Examine your I-94 card carefully as you leave the immigration booth. F-1 students and J-1 students should have their I-94s marked "D/S" which means Duration of Status, along with a stamp indicating the date you entered the United States. If an expiration date is written on the I-94 instead of "D/S" and you are in F or J status, bring this to the attention of the Immigration Officer.

If there is a problem with your documents, you may be issued a 30-day entry on your I-94 card and issued a form I-515. Usually, this form comes with instructions to see your international student advisor.

Anyone who is denied admission at a U.S. port of entry should be very cautious about arguing with the immigration official. You may risk being issued "expedited removal," which now entails a five-year bar on admission to the U.S. If you are denied admission, first try to contact the Office of International Programs for assistance, but also make it known to the immigration official that you are willing to withdraw your application for admission to the country rather than be subject to expedited removal.

Security Requirements

The federal Transportation and Security Administration (TSA) has recently instituted new screening procedures at domestic airports throughout the United States to improve security and passenger safety at airports and in planes. This can include the opening of locked check-through baggage without prior notice to the passenger.

Should a bag be selected for inspection, an inspector is required to use whatever means necessary to gain access to the bag. This may include breaking locks to access the contents. If a bag is opened, the TSA official will place a note inside the bag to let the owner know.

We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the new procedures. Detailed information on security, access requirements, checkpoints for passengers and baggage, permitted and prohibited items, and recommendations for travel preparation is available at this link: TSA Note to Travelers.

Keeping Your Valuables Safe When You Travel

Items left unattended for even a very brief period have become a premium target for theft. Every traveler should remain on constant alert as they traverse through all airports. The following are some common examples of methods used by thieves to separate you from your belongings.

One method involved the use of security x-ray machines. The first thief precedes the traveler through the security check point and then loiters around the area where the carry-on luggage had already been examined. When the traveler places her/his laptop computer or bag onto the conveyer belt of the x-ray machine, the second thief steps in front of the traveler and sets off the metal detector. While the traveler is being delayed, the first thief removes the traveler's laptop computer or bag from the conveyor belt just after it has gone through the x-ray machine and quickly disappears.

Another method of theft can occur while the traveler is walking through a crowd of people in the airport terminal. The traveler, who may have a laptop computer or small bag on top of his or her roll bag, is preceded by the first thief. Just as the traveler gets around the crowd of people, the first thief stops abruptly, causing the traveler to stop abruptly. When they stop momentarily, a second thief, who had been following just behind them, quickly removes the traveler's laptop computer or small bag from the roll bag and disappears into the crowd.

All travelers, both international and domestic, are urged to be alert to the above methods used in stealing valuable items and always to be mindful of any abrupt diversions during your travels. Report any losses immediately to the authorities. Keep serial numbers, make, and model information of your laptop computers, or of any items of value, separate from the item so you can give precise information to authorities if the items are stolen.

About Kansas City

The University of Kansas Medical Center is located in the city of Kansas City in the state of Kansas. When people say “Kansas City” they are usually referring to the entire Metropolitan area. This includes two states, Kansas and Missouri, several counties, and many cities and boroughs. This may seem confusing now, but once you are here, you will find that rarely does it matter in which state or city you are.

Please note when you book your travel plans, you will want to fly into the airport located in Kansas City, Missouri. The airport is called Kansas City International Airport (KCI), but the airline code for the airport is MCI.

Air Transportation

Distances from Kansas City

City	Highway Distance		Flight
City	Miles	Kilometers	Time	Direction
Atlanta	793	1,276	1:55	SE
Chicago	501	806	1:20	NE
Dallas	486	787	1:35	S
Denver	602	969	1:40	W
Houston	712	1,146	1:57	S
Los Angeles	1,580	2,543	3:40	W
Minneapolis	435	700	1:27	N
New York	1,221	1,965	2:45	NE
Orlando	1,223	1,968	2:45	SE
Seattle	1,820	2,929	3:50	NW
Toronto	975	1,569	2:10	NE
Washington, D.C.	1,059	1,704	2:13	E

Air Travel

The metropolitan area is served by 14 major commercial airlines and their connection partners. The presence of low-cost, low-fare airlines, as well as most of the full-service majors, keeps competition up and airfares down. Kansas City enjoys one of the lowest air travel markets in the country. Travelers experience fewer delays at Kansas City International Airport than most major airports.

Kansas City International Airport
Distance from downtown area:		21 miles/34 kilometers
Large Aircraft Carriers Serving Kansas City
Air Canada	Delta	Midwest
AirTran	ExpressJet	Northwest
America West	Frontier	Southwest
American	Mesa Airlines	United
Continental		USAirways

Ground Transportation from the Airport

Some KUMC departments make arrangements to meet incoming students at the airport. Check with your program to see if there is someone to meet you upon arrival. If not, you will need to arrange for transportation.

Taxi service is available at the airport. Phones for taxi service are located inside and outside the terminal at each bag claim area and at other strategic locations outside the terminal exits. Make sure that you give the dispatcher your exact location. Rates average $2.20 plus $1.70 per mile but may vary due to traffic delays and waiting time. If no taxis are available, please contact any airport police officer or dial 5215 on any white courtesy phone.

Shuttle service can also be arranged. The KCI Shuttle bus picks up at the airport and stops at scheduled locations, typically large hotels. You would need to arrange transportation from the hotel.

Quicksilver service is also available. This service will pick you up at the airport and take you to your home location. Quicksilver must be arranged before you arrive in Kansas City.

KCI Shuttle	Scheduled Shuttle Service	816-243-5000 800-243-6383	Fax: 816-512-5524
Quicksilver Airport Service	Van Service (with 6 hr. notice)	913-262-0905	Fax: 913-722-4320

Money

It is not easy to change foreign currency to U.S. dollars in Kansas City. When traveling, be sure to bring currency in the form of U.S. dollars. You should have enough U.S. currency for a few days following your arrival.

Once you arrive in Kansas City, you should consider opening a bank account at a local bank to transfer funds from your home country. Depending on the bank policy, these funds may need to be held for several days until they are available to you.

Another way to transfer funds is to send the payment to KU Medical Center. Once you are enrolled, tuition and registration fees for your classes will be deducted, and Student Financial Accounting will then issue you a check for the remaining funds.

If you have an ATM card, you can find ATM machines located throughout the city, at banks, at markets and gas stations, and at shopping facilities. Be sure to contact the bank or financial institution from which your ATM or credit card is issued to make sure that your card will be accepted in the U.S.

Climate

Average Normal Temperatures
Average Annual Temperature		54°F	12°C
High	January	36°F	2°C
High	July	89°F	32°C
Low	January	18°F	-8°C
Low	July	68°F	20°C
Annual Precipitation		37.98 in.	94.95 cm
Annual Snowfall		20.1 in.	50.3 cm
Annual days of snowfall in excess of 1.0 in. (2.54 cm)		6.8 days
Annual average wind speed		10.6 mph	17 kph
Annual Relative Humidity		68%

Source: U.S. National Climatic Data Center, 2002 Local Climatological Data, International Airport, Kansas City, Missouri.

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