Pre-Arrival Information
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Planning your trip to the United States is an important task. This page has information that can help you make some of your decisions. Obtaining Your Visa | Housing | Hotels | Weather | Health Care and Health Insurance | What to Bring | Getting to Champaign-Urbana | Getting from Champaign Willard Airport to the University of Illinois Campus | IEI Contact Information |
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| IEI Welcome Party |
Obtaining your Visa
Visit our Immigration page for complete instructions on how to do this.Housing
If you have not arranged for a place to live or you arrive too late to move in, you will need to stay with friends or in a hotel. See the hotel information below for suggestions on where to stay.We recommend that you make arrangements for housing before you come to the IEI. For more information, on the different kinds of housing available, see our Housing page.
Hotels
If you prefer to wait until you arrive before decide where to live, there are many hotels and motels in Champaign-Urbana where you can stay for a short time while you look for housing. Local hotels and motels relatively close to campus include: (The prices quoted are approximate.)Illini Union |
| Hampton Inn 1200 W. University Urbana 217-337-1100 Price $79-100 http://www.hamptoninn.com |
Hawthorn Suites |
Weather
Champaign-Urbana has four seasons. Spring and fall are cool, summers are quite warm and winters are usually cold and often snowy. This website will give you an idea of the average temperatures in our area. If you are going to be here in the winter (January – March) bring warm clothes with you. If you do not have the appropriate cold weather clothes (warm coat, hat gloves, scarf, etc.), do not worry. You will be able to buy them for a reasonable price when you get to Champaign-Urbana.Health Care and Health Insurance
Mandatory Health Insurance
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign requires that all students have health insurance. This includes students attending the Intensive English Institute.
Students can get health insurance by:
1) Purchasing University of Illinois student health insurance when they register at the IEI (the cost is approximately $180 per semester and is subject to change); or
2) Purchasing private insurance in their home countries.
Minimum requirements for private insurance:
If students purchase private insurance, there is a MINIMUM amount of coverage required as follows:
1) A minimum of $200,000 major medical coverage for each illness and each injury.
2) No less than an 80%/20% benefit plan for inpatient, outpatient and surgical procedures. (At least 80% of the cost of inpatient, outpatient and surgical procedures must be covered by insurance. The student's payment burden must not be more than 20%)
3) The maximum annual deductible should be $500.
Proof needed for private insurance:
Students who purchase private health insurance must bring proof of coverage to the IEI office at the time of registration. This proof must be in English; it must include information that shows the minimum coverage has been met; and it must show the coverage amounts in US dollars.
If students do not bring proof of adequate insurance at the time of registration, they will be charged for University of Illinois student health insurance.
What to Bring
- Medical Records
- The IEI will send you an “Immunization Record Form” along with your admissions packet. Be sure to have your doctor complete this form so that you do not have to have the same inoculations again when you arrive at the University of Illinois. The IEI will also send you a “Medical History Form” that you should complete and bring with you.
- Money
- You should have some American dollars in cash before you arrive in the US, but do not bring large amounts of cash. Most of your money should be in traveler’s checks (in dollars). You can also bring a check (preferably in dollars) to deposit in a local bank. There are also many cash machines that allow you to get cash with your debit or credit card. These usually have a limit of 200 dollars per day.
- Cellular Phone
- The cellular phone system in the US is different and if you bring your cell phone from home it may not work. You may need to buy a new cell phone for use in the U.S. You can use your credit card to make international phone calls from pay phones, once in the US. You can also buy phone cards that have very inexpensive rates per minute for international calls.
- International Drivers License
- If you might rent or buy a car in the US, it would be helpful to get an international drivers license in your country. Important Note: This license is only good for 90 days once you reach Illinois. After that you need to have a valid Illinois' driver license. The fine for driving with an international driver's lisence after 90 days is very high.
- Electronic Dictionary
- Many IEI students bring electronic dictionaries with them from their countries. You should buy these before you come, because they may be difficult to find here in Champaign-Urbana.
Getting to Champaign-Urbana
The easiest way to get to Champaign-Urbana is by flying directly in to our local Willard Airport. The taxi service from Willard Airport to Champaign-Urbana is about 13 US dollars. You can make a reservation to have a taxi meet you at this website: http://www.illinilimo.com/
Most travelers coming to the IEI from abroad fly to Chicago, St. Louis, or Detroit. These are the closest major airports. However, Chicago and St. Louis are more than 200 kilometers from Champaign-Urbana, and Detroit is even farther. Several airlines fly from these three cities directly to the airport in Champaign-Urbana. When you make your airline reservations, be sure to ask your travel agent to give you a connecting flight to Champaign Willard Airport. Do not take a taxi from any of these cities to Champaign-Urbana. It would be very expensive.
If you fly into O’Hare International airport in Chicago and do not have a connecting flight to Champaign-Urbana, the best way to get here is to take Lincoln Land Express which leaves from the airports about every three hours during the day. Please ask about these services at the Airport Information Service Center. Using the airport limousine services is safe. The cost is about $42.00 US dollars.
Getting from Champaign Willard Airport to the University of Illinois Campus
The University is only 10-15 minutes from the airport by taxi van. These taxis meet all flights coming into Willard Airport. You do not need to have a reservation in advance. But you want, you can make a reservation at this website: http://www.illinilimo.com/. The cost is approximately $13. This taxi can take you directly to the place you will live for the fall or it can take you directly to the IEI. Remember that the IEI is NOT open on Saturday or Sunday. Monday through Friday, the IEI is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
If you arrive in Champaign-Urbana late at night and you need a hotel, it would be very convenient to stay at Illini Union Guest Rooms. During January and August, The Illini Union offers a double room price of US$25/night per person for new international students. This rate is available on a walk-in basis only; you cannot make a reservation at this price. If you prefer to make a reservation, please visit http://www.union.uiuc.edu/services/hotel/reservations.aspx or call 217-333-1241, or send a fax to them at 217-333-0804.
IEI Contact Information
Remember to have this IEI contact information with you all the time:
Intensive English Institute
1205 West Nevada Street
Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
Tel. (217) 333-6598
Fax: (217) 265-0158
e-mail:
Do not hesitate to contact us if you need our help anytime during your trip!