Immigration & Visas · Explainer
What Form I-94 is and how to find yours
The arrival record that sets how long a visitor may stay. Why the date on it matters more than the visa, where the electronic record lives, and what to do when it is wrong.
The visa in a passport is permission to ask to enter the United States. The I-94 is the record of the answer. USCIS's glossary defines the Arrival and Departure Record as the I-94, in either paper or electronic format, issued by a Customs and Border Protection officer to foreign visitors entering the United States. It is a CBP document, and it governs the stay.
Paper gave way to a database
Customs and Border Protection's I-94 page states that foreign visitors no longer need to complete the paper form. For arrivals by air and sea, the record is created electronically from the carrier's manifest and the inspection, and CBP encourages travelers who need their I-94 to use the CBP Link mobile app or the CBP I-94 website to retrieve it. The record can be looked up with the passport number, country of issuance, and date of birth, and printed.
The date that controls
Two dates cause the confusion. The visa's expiration is the last day the visa can be used to seek entry. The admit-until date on the I-94 is the last day the person may remain. A visitor with a ten-year visa is typically admitted for six months; a student is admitted for duration of status, written D/S; a worker is admitted to the end date of the petition. Staying past the admit-until date, not the visa date, is what starts unlawful presence.
Where the record is used
Employers, state driver's license agencies, universities and USCIS all ask for it. A change or extension of status filed with USCIS is checked against the I-94 on file, and the new status, if granted, comes with a new I-94 attached to the approval notice. Proof of lawful presence for a benefit or license usually means the current I-94.
When it is wrong
Errors happen: a wrong class of admission, a date that does not match the petition, a misspelled name from the manifest. The correction is made by CBP, not USCIS. The CBP page directs travelers to the agency's Deferred Inspection Sites and ports of entry for corrections. Bring the passport, the visa and any USCIS approval notice that shows what the record should say.
Leaving
Departure by air or sea is recorded automatically from the carrier's manifest. Departure across a land border may not be, and a traveler who leaves by land and wants a record of it can check the travel history on the I-94 site and, if the exit is missing, submit proof to CBP later. The Visa Bulletin tracker is unrelated to admission dates but is where readers on a green-card path check the other clock that matters to them.
What to do
- After every entry, retrieve the record from the CBP I-94 site and check the class of admission and the admit-until date. Official link
- Keep a copy; the record is needed for work authorization, a driver’s license, a change of status and proof of lawful presence. Official link
- If the record is wrong, contact CBP through a Deferred Inspection Site or the port of entry; USCIS cannot correct it. Official link
Questions readers ask
- Where is my I-94?
- For arrivals by air and sea it is electronic. Customs and Border Protection directs travelers to the CBP I-94 website or the CBP Link app, where the record can be looked up with a passport number and date of birth and printed. Paper forms are no longer required.
- Which date decides how long I can stay?
- The admit-until date on the I-94, not the visa’s expiration. A visitor with a ten-year visa is typically admitted for six months; students are admitted for duration of status, shown as D/S.
- Who corrects a mistake on an I-94?
- Customs and Border Protection, through a Deferred Inspection Site or the port of entry. USCIS cannot change the record. Bring the passport, visa and any approval notice that shows what it should say.
Filed under: Visa Bulletin: which chart applies now
Mentioned:U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
How we reported this
Built from 2 primary documents linked in the Source Card. Every number was copied from the document, not from another outlet.
This page describes public documents and agency procedures. It is not legal advice, and FactFiled has no attorney on its review panel; the reviewer named below checked the page against the documents it cites. For a decision about your own case, use the official source linked above or consult a lawyer.
Written by Mirza Seraj Baig · Reviewed by Imran Ahmad, Investment strategist; reviewer, Jobs & Layoffs and Immigration & Visas desks on September 5, 2026 · Checked against the documents in the source card (editorial standards).