About Form I-94

What is an I-94 or I-94W?

Foreign visitors to the United States must complete an I-94, if they hold a valid visa, or an I-94W, if travelling visa free under the Visa Waiver Program.

This card is provided by the transportation carrier and must be surrendered to an inspector of the Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Customs and Border Security at the port of entry into the United States when applying for admission. The inspector separates the bottom part of the card and attaches it to the passport. The part attached to the passport notes the date of entry to the United States and authorized period the visitor may remain in the country.

When a visitor departs the United States, the transportation carrier representative, usually at the check-in counter, should remove the I-94 or I-94W from the passport. If by an oversight the card is not removed, the passenger's departure from the United States will not be registered with the USCIS.

As there is no record of your departure, the next time you attempt to enter the United States, your visa may be subject to cancellation or you may be denied entry. 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. When you arrive at a U.S. port of entry seeking admission under the Visa Waiver Program without a visa, United States immigration officials may deny you entry into the U.S. Visitors must ensure that they surrender the I-94 or I-94W stub to the transport carrier before they depart the United States.

I still have the I-94 or I-94W in my possession. What should I do?

Under U.S. law, all travellers to the United States must return the I-94 or I-94W departure record cards to the appropriate authorities before departing the United States. A traveller who fails to do so may be recorded as making an untimely departure from the United States. Without an accurate record of your departure from the United States, the Department of Homeland Security may conclude that you overstayed the period of time granted on admission.

If you are still in possession of the I-94 or I-94W it is your responsibility to ensure that it is surrendered to the appropriate authorities to correct your record so that you do not experience problems during future travel to the United States.

You are required to complete the back of the card listing the port and date of departure from the United States and the carrier/flight information. The I-94 or I-94W together with a letter of explanation and evidence of your departure from the U.S. should be sent to

DHS - CBP SBU
1084 South Laurel Road
London, KY 40744

Do not mail the I-94/I-94W to the Embassy or Consulate as we do not have the authority to update records.

What evidence of my departure from the United States do you require?

The evidence can come from a variety of sources, including but not limited to:

• Original boarding passes you used to depart the United States
• Entry or departure stamps in your passport to indicate you entered another country after you departed the United States (copy all passport pages that are not completely blank and include the biographic page containing your photograph)
• Dated pay slips or vouchers from your employer to indicate that you worked in another country after you departed the United States;
• Dated bank records showing transactions in your home country to indicate that you were in another country after your left the United States
• School records showing your attendance at a school outside the United States to indicate you were in another country after you left the United States
• Dated credit card receipts with the credit card number deleted for purchases you made after you departed the United States to indicate you were in another country after you left the United States

Please send legible copies or original material when available. If you send original documents, retain a copy for your records. Originals will not be returned. You should also include an explanation letter in English.

I no longer have the card!

If the I-94 or I-94W departure card is not in your possession, you should write to DHS - CBP SBU, 1084 South Laurel Road, London, KY 40744. with the following information:

• Name
• Date and place of birth
• Country of citizenship
• Date of arrival in the U.S.
• Date of departure from the United States
• Airline or carrier departed on
• Flight number or name of vessel

If departure was via a land border, enter "land" instead of carrier information.

You must also include evidence of your departure as noted above.

I am experiencing problems when entering the United States

If you believe that you are having problems entering the United States due to incorrect information in CBP's computer systems, it may be possible to amend the records. In order to do so, you should submit evidence of your departure from the United States. The evidence can come from a variety of sources, including but not limited to:

• Original boarding passes you used to depart the United States
• Entry or departure stamps in your passport to indicate you entered another country after you departed the United States (copy all passport pages that are not completely blank and include the biographic page containing your photograph)
• Dated pay slips or vouchers from your employer to indicate that you worked in another country after you departed the United States;
• Dated bank records showing transactions in your home country to indicate that you were in another country after your left the United States
• School records showing your attendance at a school outside the United States to indicate you were in another country after you left the United States
• Dated credit card receipts with the credit card number deleted for purchases you made after you departed the United States to indicate you were in another country after you left the United States

Please send legible copies or original material when available. If you send original documents, retain a copy for your records. Originals will not be returned.

The information and inquiries on this matter should be sent to:

Customs and Border Protection
1300 Pennsylvania Ave
Room 5.4.D
Washington DC 22209
Attn: Passenger Operations