Traveling to the U.S. (Semester at CSUB and Exchange Students)
Take your visa document with you upon entry to the U.S.
When students acquire the student visa (F-1 or J-1) after the interview at the embassy, please email the Office of Study Abroad Programs or Yuri Sakamaki.
Students should have the I-20 or DS2019 with their passport as they travel to the United States. (Don't pack the I-20 or DS2019 in the check-in luggage.) They will be asked to show the document with the passport at the point of entry.
New students with a new student visa can enter the U.S. 30 days before the program start date at the earliest. Even if their entry was permitted, they would be in the U.S. illegally. This may negatively affect the students later.
Getting to Bakersfield and CSUB
Meadows Field Airport (BFL): It's about 20 minutes by car from BFL to CSU Bakersfield.It's a smaller airport with fewer flights, so the airfare to BFL may be more expensive.
Airports in Los Angeles: Los Angeles Airport (LAX), John Wayne Airport (SNA), and a few others
Currently there is no direct bus service from LAX to Bakersfield. Students need to go to the downtown area of Los Angeles and catch the bus operated by FlixBus,Amtrak or Greyhound. The drop-off points in Bakersfieldare usually located in downtown Bakersfield, about 20 minutes by car to CSUB.
Bus between LAX and UnionStation in Los Angeles: LAX FlyAway
Bus between Union Station, Downtown LA and Bakersfield: FlixBus, Amtrak, Greyhound
LAXcar
Students can consider and utilize a 10% partnership promo code offered by LAXcar if they are planning to come to Bakersfield from LAX. LAXcar can provide vehicle transportation directly to the CSUB Dormitory address: 8501 Stockdale Highway, Bakersfield, California, 93311.
Enter promo code: CSUB10 when booking. LAXcar also has answers to frequently asked questions such as booking and paying fees, number of luggage per vehicle type, locating your chaffeur, and other possible scenarios.
CSUB Residence Hall address
The address of the dormitories is different from the general address of CSUB, 9001 Stockdale Hwy.
Inform taxi or ride-sharing service drivers of the address below.
8501 Stockdale Hwy.
Bakersfield, CA 93311
Resources
Popular ride-sharing services: Uber and Lyft
Other services: LAXcar