that run a structured pre-departure process see fewer deferrals and far fewer distressed phone calls in week one.
Four to six weeks before departure
- Housing confirmed. On-campus contracts fill early; submit the housing application as soon as the student is admitted rather than waiting for the visa.
- Health insurance and immunisation records prepared. Universities in the United States commonly require specific immunisation documentation before registration.
- Flights booked to arrive before orientation, not on the day it starts.
- Airport transfer planned. Confirm who is collecting the student and where they will spend the first night.
Two weeks before
- Money. A card that works internationally on arrival, a small amount of cash, and a plan for opening a local bank account in the first fortnight.
- Documents pack. Passport with visa, I-20, admission letter, financial evidence, immunisation records and academic transcripts — carried in hand luggage, never checked in.
- Phone. An unlocked handset and a plan for a local number.
- Course registration guidance reviewed so the student knows what happens in week one.
The first 72 hours
- Attend international student orientation — it is where immigration check-in, registration and campus systems are explained.
- Complete any required document check-in with the university.
- Set up campus accounts, student card and Wi-Fi.
- Buy bedding and daily essentials locally rather than shipping them.
What your agency should do
Run a short pre-departure briefing — in person or online — for every departing student, ideally with parents present. Follow up on day three and at the end of week two. Two short calls prevent most first-month problems, and they are the reason families recommend an agency to relatives.
Practical detail for students is on the student resources directory and the housing page. Questions on a specific case: international@studytxst.com.
