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Last Updated on June 9, 2022 by Mani Karthik
Planning to travel or migrate to the USA? No better time than now.
Of course, the pandemic has made it difficult for all of us, but folks who were holding on to their plans have begun to consider traveling to the USA, ever since the change in the White House.
We’ve put together a list of documents you must carry to the USA for a safe stay, as well as items to have a convenient trip.
Tip: Considering getting travel insurance for Coronavirus. It’ll help.
Checklist for First Timers Visiting USA
Documents
- Passport & its copy – Make sure you carry your passport along at all times and keep a copy of it with your luggage or in electronic form. Mail it to yourself or save it in your Google Drive.
- Visa – Your purpose of travel to the US defines the category your visa will belong to, so make sure you carry the appropriate visa documents. You can check the US Governments Directory of Visa Categories to find out more.
- Flight Ticket – Be sure to book your tickets in advance to get the lowest possible price. Carry them with you all the time or their soft copies.
- Boarding Pass – Collect your boarding pass when you check in, online or at the airport, and keep it handy through your journey.
- Soft Copies of Documents – It always helps to email yourself soft copies of all documents, including passport, identity proof, address proof, contacts in America, etc., in case of loss or theft.
Medication
- Medicines – You can carry paracetamol tablets for the common cold, fever, body ache, etc. However, carrying medicines for special ailments to the United States entails various guidelines and restrictions. For details, read these 5 tips for traveling to the US with medicines, given by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
- Vaccinations – The United States government has a set of vaccinations it requires all entrants to get prior to their visit. These include Hepatitis A & B, Polio, Measles, Rubella, Varicella, and more.
Clothing & Accessories
- Items such as belts, wallets, sunglasses, and eyeglasses should be carried from India, as these are expensive in the US.
- Regular clothing items can be found cheap and bought there.
- If you are planning to stay for long, do not carry woolens from India, since they might not be sufficient for the low temperatures in America. Plus, you might find them cheaper in the US.
Food & Utensils
- If you’re going for a long trip, it is advisable to carry Indian cooking masalas with you like the ones available there are not as good.
- Carry a pressure cooker if you use one often, they aren’t available in the USA.
Miscellaneous
- Travel insurance – This is a must-have (not mandatory) for traveling overseas. Here is a list of best travel insurance for short-term visitors to the USA.
- Foreign Travel Card – Along with getting currency exchanged to US dollars, get a forex card issued from your bank.
- International Calling – You can buy an international SIM card from Uniconnect or download a low-cost international calling app like Ringo.
When in the “world’s greatest country,” you’re guaranteed to have a great time. Just make sure you have all the necessities for a smooth experience. And more importantly, remember to respect the nation, its customs, and its people, so that they can respectfully welcome you too. Blend in to avoid trouble and enjoy to the fullest.
Are you planning a trip to the US soon? Let me know in the comments when you’re traveling and if you have any questions. You could also message me on WhatsApp.
6 comments
Interesting and informative, Thanks for giving this piece of bread.
A small suggestion, I didn’t see any icon to share this article to other social media platforms. If you can add some share buttons, that will be useful to fellow readers to share your articles among our friends. Time being i am copying your URL for sharing.
Thanks Krishna. The buttons are below the post.
Thank you so much , is it mandatory to take. Vaccines if we are going for a 12 day trip to US?
Hi, Karthik
in your segment on medications and vaccinations, the list for vaccinations is specifically for immigrants. what about people travelling for a short while on the non immigrant visa types?
You will need to carry whatever medicines you need with a Doctor’s prescription. However, there is no guarantee that they will be allowed to the US. It is solely dependent on the officer.
Hi
I am Indian Citizen., currently living in China., i have a B1/B2 visa for USA., and planning to travelling., vaccination certificates prepared., do i have to get prior approvals or anything before taking flight. Please advice.
Thank you.