What is Form I-94?
Form I-94 is the record U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) creates when it admits a nonimmigrant into the United States. It shows the status you were admitted in and the date you must leave by. That date, not the date on your visa, is what decides how long you can stay.
Checked against CBP and USCIS guidance on September 21, 2026. The sources are listed at the end of this page.
What an I-94 is
CBP describes the I-94 as the Arrival/Departure Record issued to nonimmigrants entering the United States for tourism, business, employment or study. It lets you remain until the Admit Until Date the CBP officer set when you arrived.
At airports and seaports it is electronic. Nobody hands you a card. The record sits in CBP systems and you retrieve it yourself. At land borders it is electronic too, and CBP no longer gives out the paper stub.
If you are ever asked for proof of your admission, by an employer, a school, a DMV or USCIS, the I-94 is the document CBP says to present.
Who gets an I-94
According to CBP, an I-94 is needed by all visitors except U.S. citizens, returning residents (green card holders), people arriving on an immigrant visa, and most Canadian citizens visiting or in transit.
Mexican citizens with a Border Crossing Card who stay inside the border zone (for example, within 25 miles of the border in California or Texas) don’t need one either. Going further in does.
I-94 vs. visa: what’s the difference?
They answer different questions. A visa lets you travel to a U.S. port of entry and ask to be admitted. The I-94 records what CBP actually decided when you got there: which status you were admitted in and until when.
So a visa can be valid for five or ten years while your I-94 allows a stay of six months. The I-94 date is the one that counts. And if you stay past it, your visa is voided automatically under section 222(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, even if the visa itself hasn’t expired.
| Visa | I-94 | |
|---|---|---|
| Issued by | U.S. Department of State, at an embassy or consulate | CBP, at the port of entry (or USCIS, with an extension or change of status) |
| Where it is | A foil in your passport | An electronic record you print from CBP |
| What it controls | Whether you can travel to the U.S. and ask to enter | How long you can stay, and in which status |
| Date that matters | Expiration date, for future entries | Admit Until Date, for this stay |
How to get and print your I-94
- Go to the official CBP I-94 website, i94.cbp.dhs.gov, or use the free CBP Link app. Both are free to use. Be wary of sites that charge to “retrieve” an I-94.
- Choose Get Most Recent I-94.
- Enter your name, date of birth, passport number and country of citizenship exactly as they appear on the passport you entered with. CBP’s document-capture option can read them from a photo of your passport.
- Print or save the result. CBP says you can print as many copies as you need, and a printout is acceptable for Form I-9.
If the search finds nothing, CBP lists the usual causes and fixes. They are covered in I-94 travel history and How to fix a wrong I-94.
Do I pay for an I-94?
Arriving by air or sea, no separate payment: CBP says the fee is built into your ticket.
At a land border, or at a ferry port that takes them, you can apply for a provisional I-94 online up to seven days ahead. CBP’s fee is $30 ($6 plus a $24 increase that took effect September 30, 2025). You must then appear at the port within seven days, or it expires and the fee is not refunded. A provisional I-94 does not guarantee admission.
What each part of your I-94 means
The printout is short, but each line matters. Your I-94 number is the record’s ID. The class of admission and Admit Until Date decide what you can do and for how long, and are explained in Admit Until Date, D/S and class of admission.
Frequently asked questions
What is an I-94?
Form I-94 is the Arrival/Departure Record CBP creates when it admits a nonimmigrant. It shows your class of admission (such as B-2, F-1 or H-1B) and the date you must leave by, called the Admit Until Date.
Is an I-94 the same as a visa?
No. A visa lets you travel to a U.S. port of entry and ask to enter. The I-94 records how CBP admitted you and until when. Your permitted stay follows the I-94, not the visa’s expiration date.
What does an I-94 look like?
Today it is almost always a one-page printout from CBP’s website. It shows the admission (I-94) record number, your most recent date of entry, your class of admission, your Admit Until Date, and the name, birth date and passport details it is matched to. Older paper I-94s were small white cards stapled into the passport.
Do green card holders need an I-94?
No. CBP lists returning residents among the travelers who don’t need an I-94. Permanent residents can’t use the I-94 website for their travel history either; CBP says to file a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request instead.
Is there a fee to download my I-94?
No. Retrieving and printing your I-94 on CBP’s website or the CBP Link app is free. The only fee CBP lists is for applying for a provisional I-94 before a land or ferry crossing, which is $30.
How long is an I-94 valid?
Until the Admit Until Date the CBP officer set, or for “D/S” (duration of status) if you were admitted in a class such as F-1 or J-1. It is not tied to your visa’s expiration date.
Can I get an I-94 in Spanish?
CBP’s I-94 website has a Spanish (Español) version of its help pages. The record itself is the same.
Read more
Sources
General information from CBP and USCIS guidance, not legal advice. MyCheck is not affiliated with CBP, USCIS or any government agency. Get your official I-94 only from CBP’s I-94 website or the CBP Link app. If your stay, status or a deadline is at risk, talk to an immigration attorney.
