The Form I 94 Arrival/Departure Record
The Form I 94 is an arrival/departure record issued by the Department of Homeland Security to foreigners admitted to the United States, who are changing their status while in the country or extending their stay. An officer of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) attaches the I-94 to the passport of a non-immigrant visitor upon U.S. entry. The visitor must leave the U.S. on or before the departure date stamped on the I-94.
Who needs a Form I 94?
All visitors entering the United States must fill the Form I-94 except for U.S. citizens, returning foreigners residing in the country, foreigners with immigrant visas, and Canadian citizens visiting or in transit. It should be noted that the CBP issues Form I-94 only at the land border ports of entry. Foreign visitors arriving by air or sea are no longer required to complete Form I-94.
Whoever needs to prove the legitimacy of their visitor status, may access their arrival/departure record on the CBP website. The CBP automatically collects the arrival/departure information from visitors’ electronic travel records.
What is Form I 94 for?
CBP uses the I 94 Form with the purpose of documenting arrivals and departures of foreign nationals who enter the United States on non-immigrant visas such as work, student, or visitor visas.
Is Form I 94 accompanied by other forms?
No other form is required when you submit Form I-94.
When is Form I 94 due?
The travelers must submit the Form I-94 as soon as they fill it at land border ports of entry. Upon arrival, a CBP officer stamps the travel document of each arriving non-immigrant traveler with the admission date, admission class, and the date until which the visitor has the right to stay in the United States. Upon exiting the U.S., travelers who previously received a paper Form I-94 should give it to CBP or their commercial carrier.
How do I fill out Form I 94?
The Form I-94 contains brief instructions on how to complete it. You should fill it in English. The space provided for each character is small, so typing the form helps to fill it neatly and legibly.
The document consists of two sections, you should fill both the Arrival Record (items 1 to 17) and the Departure Record (items 18 to 21), providing the following information:
1. family name;
2. first (given) name;
3. date of birth;
4. country of citizenship;
5. gender;
6. passport issue date
7. passport expiration date
8. passport number;
9. airline and flight number (If you are entering by land, enter LAND here; if you are entering by ship, enter SEA.);
10. The country where you live;
11. The country where you boarded;
12. The city where the visa was issued;
13. date issued;
14. address while in the United States (number and street);
15. city and state;
16. The telephone number in the U.S. where you can be reached;
17. email address;
18. family name;
19. first (given) name;
20. date of birth;
21. country of citizenship.
As soon as you complete the Form, present it to the CBP officer. The officer will review the card and stamp it for entry in the United States. The CBP retains the arrival section and gives you a stamped departure section that will indicate the last date you can legally be in the United States. You must keep this part of the Form and present it upon your departure. Do not write anything on the back of the Form I-94; this is for the U.S. Government use only.
Where do I send Form I-94?
You should present the filled I-94 Form to the CBP officer.
