1 Applications + funding map 9-12 months out

Lock the country + 5-8 universities — STEM-friendly visa rules vary US vs UK vs Canada

Take standardised tests early — GRE / GMAT / SAT + IELTS / TOEFL — leave time to retake

Map total cost — tuition + living + insurance + travel — for each shortlist school

Get pre-approved for an education loan — HDFC Credila, Avanse, Auxilo, Prodigy Finance, MPOWER

Submit applications + SOPs + LORs by deadline — keep digital + paper backup

2 Acceptance + visa 6 months out

Pay deposit, get I-20 / CAS / LOA from chosen university

US: Pay SEVIS I-901 fee ($350) + DS-160 + book F1 visa interview slot — slots fill fast

UK / Canada: tuberculosis test, biometrics, financial proof for visa

Compile financial proof — loan sanction + parents' bank statements + ITRs (last 3 years)

Mock-interview the visa Q&A — "why this school", "ties to India", "post-graduation plan"

Disburse first loan tranche to university (most have an admit-locked deadline)

3 Money + insurance 3 months out

Order a multi-currency forex card — single-currency USD/GBP card or multi-currency travel card

Compare options →

Buy visa-mandated student insurance — usually mandatory; check school's specific waiver rules

Student insurance options →

Set up the first FX transfer — first semester tuition + 3-month living buffer

FX compare →

Plan a US bank account that opens with passport + I-20 — Zolve, Niyo, Chase Student

Book flights — Tue / Wed departures save ~15%; pack 1 carry-on with first-week essentials

Buy travel insurance for the flight + first month — separate from visa-mandated school insurance

4 Pack + paperwork 1 month out

Pack the document file in carry-on — passport, I-20, admit, loan sanction, mark-sheets, financial proof

Stock 3-6 months of prescription medication — original packaging + doctor's letter

Pack Indian groceries that are 3-5x more expensive abroad — masalas, tea, ghee, dal, papad

Pack list →

Pre-load an Airalo eSIM for the destination — works as soon as you land

Scan everything to cloud — passport, visa, I-20, transcripts, vaccination, medical history

Get vaccinations the school requires — most US schools mandate MMR, Tdap, meningitis, COVID

5 Care packages from home parent side · ongoing

Decide a monthly food-shipping cadence with parents — most homes settle on every 4-6 weeks. Rotate masalas, dry snacks, sweets, frozen rotis

Use a specialty Indian-food courier rather than DHL or UPS direct — they handle US/UK FDA paperwork + frozen-food packaging end-to-end

Top couriers: Sky2C, ShipBaba, Aramex India, AGS Movers, ParcelChief. Typical: $80-180 for a 5kg packed box (Mumbai to US, 7-10 days)

Things that ship well: masala packets, atta, dal, dry sweets (laddu, chikki, mathri), pickle, frozen rotis (in dry ice), frozen mango pulp, dehydrated puran poli. Avoid fresh fruits, cooked dairy, anything liquid above 100ml

Save the receiver address + phone in parents' phones — and check the school address policy (some dorms don't accept perishables)

6 First 30 days abroad on arrival

Activate Airalo / buy local SIM in first 24 hours — Uber, Lyft, school portal need verification codes

US: apply for SSN as soon as you have an on-campus job offer (no offer? go without — most banks accept ITIN)

Open a local checking account — bring passport, I-20, visa, school admit letter

Apply for a credit-builder card — Discover It Student, Capital One Student, Deserve EDU

The full checklist for flying out as a student.

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