What is Form I-94?
Form I-94 is the Arrival/Departure Record issued to foreign visitors who are admitted to the U.S., who are adjusting status while in the U.S., or extending their stay in the U.S. The I-94 card dictates how long an individual can lawfully remain in the US, what immigration status they hold during their visit, and if the individual can work or be paid while in the U.S. among other things.
Admission to the U.S.
Prior to April 30, 2013, paper I-94 cards were issued. Today, foreign visitors to the U.S. arriving via air or sea* no longer need to complete paper Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Form I-94 or I-94W. Individuals who need to prove their legal-visitor status—to employers, schools/universities or government agencies—can access their CBP arrival/departure record information
online. Foreign visitors may be required to print their electronic form I-94 before applying for certain benefits, such as a driver’s license, Social Security number, bank accounts, tax treaty, etc. If an individual enters via a land border crossing, a Form I-94 may or may not be issued to you. In this case, please be sure the oval admission stamp that CBP places in our passport contains your correct status and note the admission expiration date.
IFSS recommends that each and every time you enter the U.S., you print your I-94 card to make sure all the information on the I-94 card is correct. If you find an error on your I-94, call IFSS immediately; do not wait. We can provide you with instructions on how to contact the appropriate CBP office that can assist you in getting your I-94 corrected. Keep copies of your I-94s for your records, just in case. Each time you enter the U.S., your online I-94 will be replaced with a new I-94 and you cannot currently retrieve prior I-94s online, only the most recent I-94.
Exiting the U.S.
You must exit the U.S. on or before the "admit until" date listed on your I-94 or in your passport (if you entered by land border crossing). If no specific date is on the I-94, or the expiration date is noted as "D/S" (which stands for Duration of Status), the date the individual must leave the U.S. is on the visitors immigration documents (for example, your DS-2019 or I-20).
- If a visitor departs by a commercial air or sea carrier (airlines or cruise ships), IFSS recommends holding on to the outbound (from the U.S.) boarding pass for verification of departure.
- If a visitor departs by land and has a paper form I-94, the I-94 must be turned in to a CBP Officer at the land border when exiting the U.S. If it is not turned in, the visitor will be considered an "overstay" and they may be denied entry when they attempt to re-enter the U.S. in the future.
Need help?
CBP Information Center
CBP I-94 Fact Sheet
How to correct Form I-94
CBP I-94 Frequently Answered Questions
*Please note: the OMB expiration end date in the upper and/or lower right hand corner of the form/printout has no relevance to the immigration status or the expiration date of your stay in the U.S.