You can download your I-94 from the CBP website for free at i94.cbp.dhs.gov. Enter your name, date of birth, passport number, and country of issuance, and the site returns your most recent arrival record, which you can print or save as a PDF.1Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection. I-94/I-95 Website – Official Site for Travelers Visiting the United States For most air and sea arrivals, CBP creates the record electronically, so there is no paper form to hunt for. The printed or saved copy is your lawful record of admission.
What You Need Before You Start
Four fields have to match what CBP has on file, and the match has to be exact. Pull them from the machine-readable zone at the bottom of your passport’s photo page, not the printed name above it, which can be formatted differently:2Homeland Security. I-94/I-95 Frequently Asked Question (FAQs)
- Your last name and first name as they appear in the machine-readable zone.
- Your date of birth.
- The passport number from the machine-readable zone of the passport you entered on.
- The country that issued that passport.
If you did not have a passport or border crossing card when you arrived, you can search using your Alien Registration Number instead.2Homeland Security. I-94/I-95 Frequently Asked Question (FAQs) A single wrong letter or transposed digit will return “No Record Found.”
Retrieving and Saving the Record
Open i94.cbp.dhs.gov and choose Get Most Recent I-94/I-95. Fill in the four fields, accept the terms of service, and submit. The site pulls up your current record, showing your class of admission, the date you entered, and your Admit Until date, which is the deadline by which you must leave or extend your stay.3U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Arrival/Departure Forms I-94 and I-94W
Use the print button on the results page to open your browser’s print dialog. Instead of sending it to a printer, choose Save as PDF as the destination. That gives you a file you can email, upload, or keep on your phone. You can come back and reprint the record as many times as you want; there is no cap.1Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection. I-94/I-95 Website – Official Site for Travelers Visiting the United States
Using the CBP Link Mobile App Instead
The CBP Link app does everything the website does and adds a passport scanner. After you install the app and sign in through Login.gov, you can scan the machine-readable zone with your phone’s camera to auto-fill the search fields, which cuts down on the typos that cause most failed searches.4U.S. Customs and Border Protection. What to Do If Your I-94 Is Not Found Online The app also displays how long you can remain in the country and lets you show the record as proof of visitor status.5U.S. Customs and Border Protection. CBP Link Mobile Application
If You Get “No Record Found”
Almost every failed lookup traces back to a mismatch between what you typed and what CBP stored. Compare each character against the machine-readable zone, not the printed name.2Homeland Security. I-94/I-95 Frequently Asked Question (FAQs) Names with multiple parts are the usual culprit. Try these variations:
- Remove the space: enter “Lopezgarcia” instead of “Lopez Garcia.”
- Drop one surname: try just “Lopez.”
- Remove or add the hyphen: try “Alhamdi” instead of “Al-Hamdi,” or the reverse.
- Shorten a very long name. Each name field caps at 25 characters.
If none of those work, try again through the CBP Link app so the passport scan can fill the fields for you. When even that fails, you can file a Freedom of Information Act request through CBP’s SecureRelease portal; that requires creating an account and describing your entry in detail, including dates, your passport number, and date of birth.4U.S. Customs and Border Protection. What to Do If Your I-94 Is Not Found Online
What the Downloaded I-94 Is Used For
The reason to print or save the record now, rather than the day you need it, is that several routine tasks ask for it.
Form I-9 at a New Job
When you start work in the United States, your employer verifies your identity and work authorization on Form I-9. A foreign passport paired with an I-94 that has a work endorsement is a List A document, covering both identity and work authorization on its own.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-9 Acceptable Documents If you hold a work-authorized nonimmigrant status such as H-1B, the I-94 alone works as a List C employment authorization document, and you would add a separate List B identity document.
Social Security Card
The Social Security Administration accepts an I-94 with an unexpired foreign passport as proof of immigration status when you apply for a new or corrected Social Security card.7Social Security Administration. Learn What Documents You Will Need to Get a Social Security Card You cannot request a Social Security number solely to get a driver’s license.
Driver’s License or State ID
Most state DMV offices require noncitizens to prove legal presence. Your I-94, together with your passport and visa, is generally what they ask for. Requirements and fees vary by state, so check your local DMV before the appointment.
Check the Admit Until Date While You Have It Open
The Admit Until date on the record you just downloaded is the deadline that matters most for the rest of your stay. Staying past that date without an approved extension starts the clock on unlawful presence, which triggers re-entry bars once you leave:8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1182 – Inadmissible Aliens
- More than 180 days but less than a year of unlawful presence: a three-year bar on returning after you leave.
- A year or more: a ten-year bar.
Time in the country while under 18 does not count, and neither does time while a good-faith asylum application is pending.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1182 – Inadmissible Aliens If you need more time, file Form I-539 with USCIS before your Admit Until date. USCIS recommends filing at least 45 days before your authorized stay ends and generally no more than six months in advance.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-539 Instructions for Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status Late filings can still be accepted if the delay was reasonable, caused by extraordinary circumstances beyond your control, you have not violated your status, and you are not in removal proceedings.
If the Record Has an Error
If the I-94 you downloaded shows the wrong name, class of admission, or Admit Until date, contact the CBP Deferred Inspection office nearest you; the list of sites is on CBP’s website under Ports. Many corrections can be handled by email, and some require an in-person visit.2Homeland Security. I-94/I-95 Frequently Asked Question (FAQs) Send a copy of your passport biographical page, your visa stamp, your current I-94 printout, and a clear description of what needs to change.
If USCIS, rather than CBP, issued or updated your I-94, for example after an approved extension of stay, file Form I-102 (Application for Replacement/Initial Nonimmigrant Arrival-Departure Document) with USCIS to fix an error there instead.2Homeland Security. I-94/I-95 Frequently Asked Question (FAQs)
Replacing a Lost Paper I-94
If you got a physical paper I-94 at a land border and lost it, search i94.cbp.dhs.gov first. Many land border records have been digitized and can be pulled up online at no cost. If yours is not there, you can file Form I-102 with USCIS for a replacement. The fee is $560, waived if the loss resulted from a government error.10eCFR. 8 CFR Part 106 – USCIS Fee Schedule Include a copy of your passport biographical page, the page with your admission stamp, and if the record was stolen, a police report or an explanation of why one is not available.