Visas and entry
The I-20 and DS-2019, how to prepare for the interview, what customs will ask, and what to do if you lose your passport.
Sixth Edition · Cornell Taiwanese Student Association
Your first year at Cornell
From the acceptance letter to the visa interview, the flight halfway around the world, and settling into Ithaca — this handbook hands you everything the students before you learned the hard way.
- 6
- editions, rewritten by successive classes since 2013
- 17
- chapters, from the visa interview to post-graduation immigration
- 100k+
- characters of firsthand experience, not translated policy
- 2
- languages, so you can pass it to non-Chinese-speaking friends
What's inside
Most of what you'll need to know
Not a translation of official policy — this is what people who actually lived in Ithaca wish someone had told them first.
Housing and shopping
How to choose on- or off-campus housing, what to ask at a viewing, and a map of supermarkets, Asian groceries, and thrift stores.
Banking, phones, and taxes
Picking a bank, who qualifies for an SSN, and which tax software nonresident filers must use — step by step.
Driving and getting around
The TCAT bus system, the full New York licensing process, car insurance, and — most importantly — driving in snow.
Campus resources and wellbeing
Free gyms and pools, counseling services, and how to look after yourself through Ithaca’s long winter.
Life after graduation
OPT, the H-1B lottery, the new cap-gap rules, and the NIW route to a green card.
Read in order
Follow the timeline
First time moving abroad and not sure where to start? Read in this order and it will line up with what you actually face over the next few months.
After you're accepted
Work through Cornell’s To-Do List, get vaccinated, apply for your visa, and book flights. Allow three months for the visa — it is the step people most often underestimate.
Before departureThe week before you fly
What to pack, what to leave behind, and which things are either unavailable in Ithaca or absurdly expensive. Once the bags are done, spend the time with your family.
Preparing to leaveLanding in the U.S.
Clearing customs, connecting onward to Ithaca by air or bus, surviving an overnight at JFK, and getting around New York City cheaply.
After arrivingSettling into Ithaca
Moving in, setting up utilities and internet, opening a bank account, getting a phone number and student ID — then starting your Cornell life properly.
After arrivalThe things you learn later
Filing taxes, seeing a doctor, sports and downtime, where to go at the weekend, and the everyday details nobody mentions until you’ve lived here.
Life at CornellSpotted a mistake, or want to add something?
This handbook is kept alive by one class handing it to the next. Information goes stale and rules change, so if something here doesn’t match what you found — or you want to add your own experience — please get in touch.