What to do when you land in USA as a J1 Physician?
TO DO LIST AFTER YOU LAND IN USA- 1. IMMIGRATION- Upon arrival to the US, you must present the J-1 visa stamp to the Immigration Officer at the airport. If everything is in order, the officer will put an admission stamp in your passport reflecting your date of admission and class of admission. Personal experience- I landed at Chicago (ORD airport), it took me 5 minutes to go through immigration. I was asked to show my passport and ds2019. The officer also saw my immigration form (the small paper you get in-flight where you have to put how much money, goods, and other stuff you have in your bags). He asked me how much cash I have. That’s it. It took 5 minutes (max). However, every individual has their own experience. 2. Validation of Initial Arrival Form- Visit your program coordinator on day 1/ 2 to fill in your form of initial arrival. You need to fill in your current address- it can be either permanent or temporary, like a friend’s house, Airbnb or Hotel. The form is u...
