Has anyone’s student had difficulty entering their “study abroad” country a week before the Visa start date, for sightseeing/tourist purposes? The country in question does permit people with US passports to enter without a Visa for tourism purposes.
Which country? That would be pertinent. Look up their reqs.
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Verify with the country in question LOL. The US part of this is almost irrelevant.
The student and I have researched the counselate website, and it is silent on the issue. The counselate will not take phone calls or appointments to answer questions re student visas. In reading various travel blogs, the advice is conflicting. I was just wondering if anyone has attempted to do this and, if so, was there any difficulty encountered?
Lebanon has been a pain for my son. Their visa requirements are so confusing. Since DS is 21, he handled it all himself. For a short while, he thought he might be deported! He finally got a student visa. It cost him about $700, gulp. I think each country is unique, unfortunately. 
$700?!?! Just for the Visa?
Logically, it seems to me that the kid should be able to enter the country with the US passport just like any other visiting tourist. I’m wondering, though, if the presence of the Visa will actually give him LESS options than plain tourists.
In other words, while the Visa is supposed to broaden one’s ability to stay in the country (granting a longer stay), does it actually get you treated more harshly than a regular tourist entering the country?
The same thing will happen in the USA though, enter on the wrong visa and you can be toast. Secondary screening is no fun, losing the visa waiver potential forever is no fun, if the US applies such guidelines then expect other countries to do the same. Logic has very little to do with such regulations. Where is the kid going?
That’s what my kid told me - $700. Our understanding is that we’ll pay for his college tuition, room and board, and books, but he has to foot the bill for travel, visas, etc. I know he’s running low on funds.
I don’t think $700 is all that much. I don’t know how much my niece paid for France, but she also had to fly to LA for the consulate appointment, so if you add in the flight, hotel, car rental, I’m sure it was $700 (plus my sister’s cost to go too). Niece was in school in Calif in the spring, but couldn’t get French consulate to give an appointment before July for fall semester, because she lives in Colorado had to use the French consulate and had to appear in person.
My daughter is going to England and she does not need a visa, but was told she couldn’t enter through Ireland. I don’t know why, but they made it very clear not to book flights through Ireland. That doesn’t appear anywhere on their literature or on the US visa page.
Check with the study abroad director at the student’s school.
You can also contact the country’s consulate and ask.
From OP’s post #4:
But it’s not a question about a student visa. It’s a question about a tourist entering without a visa. :))
Then, after they’ve said, “sure, you can do that,” the next thing you say is, “And the fact that he has a student visa that starts in a week, does that change the answer?”
I apologize for not noticing the OP had added information further down the post. I was just trying to help.
(Not sure if BelknapPoint has any useful suggestions for the OP or if the point of that post solely to correct me-- but whatever…)
Ok, here’s my advice, which is somewhat generic because OP has not disclosed the country: entering the country for one purpose that doesn’t require a visa, and then staying for a long period of time or purpose that does require a visa and the date of entry is prior to the visa start date, is asking for trouble. Maybe nothing will happen, but the best practice here is to err on the side of caution and not enter the country until on or after the visa start date, unless you have something in writing from a government official of the country in question that says entering earlier as a tourist and staying to start school is acceptable.
Also, reading all the posts in a thread before posting yourself is usually a good idea.
Can you enter as a tourist, tour, leave the country at the end of the week as a tourist, and re-enter a few hours later as a student?
Depending on which country, that could be very feasible or not.
That could be a possible solution, although if the country in question is part of the European Union, the student would probably have to leave the Schengen Area.
Can you start your trip off in another country and then arrive in the country where you will study when the visa is valid? It may mean some logistical headaches – ex.shipping some things over but may be an option although not ideal.