I-94 Procedure
I-94 Procedure
CBP has announced the implementation of a new procedure which will take the place of the physical I-94 card you currently receive at the border. Instead of receiving a physical card, the arrival/departure process is now automated. Foreign nationals will now only receive an entry (or admission) stamp in their passport which will include the entry date, class of admission (or status) and the expiration date. You can now print your I-94 in an electronic format at https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/home.
The previous Form I-94 was a small, white card often stapled into the passport. It serves as evidence of a lawful admission and “alien registration” for foreign nationals. Those entering by land may still receive the paper card.
Form I-94 lists the person’s immigration category, the port of entry, the date of entry into the U.S., the expiration of their stay, and a unique 11-digit identifying number on top.
Foreign nationals will have the convenience of being able to access their own I-94 electronically at https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/home, and will be able to print a new copy if one is lost, or to print multiple copies if needed.
- CBP stated that employers would be able to accept an I-94 printout along with an unexpired passport.
- Foreign nationals will be able to print their I-94 at https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/home.
No, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), another component of DHS, will continue to issue paper Forms I-94 for change of status applications, H-1B petitions, and other applications in the form of an I-797 Approval Notice.
CBP stated that in some situations (like the I-515A), because it is a secondary inspection procedure, the foreign national will be given a special paper form annotated with the electronic I-94 number.
- In other words, if an I-515A is required, the recipient will still receive a paper I-94 so that she or he can complete the I-515A process with ICE.
CBP anticipates that nothing is going to change with automatic revalidation. If you depart the U.S., and upon return, if you meet the revalidation criteria, CBP will already have the electronic I-94 on record, and it will be revalidated.
You will be provided with another stamp in the passport, and the I-94 will just be revalidated electronically.
Previously the requirement was that the traveler had to have the I-94 in her or his possession, but because it will be an electronic record, CBP will have the record, and there will be no need to present a paper I-94.
Those who fly back to the U.S. will receive a new passport stamp with entry/admission information, and those who drive in will be processed according to the land border port of entry process and receive a paper I-94.
- OISS recommends foreign nationals to print their I-94 at https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/home before leaving the U.S. as a back up.
ISSS Disclaimer: The information contained on this web site is provided as a service to international students, faculty, staff, employees, and administrators at the University of Delaware, and does not constitute legal advice on any immigration, tax, or other matter. As legal advice must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case, and laws are constantly changing, nothing provided herein should be used as a substitute for the advice of official counsel. For assistance on your immigration status, we encourage you to contact an ISS advisor for specific guidance at oiss@udel.edu.