Generally speaking, the first step is the immigration checkpoint, where you will show your passport, visa, and I-20. The second part comes when you pass through customs after collecting your checked luggage from the claim carousels in the baggage terminal. Note: Your port of entry may not be your final destination.

When arriving on an international flight, you almost always go through Immigration/Passport Control first, followed by baggage claim, and then Customs last. However, if you are departing on a flight, you go through Security first. The confusion often arises because the terms are used interchangeably, but they serve different roles. Immigration (Passport Control) verifies your right to enter the country, while Customs checks the physical goods you are bringing with you. In major hubs, the flow is designed to be one-way: you exit the plane, show your passport, pick up your checked bags, and then walk through the Customs "green" or "red" channels. If you have a connecting flight in a country like the US, you must clear these hurdles and then go through a second Security screening before entering the domestic terminal. This ensures that any items you retrieved from your checked bags at the carousel (which could include liquids or sharp objects) are screened before you are allowed back into the "sterile" gate area of the airport.