STEP 2: Prepare for Your Arrival to UC San Diego

If you have not yet taken action to submit your pending Admission Documents, please make sure you do so. Failure to complete your Admissions package can adversely affect your admission offer.

Log into your application portal and submit all documents listed on your application status page. Further instructions are listed in your portal and may be found here as well.  

Fall 2023 applicants and beyond: If you are an international student, you will need to complete and submit a WES Course-by-Course evaluation in order to finalize your admission to UC San Diego. *Do not send your official materials to UC San Diego's Graduate Admissions Office. Your materials must be submitted to WES for further evaluation. 

If you have any coursework currently in progress, please wait until all coursework is completed and degrees have been conferred and posted prior to sending your transcript. All coursework must be completed prior to beginning graduate study at UC San Diego. 

Pre-Arrival Webinars will be presented by the UC San Diego International Services and Engagement Office (ISEO) and will cover the following topics for newly admitted international students: the visa application process, programs and services, review of immigration documentation, arriving in the U.S., housing and health insurance, campus resources, frequently asked questions, and more. 

Visit iNewStudentWebinars.ucsd.edu and look under “2024 Pre-Arrival Webinars” to RSVP, attend, or review recordings of our Pre-Arrival Webinars. 

The closest airports to UC San Diego are the: 

• San Diego International Airport (SAN) (30-minute drive from UC San Diego, with no traffic) 
• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) (2.5-hour drive from UC San Diego, with no traffic)
  
  

Important reminders for booking your travel: 

• We strongly recommend you book your travel to the United States AFTER you have obtained both your Form I-20 or DS-2019 and your F-1 or J-1 visa stamp.
  • If you must book travel prior to obtaining both immigration documents (which are required for U.S. entry), please consider booking travel that is easily changeable and/or fully refundable. 

• 30-day entry rule: F-1 and J-1 students who hold an Initial Form I-20 or DS-2019 (a new SEVIS ID number) may seek entry to the U.S. no more than 30 days in advance of the Program Start Date listed on their Form I-20 or DS-2019. 
  • This is known as your 30-day grace period. 
  • F-1 and J-1 students with an Initial Form I-20 or DS-2019 may seek entry to the U.S. during this time, but should not plan travel into and out of and back into the U.S. during this time. 

• Plan for time at Customs: We strongly recommend students schedule at least 2-3 hours between connecting flights, or when crossing a land border, for SEVIS status verification processing at U.S. Ports of Entry. 
  • The place you first enter the United States (cross the U.S. border) will be your Port of Entry. Depending on where you are coming from, your Port of Entry may be an airport other than the two listed above. 
  • At the Port of Entry, your first entry into the United States, you will be required to go through Customs Inspection to verify your SEVIS status as an international F-1 or J-1 student. When booking your flights, please plan accordingly for this processing time. Note the 2-3 hours listed above is a standard processing time—actual experience at Customs may be shorter or longer for some students. 

Review Transportation Upon Arriving in the USA: U.S. Airline and Airport Guidelines (U.S. Transportation Security Administration).

Arrival at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) 

 UC San Diego is located 112 miles (180 kilometers) south of the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). If you are arriving at LAX, you will need to take a commuter flight, bus, train, or shuttle to San Diego.  

Bus service:

• Greyhound
  

Commuter flights:

• Alaska Commuter 
• American Airlines 
• Continental Express 
• Delta Connection 
• United Express 
• US Airways Express

Shuttle & Ride Share Services:

Shuttle service from LAX to UCSD costs may vary. We strongly encourage you to make a reservation in advance. 

• reLAXsan 
• Super Shuttle 
• Terramoto Transportation 
• Flyaway Bus: LAX to Union Station 
• Uber (Ride Share) 
• Lyft (Ride Share) 
  • For Lyft UCSD-affiliate discounts ($15 credit for Lyft Business Profile, and $5 credit every 5 rides), see details here. 

Train:

• Amtrak (departures from LA Union Station) 
• Metrolink (departures from LA Union Station) 

Arrival at San Diego International Airport (SAN)

UC San Diego is located 11 miles (18 kilometers) north of the San Diego International Airport (SAN). Cost for a taxi or rideshare to the UCSD area will vary.

Shuttle & Ride Share Services:

• Shuttle to the Old Town Transit Center (Free)  
  • Be sure to check out the newest extension of San Diego's MTS trolley line (the Blue Line) that takes passengers directly into La Jolla and the UC San Diego campus as well. 
• Super Shuttle 
• EZ Ride 
• Prime Time Shuttle  
• Uber (Ride Share) 
• Lyft (Ride Share)
  • For Lyft UCSD-affiliate discounts ($15 credit for Lyft Business Profile, and $5 credit every 5 rides), see details here. 

For on and off-campus housing options, please see our housing resources page. 

DEADLINE: Complete prior to July OR your arrival to campus, whichever is first 

The University of California is committed to protecting the health and well-being of our students. All the UC campuses, including UC San Diego, require that students be educated about and receive vaccinations to prevent potentially serious and contagious diseases. All incoming students are REQUIRED to obtain certain vaccines and undergo Tuberculosis testing. Failure to meet these requirements by the stated deadlines may result in the student receiving registration holds.  

Information on these requirements as well as important deadlines for meeting them can be found on the Student Health Services website.

Per federal regulations, all international students are required to enroll full-time during the academic school year. At UC San Diego, the academic school year is the Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters. Full-time enrollment is considered 12 units or more each academic quarter. Ensure that by the end of each quarter's add/drop deadline, you are enrolled in at least 12 units!   

International students are also required to enroll full-time during their FIRST quarter. If you will be starting your graduate program during the Summer quarter, then you must enroll full-time for the Summer. Full-time enrollment requirements for the Summer term is defined as:  

Summer 1 Program Start Date 

• Summer Session 1 (6 units minimum) and Summer Session 2 (6 units minimum) OR 
• Summer Session 3 (6 units minimum) 

Summer 2 Program Start Date 

• Summer Session 2 (6 units minimum) OR 
• Summer Session 3 (6 units minimum)  

Summer start students: If you are unsure which Summer Session your program is beginning in, please check with your academic department for enrollment guidance. 

EVERFI Online Training

All incoming graduate and professional students are required to complete a mandatory online course through Everfi's Foundry platform. The course gives students the tools to identify, prevent and report sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence and stalking. Additionally, it gives graduate and professional students the education they need to be successful as members of the UC San Diego community. For more information, including the deadline for completion, see the Office for the Prevention of Harassment & Discrimination (OPHD) website.

iTriton Online Training

To help guide you through the adventure ahead, ISEO has created an online training that will map out your journey as an international student here at UC San Diego. There are 8 modules which cover various topics. We have arranged these modules in the order you may encounter them during your program. Pay close attention as these caution modules demonstrate some of the top issues international students face with their immigration status.

iTriton will open on June 1, 2024 for newly admitted students to begin the training.

SUMMER 2024 START STUDENTS: All newly admitted Summer 2024 students must complete this REQUIRED training before the Program Start Date listed on their Form I-20 or DS-2019.

FALL 2024 START STUDENTS: All newly admitted Fall 2024 students must complete this REQUIRED training before September 1, 2024.

iOrientation: New International Student Orientation Series

 The UC San Diego International Services and Engagement Office (ISEO) is excited to meet you! ISEO’s iOrientation program is your first chance to learn about all that UC San Diego has to offer you through informational workshops and programs tailored specifically to international students. Everything is designed to ease your transition to campus and student life in the United States.  

iOrientation sessions and welcoming programming will be held in September 2024. It is open to ALL new international students, and it is free of cost. 

Certain sessions during ISEO’s iOrientation program are required of all new international students in addition to your college or department orientation. NOTE: UCEAP students are NOT required to attend their college orientation.

Visit iOrientation.ucsd.edu to see the schedule from last Fall and get a sense of what to expect. This website will be updated during the summer with the Fall 2024 iOrientation schedule. 

Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs Orientation

The UC San Diego Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA) hosts an orientation program (both online and on-campus) designed to support incoming graduate students at UC San Diego and facilitate a successful transition to graduate school.  

Visit the New Graduate Student Orientation website to see the schedule from last Fall and get a sense of what to expect. This website will be updated during the summer with the Fall 2024 schedule. 

Ensure that you understand your Earliest Date of Admission/Arrival into the United States and that you have your immigration documents in-hand and ready to present to Customs when entering the U.S. DO NOT pack these documents inside of your check-in luggage. They should be easily accessible in your carry-on bag and ready to present at the Port of Entry:

• Valid Passport: Review your passport and ensure that it is valid for at least 6 months after your date of intended entry into the U.S. Review your passport profile and visa page. Your first name and family/last name should be the same on both documents. If there are any errors, contact the U.S. Embassy or Consular Post immediately.

• Valid F-1 or J-1 Visa: Your F-1 or J-1 Visa page is inside of your passport. Ensure your visa is valid. Sometimes students who have two passports may need to carry both if their valid F-1 or J-1 Visa page is inside of their expired passport. Review your passport and visa page. Your first name and family/last name should be the same on both documents. If there are any errors, contact the U.S. Embassy or Consular Post immediately.

• Form I-20 or Form DS-2019 from UC San Diego: Ensure you use the most recent Form I-20 or DS-2019 issued to you by UC San Diego, printed, and signed by both ISEO (electronic or digital signature is OK) and by YOU (student signature must be a hand-signature/wet signature). You may only use an ORIGINAL Form I-20/DS-2019 from UC San Diego with a valid travel signature; photocopies of Form I-20 or DS-2019s will not be accepted. Additionally, you may not show an electronic version of your document; you must carry the original printed document with you.

• Financial Statements and Supporting Documents: It is always a good idea to carry Financial Statements showing proof of financial support in addition to any supporting documents regarding your reason for visiting the United States. 

Learn more about what to expect when traveling by visiting iTravel.ucsd.edu.