I-94 CAN Number: Finding It, Fixing Errors, and Expiration

The “CAN number” people ask about on an I-94 is the I-94 admission number, an 11-character identifier that U.S. Customs and Border Protection assigns when you enter the United States. CBP does not officially use the term “CAN number” anywhere on its forms or website. The agency calls it the admission number, the I-94 number, or the departure number.¹ Whatever you call it, it is your primary proof of lawful admission, and it is tied to the date your authorized stay ends.

The USCIS glossary defines it as an “Admission Number or I-94 Number” found on Form I-94.¹ USCIS form instructions also refer to it as the “Departure Number.”² “CAN” appears to have spread through informal use in immigration forums. It is worth flagging one unrelated CBP identifier so you don’t chase the wrong one: the Customs Assigned Importer Number (CAIN) is issued to foreign businesses importing goods, not to visitors.³

What the Number Looks Like

The I-94 admission number is always 11 characters. Before May 2019, all 11 characters were digits. Since May 2019, CBP has issued the number in an alphanumeric format: nine digits, a letter in the tenth position, and a digit in the eleventh.⁴ A number that reads like 123456789A1 is the current format. Older, all-numeric I-94 numbers remain valid for historical records.

How to Find Your I-94 Number Online

Most I-94 records are electronic. CBP creates the record automatically when you arrive by air or sea, and land border crossings have also moved to electronic issuance.⁵ To retrieve yours:

Go to i94.cbp.dhs.gov.
Enter your name, date of birth, passport number, and country of citizenship.
The site returns your most recent I-94, showing the admission number, class of admission, and the date your authorized stay expires.⁶

The CBP One mobile app does the same thing from your phone. It also lets you apply for an I-94 up to seven days before arriving at a land port of entry, view travel history, and pull up proof of an electronic I-94.⁷ Applying for an I-94 through the website or app costs $6; retrieving an existing record is free.

If you were given a paper I-94, the admission number is printed in the top portion of the form. Paper forms are now uncommon, but you can print your electronic record from the website or app if you need a hard copy.⁵

When the Website Says “Not Found”

A “not found” result usually means the details you typed don’t exactly match what the CBP officer entered. Try variations first: a hyphenated last name entered without the hyphen, a middle name included or left off, or a transposed digit in your passport number. If the record still won’t come up, contact CBP’s Deferred Inspection unit at your nearest international airport. As a last resort, file a Freedom of Information Act request with CBP, or file Form I-102 with USCIS for a replacement arrival/departure document.⁸

Where You Will Need It

The I-94 admission number turns up whenever someone needs to confirm you were lawfully admitted.⁶ Common situations include:

USCIS applications. Forms such as the I-765 (employment authorization) and I-539 (extension or change of status) ask for your I-94 number and the expiration date of your authorized stay.²
Employment verification. Employers confirming work authorization through the I-9 process may need your I-94, and CBP directs travelers to retrieve it from the website or app for that purpose.⁵
Public benefits. Agencies use the SAVE system to verify immigration status, and your I-94 number is one of the identifiers SAVE relies on. Entering it exactly as it appears on your record increases the chance of an immediate response.⁹
Schools and universities. Educational institutions routinely ask for I-94 records to confirm enrollment eligibility for international students.⁷

How It Differs From an A-Number

People sometimes mix up the I-94 admission number with the Alien Registration Number, or A-Number. They are different identifiers for different situations. The A-Number is a seven-, eight-, or nine-digit number that the Department of Homeland Security assigns to noncitizens, and it appears on green cards and in immigration court documents. It is most closely associated with permanent residents and people in removal proceedings.¹⁰ The I-94 admission number is tied to a single entry into the country and appears on the arrival/departure record for temporary visitors.¹ You can have both. If you entered as a non-immigrant and later applied for adjustment of status or were placed in removal proceedings, you would receive an A-Number alongside any I-94 numbers from your entries. Neither number replaces the other.

Fixing Errors on Your I-94

A CBP officer can misspell your name, record the wrong class of admission, or enter an incorrect expiration date. These errors matter, because the I-94 is what employers and government agencies rely on.

Errors made at the time of entry are corrected at a CBP Deferred Inspection Site, typically located at or near an international airport. Staff there can fix improper non-immigrant classification, incorrect biographical information, and wrong admission periods. Any designated Deferred Inspection location can help regardless of which port of entry issued your I-94.¹¹ Contact the site near you to schedule an appointment, and bring your passport, visa, and a printout of your I-94 showing the error.

One limitation: Deferred Inspection Sites only correct errors made at the time of entry. If your travel history shows incorrect arrival or departure data from past trips, CBP generally cannot fix those records. A FOIA request to CBP may be the only way to document what actually happened.

Watch the Expiration Date

Your I-94 shows the date your authorized stay expires, either as a specific date or as “D/S” (Duration of Status) for certain visa categories. Staying past that date puts you in unlawful immigration status starting the day after your authorized stay ends.¹²

The consequences compound. Unlawful presence can trigger three- or ten-year bars on reentry, make you ineligible for adjustment of status, and put you in removal proceedings. Filing an extension or change of status application before your I-94 expires does not automatically keep you in lawful status. A pending application offers no guaranteed protection against removal if your authorized stay runs out before USCIS decides.¹² Check your I-94 expiration date regularly, and file any extension requests well in advance.

Land-Border Departures

If you entered with an electronic I-94 and left the country by land, your departure may not be recorded accurately.⁵ An unrecorded departure can look like an overstay the next time you try to enter, even if you left on time. Keep proof of your departure — boarding passes, entry stamps from the country you traveled to, or other dated travel documents — so you can show timely departure if a CBP officer questions it later.

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Glossary
2
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-765, Instructions for Application for Employment Authorization
3
U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Importer Numbers
4
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Changes to Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record Numbering
5
U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Arrival/Departure Forms: I-94 and I-94W
6
U.S. Customs and Border Protection. I-94/I-95 Website
7
U.S. Customs and Border Protection. CBP Announces the Addition of I-94 Features to CBP One Mobile App
8
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Application for Replacement/Initial Nonimmigrant Arrival-Departure Document
9
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. SAVE Verification Process
10
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. A-Number/Alien Registration Number/Alien Number
11
U.S. Customs and Border Protection. What Is a Deferred Inspection Site?
12
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Vol. 7, Pt. B, Ch. 3 – Unlawful Immigration Status at Time of Filing