Phone & SIM in the US — connected on day one

Airalo, Holafly and similar eSIM marketplaces sell short-term US data plans that install digitally — no physical SIM swap needed if your phone supports eSIM (most iPhones and recent Android flagships do). Use this for your first few days while you sort out a proper local plan; it's usually not the cheapest long-term option.

Postpaid plans (the big multi-line family plans, financed phones) typically run a credit check. With zero US credit history, you'll either get rejected or asked for a security deposit — sometimes several hundred dollars. Prepaid plans sidestep this entirely: you pay upfront each month, no credit check, no deposit. Almost every new F-1 student should start on prepaid and only consider postpaid after building some US credit history and settling into one city.

Coverage note: T-Mobile and Verizon-based plans generally cover major cities and campus towns well; rural coverage varies more — check the carrier's own coverage map for your specific campus address before committing to a long bundle.

Register your device during orientation using your university credentials. Eduroam also gives you free wifi access at thousands of participating universities worldwide if you travel, including many in your home region — useful during visits home.

1. 1

   Unlock your phone in Bangladesh before flying

   Contact your Bangladeshi carrier to confirm it's unlocked; doing this after arrival is slower.

2. 2

   Activate an eSIM for the arrival window

   Gets you data from the moment you land, before you've picked a permanent US plan.

3. 3

   Pick a prepaid US plan in your first week

   Compare Mint, US Mobile, Visible and T-Mobile Connect against your actual campus's coverage map.

4. 4

   Keep your Bangladeshi SIM alive

   Keep it minimally topped up, or have a family member keep it active — bKash, Nagad and Bangladeshi bank OTPs still route to that number, and many services won't let you change the registered number remotely.

5. 5

   Move two-factor authentication carefully

   Update WhatsApp, Facebook, Google and any account that supports it to your US number or an authenticator app, keeping the Bangladeshi SIM as a fallback during the transition.

6. 6

   Register your US number everywhere important

   Bank, university portal, landlord and any US-based delivery or ride-share app depend on it from day one.

WhatsApp, Messenger and IMO handle the vast majority of calls to family and friends in Bangladesh for free over data/wifi. For calling Bangladeshi landlines or non-smartphone numbers, check whether your US carrier plan already bundles international minutes to Bangladesh (several budget plans do); otherwise a per-minute international calling app (Google Voice international rates, Skype credit) is usually cheaper than your carrier's standalone international rate.