Your I-94 admission record is critical to your legal stay in the United States. It documents your entry date, admission class, and the approved duration of stay. Accuracy is essential, especially for visa categories like H-1B, J-1, TN, E-3, and O-1.
About Your I-94 Arrival/Departure Document
Air, land, and sea ports of entry have transitioned to an electronic Form I-94 record that is “created during the inspection process at the time of admission or parole when the CBP Officer pulls information from the traveler’s APIS (Advance Passenger Information System) record and any CCD (Consular Consolidated Database) record, and enters any additional data obtained during the inspection process.
A traveler admitted at a port of entry where the electronic Form I-94 has been implemented will be given instructions on accessing his or her electronic record on the CBP electronic I-94 website, https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/. There, the traveler can obtain, retrieve and print out a copy of his or her most recent I-94 record.
Nonimmigrants will also be able to see a five-year “Travel History” of their arrivals and departures contained in the Non-Immigrant Information System (NIIS) relating to their passport number but will only be able to print out the I-94 record associated with their most recent entry to the United States. After a new entry is recorded into the system, a nonimmigrant will no longer be able to print the I-94 record related to their prior stay, so it is a good practice to print out and retain the I-94 record after each entry to the United States.
Obtain Your I-94
Click here to find your I-94
Canadian citizens should check their I-94 status online immediately after entering the US to verify that a new one was issued. They should not go through the drive through lanes particularly NEXUS as CBP Officers often do not issue an I-94 and just admit the person as a visitor. Canadian citizens should park, go inside the CBP building and show their documents to be sure they have a properly issued online I-94.
Ask Customs and Border Protection to Correct Your I-94
Sometimes the officer reviewing your case will make a mistake. It is your responsibility to check your I-94 for errors and have them corrected. Usually the error can be corrected by email, but sometimes you may need to visit the office at the airport. Your first step is to email the Deferred Inspection Office at the Philadelphia International Airport at [click-for-email]
That office may require you to visit the Airport in person. Go to Terminal A West 3rd Floor International Arrivals Hall - Philadelphia International Airport during the time period indicated by the USCBP Officer. You can call them at (215) 863-4247 if you cannot find the office.