Arrival
You are allowed to enter the U.S. up to 30 days prior to the start date on your DS-2019. Plan to arrive in El Paso, Texas at least one day before the start of orientation. When you arrive at a U.S. port of entry, either an airport or land border crossing, an Immigration official will ask for your passport, J-1 visa, and sealed envelope with the form DS-2019. The official may also ask for your financial documents again or appointment/employment letter. The officer will give you a form I-94 (a small white card issued by the airline or the DHS as an Arrival/Departure Record). Completing the immigration and customs procedures and retrieving your baggage does not usually take a long time. However, when making your plane reservations, plan for two or more hours between flights at the U.S. port of entry. While in the airport, be extremely cautious and do not trust anyone with your luggage, documents or other valuables.
There are taxis readily available at the El Paso airport, and the cost to get to UTEP should be around $20. Bus service is also available but requires two transfers and the schedules are usually hourly until about 5 pm. There are public phones for your use next to the Ground Transportation Counter by baggage claim, if you plan to meet someone.
IMPORTANT!! Bring enough funds/money to get you through at least the first month. Please request employment authorization from the Office of International Programs after your arrival, and allow at least two weeks for the Social Security Office to process the request.
What to pack
Faculty members at UTEP dress in business casual to casual wear, with very few wearing business suits. Ask the department you’ll be working with if they have specific guidelines. Bring a suit or nice dress for formal occasions such as a presentation or a conference. El Paso’s climate is warm and dry for most of the year. The temperatures here will be between 35-40° C during summer, but can occasionally drop as low as 1-2° during winters. You should bring or plan to buy a good jacket for winter. We also suggest you bring a few traditional forms of dress and some handcrafts or other small items from your home country.
Telephones
Telephones are primarily coin-operated and require 50 cents to make a local call. They usually take quarters (25 cents), dimes (10 cents) and nickels (5 cents), but not pennies (1 cent). To make a call within the U.S. (for example from Houston to El Paso), dial 1 and then the three-digit area code (915 for El Paso), and then the seven-digit local phone number. For example, the number to call the Office of International Programs is 1-915-747-5664. If you are within the area already, then dial only the seven-digit local phone number. (ex: 747-5664)
Cell phones can be purchased at local vendors, Cricket, T-Mobile, Verizon, and Virgin Mobile are just a few that sell prepaid and month to month plans. These vendors do not usually require a social security number for prepaid plans or month to month plans. However, if you wish to sign a contract, usually contracts are made for two years, and require a social security number.
Money
You can set up a bank account upon arrival with your visa, DS-2019, and a UTEP Identification card. There are 5 ATMs located on campus, you can find them on the campus map. Please bring enough money (or make sure you can withdraw it from your account, once here) to cover your stay for at least one month in the US in order to establish yourself.
We recommend that you not carry large amounts of cash. Traveler’s checks in U.S. dollars issued by most banks in your home country are widely accepted as well.
Medical insurance
Medical services and medicine in the U.S. are very costly. Because of this, you are required to have medical insurance coverage while you are attending UTEP. There are insurance companies in the U.S. that offer medical insurance or you may use your insurance from your home country. You are required to have coverage of up to $50,000 in medical expenses, $10,000 minimum in medical evacuation and $7,500 in repatriation coverage. These benefits must be specified in the policy you purchase. To use insurance not provided by UTEP, you must request a waiver of the mandatory fee from the Office of International Programs at the start of every semester. This waiver must be requested and submitted to Human Resources within one week of your arrival you are at UTEP. You must continue your insurance coverage for the entire length of your stay in the U.S. The Office of International Programs is required to terminate the immigration status of any J-1 participant that intentionally stops their insurance for themselves or their dependents .
It is recommended that you have a thorough medical check-up for your own protection before you leave your home country. If you have personal preferences for medicines that you use for fevers, headaches and colds, you should plan to bring those with you. Otherwise, most common medications are available in U.S. stores. However, some products in the U.S. may require a doctor’s prescription. Therefore, if you take prescribed medications, you should ask your doctor or pharmacist for a copy of the prescription to bring with you. We also advise that you update all of your immunizations in your home country and bring proof with you.