Best mobile phone plans for international students in the US

Most international students save the most money and avoid paperwork with prepaid or no-credit-check plans from Mint Mobile, US Mobile, Visible (Verizon), or T-Mobile Prepaid. These work with passports, accept foreign payment cards, and don’t lock you into contracts. The best mix of price + coverage for most students is: Mint for lowest cost, US Mobile for best coverage, Visible for unlimited data, and T-Mobile Prepaid for strong city coverage and easy activation.

Best options explained simply

• Mint Mobile: Very cheap. Uses T-Mobile’s network. Great if your campus has good T‑Mobile coverage. You prepay 3–12 months at a time, which lowers cost. Good for students on a tight budget.
• US Mobile: Best coverage because you can pick plans running on Verizon or T‑Mobile. Flexible data options. Works without SSN. Very good if you travel across states.
• Visible (by Verizon): Unlimited data, hotspot included, no contract, no store visit needed. Works anywhere Verizon works. Great if you use lots of data and don’t want surprise charges.
• T-Mobile Prepaid: Easy to start in-store with just a passport. Strong coverage in cities and around many campuses. Monthly pay as you go.

Important details to know

You don’t need a SSN for these plans. Postpaid plans (AT&T, Verizon, T‑Mobile regular accounts) often require credit checks or deposits, so prepaid is safer and simpler.

Check campus coverage before choosing. Each school favors different networks. Ask current students or check campus IT pages.

Bring an unlocked phone. It must support US bands for 4G/5G. If your phone is older or region‑specific, speeds may be slow.

Expect SIM activation to take 5–15 minutes. eSIM works instantly for Mint, US Mobile, Visible, and most T‑Mobile plans, which helps if you need service at the airport.

Unlimited plans aren’t fully unlimited. They allow high usage but may slow down during busy times. For most students this is not a problem.

International calling: Mint and US Mobile offer cheap add‑ons, Visible uses apps like WhatsApp instead, and T‑Mobile has simple add-on packs.

Overall: choose Mint for lowest cost, US Mobile for best overall reliability, Visible for heavy data, or T‑Mobile Prepaid for easiest in‑store help.