Immigration regulations allow students to enter the U.S. up to 30 days prior to the start date listed on their I-20/DS-2019.
You are NOT REQUIRED to enter the U.S. this early. Here is some helpful information to prepare for your arrival to Binghamton.
If you will be living on-campus for the fall semester, you will receive an email in July from Residence Life that will include instructions on how to complete the move-in process. The move-in date available will be Monday, August 10 from 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. This will ensure that you can move into your room the day before your required English Language Assessment on Tuesday, August 11. The only date that extended move-in hours will be offered is Monday, August 10 until 10 p.m. If you arrive on August 11 or later, you will need to check-in with the Office of Residential Life between 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. If you arrive in Binghamton outside of the move-in date and times, you will need to make arrangements at a local hotel and check in the following day. If you have questions about the move-in process, you will need to contact Residence Life at reslife@binghamton.edu.
Before arriving in the U.S., review the travel to Binghamton University webpage to make sure you’re prepared.
In an effort to make your journey easier, Binghamton has put together a list of ways to get to campus from New York City airports. If you have any questions about the OurBus service, please email intarriv@binghamton.edu.
Complete the following tasks before Orientation:
- Register for Orientation – Mandatory International Student Orientation will take place Tuesday, August 11 - Wednesday, August 12.
- Watch the pre-arrival orientation videos on Brightspace - Scroll down the page to the “My Courses” section and click on the “Binghamton University International Orientation” link. These videos should be watched before the in-person International Student Orientation.
- Submit Medical Forms - If you do not complete the required health forms, you may experience difficulty with registering for your fall 2026 courses.
- Once you arrive in the U.S., complete the New Student Arrival Form.
- Pick up your student ID card at the Office of Student Records which is located in the Admissions Center, Room 112. Upload a photo for your student ID card if you have not already done so.
- Familiarize yourself with Binghamton transportation. There are two bus systems: BC Transit and OCC Transportation. Prior to classes starting, OCCT has extremely limited service. We recommend using BC Transit during this time.
- If you will be living on campus, you must provide our office with your U.S. telephone number. If you will be living off campus, you must provide our office with your residential address and U.S. telephone number. Do not complete the residential address form if you are living on campus.
All pre-arrival emails will be posted on our webpage for future reference. Emails will only be posted once they have been sent to incoming students.
If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact the ISSS office at intlori@binghamton.edu.