Fillable Form Form I-94

What is Form I-94?

Form I-94 is the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) arrival/departure record. Among its other uses, it is issued to aliens who are admitted to the U.S., adjusting status while in the U.S., or extending their stay. A CBP officer generally attaches Form I-94 to the non-immigrant visitor’s passport upon U.S. entry. The visitor must exit the U.S. on or before the departure date stamped on his or her Form I-94.

On the passport admission stamp or the paper I-94 card, the officer writes either a date or "D/S" (duration of status). Students and scholars on F or J status should receive a stamp marked "D/S" or "duration of status." This means that they may remain in the United States if they are properly maintaining status and their I-20 (F-1) or DS-2019 (J-1) has not expired. Students and scholars are required to keep the passport entry stamp or I-94 card for the duration of their visit. Make sure to keep it in a safe place so it does not get lost.

When international students travel to the United States, they receive a Form I-94, “Arrival/Departure Record,” at their port of entry. International students who enter the country at an air or seaport are issued an electronic form, while those who enter the country at a land port are issued a paper Form I-94.

How to fill out Form I-94?

Type or print legible with pen in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. Use English. Do not write on the back of the form. The form has two parts. Please complete both the Arrival record (Items 1 through 17) and the Departure Record (Items 18 through 21). Make sure that all the information that you enter is exact and complete.

Note: Use the information on your visa first. If your record cannot be found, use the information on your passport and then the information on your Form I-20/Form DS-2019.

The information requested on the CBP Form I-94, Arrival Record, upper portion, includes:

Admission Number:

• Every I-94 record has an eleven-digit admission number. This number may be needed at the Department of Motor Vehicles and for employment purposes, but it is not a number that needs to be memorized. In fact, a new I-94 number will be given each time the student or scholar re-enters the United States.

1. Family Name
2. First (Given) Name
3. Date of Birth
   • DD/MM/YY
4. Country of Citizenship
5. Sex (Male or Female)
6. Passport Issue Date
   • DD/MM/YY
7. Passport Expiration Date
   • DD/MM/YY
8. Passport Number
   • Some passport numbers may begin with the year when the passport was issued, causing the number to be too long for the passport number field. Do not enter the year. (For example, a Mexican passport that was issued in 2008 may have a passport number that starts with “08” followed by nine digits. Try entering the passport number without the “08”)
9. Airline and Flight Number (if applicable)
10. Country Where You Live – Lawful Permanent Residence
11. Country Where You Boarded (if applicable)
12. City Where Visa was Issued (if applicable)
13. Date Issued (if applicable)
    • DD/MM/YY
14. Address While in the United States (Number and Street)
15. City and State
16. Telephone Number in the U.S. Where You Can Be Reached
17. Email Address

The information requested on the CBP Form I-94, Departure Record, lower portion, includes:

Admission Number:

18. Family Name
19. First Name
    • DD/MM/YY
20. Date of Birth
21. Country of Citizenship

Do not fill out the next side of the form, it is for government use only.

Where to file Form I-94?

After the successful completion of processing the applicant, present this form to the CBP Officer. The CBP officer stamps the applicant’s CBP Form I-94, Arrival and Departure Records, and the passport. The CBP Declaration, used at air and seaports of entry, may also be stamped by the CBP officer. The CBP officer retains the arrival portion of the CBP Form I-94 and returns the departure portion of the CBP Form I-94 and passport to the traveler.

The departure portion of CBP Form I-94 and passport is to be always in the traveler’s possession until the applicant departs the United States. If an applicant boards a commercial conveyance to depart the United States, the transportation carriers are:

1. To remove the departure portion of the CBP Form I-94 from the applicant’s passport.
2. Annotate the reverse of the departure portion of the CBP Form I-94 with the facts of the applicant’s departure from the United States.
3. Return the departure portion of the CBP Form I-94 to the nearest CBP office.

Travelers will not need to do anything differently upon exiting the U.S. Travelers issued a paper Form I-94 should surrender it to the airline, boat line, or CBP upon departure. The departure will be recorded electronically with information provided by the carrier or by CBP. If travelers did not receive a paper Form I-94 and the record was created electronically, CBP will record their departure using manifest information obtained from the carrier.

In general, if you have been admitted to the United States under most visa classifications if you take a short trip (30 days or less) to Canada or Mexico, you may retain your I-94/I-94W, so that when you resume your visit to the United States you are readmitted for the balance of the time remaining on your I94/I-94W. For those admitted as academic students or exchange visitors (F or J classifications), if you take a short trip (30 days or less) to Canada, Mexico, or the Adjacent Islands, you may retain your I-94 and your SEVIS form I-20 or SEVIS Form DS-2019, so when you resume your visit to the United States you are readmitted for the balance of the time required for you to complete your program.