Travel to JMU

Once you have been admitted to JMU and have obtained your visa, you should immediately begin making travel arrangements. Please take the following into consideration before you make your reservations:

• Cost between your home airport and the various airports near Harrisonburg;
• Available connections between your home airport and the various U.S. airports;
• Distance between the U.S. airport and the JMU campus (please take this into account when figuring costs. Harrisonburg 's nearest major airport is a one hour drive - several others are two or three hours away. The cost of gas and parking should be added to the overall cost of the trip.);
• If you are identified as a Special Registrant, you will not be able to enter at all airports.

Airline Reservations

The following is a list of the nearest airports to JMU's campus, with information regarding the various concerns:

Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport (SHD) http://www.flyshd.com/ This is our recommended airport if connections and other restrictions do not interfere.

• Distance from campus:     About thirty minutes
• Special Registrant Port of Entry?      NO

Charlottesville/Albemarle Airport (CHO) http://www.gocho.com/ This is our recommended airport if connections and other restrictions do not interfere.

• Distance from campus:     About one hour of easy traffic
• Special Registrant Port of Entry?      NO

Dulles International Airport (IAD) http://www.metwashairports.com/Dulles/ This is the airport the majority of JMU students and staff use. (Make sure your travel agent does NOT confuse this airport with Dallas Airport in Texas.) 

• Distance from campus:     About two hours of heavy traffic
• Special Registrant Port of Entry?      YES

Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) http://www.mwaa.com/national/

• Distance from campus   About two and one-half hours of very heavy traffic and difficult parking
• Special Registrant Port of Entry?   NO

Baltimore - Washington International Airport (BWI) http://www.bwiairport.com/

• Distance from campus   About three hours of heavy traffic
• Special Registrant Port of Entry?   YES

  Arriving in the U.S.

When you arrive at the airport, you should have the following documents ready to hand to the official:

• Your passport, with visa stamp;
• Your JMU-issued I-20 or DS-2019;
• Proof of your financial support.

On the plane, you will be asked to complete a small white card called an I-94. Fill it out entirely and be sure to follow instructions about order of name, birth date, etc. (i.e., in what order does it say to put the month and the day before the year of your birth?) This I-94 becomes a very important piece of documentation. It will be stapled into your passport with your visa and will determine how long you may stay in the U.S.

Upon arrival in the U.S., you will be inspected by a U.S. Immigration Official who will question you about your anticipated stay in the U.S. S/he will want to see the documents listed above and, after all is approved, will stamp your passport, your I-20 or DS-2019 and your I-94. In addition, under the new "US-VISIT program" you will have an electronic scan taken of your right and left index fingers, and you will be photographed by a digital camera at the immigration inspection station.