FAQ's
Here are some answers to Inquiries we commonly receive:
Q: How do I turn in the I-94W form (THE GREEN STUB) from my trip from the U.S.?
A: If you returned home with your Department of Homeland Security Form I-94 (white) or Form I-94W (green) Departure Record in your passport, it means that your departure was not recorded properly. It is your responsibility to correct this record. You must provide U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) sufficient information so we can record your timely departure from the United States. This will close out your earlier record of arrival to this country.
If you do not validate a timely departure from the United States, or, if you cannot reasonably prove otherwise when you apply for admission to the U.S. in the future, CBP may conclude you remained in the U.S. beyond your authorized stay. If this happens, the next time you apply to enter the U.S. your visa may be subject to cancellation or you may be returned immediately to your foreign point of origin.
In particular, visitors who remain beyond their permitted stay in the United States under the Visa Waiver Program cannot reenter the U.S. in the future without obtaining a visa from a U.S. Consulate. If this occurs and you arrive at a U.S. port-of-entry seeking admission under the Visa Waiver Program without a visa, CBP Officers may order your immediate return to a foreign point of origin.
If you failed to turn in your I-94 Departure Record, please send it, along with any documentation that proves you left the United States to:
DHS - CBP SBU
1084 South Laurel Road
London, KY 40744
Do not mail or bring your Form I-94 Departure Record or supporting information to any U.S. Consulate or Embassy, to any other CBP office in the United States, or to any address other than the one above. Only at this location is CBP able to make the necessary corrections to its records to prevent inconvenience to you in the future.
For more information on turning in an old I-94 form, please click on this link.
Q: What can I do if I keep getting stopped/delayed/questioned at a U.S. Port of Entry?
A: The Department of Homeland Security’s Travel Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP) is a single point of contact for individuals who have inquiries or seek resolution regarding difficulties they experienced during their travel screening at transportation hubs--like airports and train stations--or crossing U.S. borders, including:
- denied or delayed airline boarding
- denied or delayed entry into and exit from the U.S. at a port of entry or border checkpoint
- continuously referred to additional (secondary) screening
For information on the DHS TRIP program, please click on this link.
Q: I'm traveling under the Visa Waiver Program. Does my Passport need to be valid for at least 6 months after my intended stay in the U.S.?
A: No, Dutch passports and many others are exempt from this rule. See the State Department's webpage on the VWP for the full list.
However, admission into the United States will not be granted by the immigration authorities for a period extending beyond the actual expiration date shown in the passport. You can only be admitted to stay a maximum of 90 days or until the expiration date on your passport, whichever comes first. Moreover, stays under the VWP cannot be extended. So, if you intend to stay less than 90 days, but beyond the expiration date in your passport, you should renew your passport before traveling instead.
Q: What should I do with the unsolicited or suspicious-looking email or fax that purports to come from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service(i.e. "IRS W-8 BEN" or similar)?
A: The IRS does not initiate taxpayer communications through e-mail. In addition, the IRS does not request detailed personal information through e-mail or ask taxpayers for the PIN numbers, passwords or similar secret access information for their credit card, bank or other financial accounts.
Do not open any attachments to questionable e-mails, which may contain malicious code that will infect your computer. Please be advised that the IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers via e-mails.
If you receive an email or are directed to a website purporting to be from the IRS, you can forward it to the IRS at: phishing@irs.gov