What Is the I-94 Arrival Departure Form?
The I-94 Arrival/Departure Record is an official document issued by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to foreign nationals entering the United States. This form records your arrival into the country and the date by which you must depart. Think of it as your official entry ticket that tracks when you came in and when you are required to leave.
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The I-94 form serves multiple purposes in the U.S. immigration system. It establishes your legal status upon entry, documents the port of entry where you arrived, and records your permitted stay duration. Immigration officers use this form to monitor who is in the country and to enforce departure dates. Your employer, school, or other institutions may request proof of your I-94 status when you need to show work authorization or student status.
The form has evolved significantly over time. Before 2013, the I-94 was a paper document that travelers received in physical form—either as a white card for air/sea arrivals or a paper form for land border crossings. In April 2013, CBP transitioned to an electronic system for most travelers arriving by air or sea. Now, most international travelers receive an electronic I-94 record rather than a physical card. However, travelers entering by land still typically receive paper forms at border checkpoints.
Understanding your I-94 is critical because it contains your authorized stay information. If you remain in the United States beyond the date listed on your I-94, you may be considered to have overstayed your visa, which can have serious legal consequences. The form is not a visa itself—it works alongside your visa to control your time in the country.
Practical Takeaway: Your I-94 is your official record of entry and authorized stay duration. Locate and review your I-94 information as soon as possible after arrival to confirm the dates are correct. Keep this information accessible, as you may need it for employment, housing, or other purposes during your stay.
How to Find and Access Your I-94 Record
Finding your I-94 record depends on how you entered the United States. For most travelers who arrived by air or sea after 2013, your I-94 exists only in electronic form—there is no physical document. The CBP maintains this record in their system, and you can view it through the official CBP website. The process is straightforward and takes only a few minutes.
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To locate your electronic I-94 record, visit the CBP's official I-94 website at i94.cbp.dhs.gov. On this site, you will find a section labeled "Retrieve your I-94" or similar language. You will need to provide specific information to retrieve your record. Typically, this includes your passport number, your country of citizenship, and your date of birth. Some versions may also ask for your complete name as it appears in your passport. Once you enter this information correctly, the system will display your I-94 details, including your admission number, port of entry, class of admission, and authorized stay date.
If you arrived by land at a U.S. border, you likely received a paper I-94 form. This white or green form should have been given to you at the port of entry. Check your travel documents and passport for this form. The paper I-94 for land arrivals contains similar information to the electronic version: your name, passport number, arrival date, departure date, and admission class. Keep this form in a safe place, as you may need it when leaving the country or for other official purposes. If you lost your paper I-94, you can attempt to retrieve it through the CBP website or contact CBP directly for assistance.
Some travelers report difficulty accessing their I-94 online if their passport number or personal information does not match exactly what CBP has on file. Common issues include middle names, name spelling variations, or passport number transcription errors. If the system does not find your record on your first attempt, try entering your information with different variations. If you still cannot locate your record, you can contact CBP's National Customer Service Center by phone or mail to request your I-94 information.
Practical Takeaway: If you arrived by air or sea, use the CBP website (i94.cbp.dhs.gov) to view your electronic I-94 record. If you arrived by land, locate your physical paper form. Save a copy of your I-94 information—either by printing the online version or photographing your paper form—and store it separately from your passport.
Understanding the Information on Your I-94
Your I-94 contains several key pieces of information that affect your legal status in the United States. Each field has a specific meaning and can influence how long you are authorized to stay. Learning what each section means helps you understand your rights and responsibilities during your visit.
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The admission number is a unique identifier assigned to you upon entry. This number connects you to all immigration records associated with your current stay. Your name and passport information must match what CBP has on file. The date of arrival shows when you officially entered the United States. This date matters for calculating how long you have been in the country and whether you may have overstayed in the past.
One of the most important fields is your class of admission. This code indicates the category under which you entered the country. Common classes include "B-1" for business visitors, "B-2" for tourists, "F-1" for students, "H-1B" for specialty occupation workers, and "L-1" for intra-company transferees. Your class of admission determines what activities you are authorized to perform while in the United States. For example, if you are admitted under B-2 (tourist), you are generally not authorized to work for pay. If you are admitted under F-1 (student), you must maintain enrollment at an approved school.
The authorized departure date (sometimes shown as "until" or "status expires") tells you when you must leave the United States. This is different from your visa expiration date. Your I-94 departure date is what matters for determining overstay. Some travelers enter with an I-94 that says "D/S" (Duration of Status), which means your departure date is not fixed—instead, you must leave within a certain period after your status ends. For students, this might be 60 days after their program ends. For visa holders, it might be a specific date printed on their visa or set by their visa sponsor.
The port of entry section identifies where you crossed into the United States. This might be a specific airport code (like JFK for New York or LAX for Los Angeles), a border city, or a seaport. This information is typically for record-keeping purposes but can be important if you need to verify your legal entry for official purposes.
Practical Takeaway: Review your I-94 to confirm (1) your authorized departure date, (2) your class of admission and what work or activities you are authorized to perform, and (3) whether any information appears incorrect. If you see errors or have questions about what your class of admission means for your activities, contact an immigration attorney or your visa sponsor for clarification.
Common Issues and Errors on I-94 Records
Despite the official nature of the I-94 system, errors do occur. Understanding common mistakes helps you identify problems early and address them before they become serious legal issues. Many errors result from simple data entry mistakes or passport information mismatches, while others may stem from confusion during the border crossing process.
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One frequent error is incorrect spelling of the traveler's name. Immigration officers manually enter information or rely on scanning technology that may misread passport characters, especially names with special characters, accents, or uncommon spellings. If your I-94 shows a misspelled name, this can cause problems when you need to prove your legal status to an employer or school. Another common issue is an incorrect passport number. A single digit entered wrong can cause difficulty retrieving your record online or confusion in official databases.
Date errors also occur occasionally. Your arrival date may be recorded incorrectly, or your departure/status expiration date might not match what you expected. Some travelers report arriving on one date but finding their I-94 shows a different date. This matters because it affects calculations of how long you have been in the country and when you must leave. If your I-94 shows an earlier departure date than you anticipated based on your visa, this is a serious issue that requires immediate attention.
Mistakes in the class of admission field can have significant consequences. For example,