When a foreigner travels to USA and enters at a designated US Port of Entry, their arrival departure information is captured in a form called I-94. It used to be a physical form in the past, but from April 26, 2013, the arrival and departure information is captured electronically and the I-94 form is fully automated. In this article, we will review what is electronic I-94, what various fields mean.
When is Electronic I-94 Issued ? What does it capture ?
When foreign citizens enter US, they arrive at certain US Port of Entry(PoE) locations with designated codes. After arrival, all of them go through US Port of Entry Procedures at PoE, CBP Officer Stamps their passport with their visa type they are entering in and lets them enter US. As part of that arrival, the information related to the person entering US is captured in an I-94 form. If the passenger arrives by Air or Sea, it is completely electronic process and arriving passengers do not have to fill anything.
The I-94 form can be accessed by passengers electronically online. It is used as a proof of legal entry to the country and used to prove legal status information when staying in US. The Arrival Departure info is updated in I-94 when the passengers exit US as well. Again, this process is completely electronic.
Sample I-94 Electronic Record, Fields Meaning
You can access your electronic I-94 by visiting website https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/home. Read How to get I-94 Electronic record online on DHS website for more info.
Below are the various fields on an electronic I-94. Each of the the fields has a specific meaning and it is explained below on what they convey.
- Admission I-94 Record Number : Indicates the I-94 form number, that is used to retrieve your info. It is same as the form number on physical I-94 form.
- Most Recent Date of Entry : This is the date that you entered USA
- Class of Admission : This corresponds to the visa you used to enter America. In below example, it is B1 visa.
- Admit Until Date : This is the date, when the passenger or user has to leave America. Basically, it is the expiry date of the status in US and when they should depart US.
- Last Name : The last name, surname or family name of the traveler arriving in US
- First (Given) Name : The first name or given name of the traveler arriving in US
- Birth Date : Date of birth of the traveler
- Passport Number : Passport number of the traveler
- Country of Issuance : The country of citizenship of traveler.
Below is the Sample Electronic I-94 that is pulled up from online DHS website.
Sample I-94 Electronic Record from past
Below is a sample I-94 electronic record that was printed online in 2017 that was issued back in 2013, when the new system was just put in place. If you compare both above one from recent 2019 vs. the old one, it has not really changed anything. It has been consistent.
Common FAQs
Not really, they have the same purpose and meaning. Depending on how you enter the US, you would issued a certain type of the I-94. If you arrive by land (on-road), you are likely to be issued a paper based I-94. If you arrive by Air or Sea, you are likely to be issued electronic I-94. If the online system does not work during your arrival, then you may be issued paper based I-94 form.
If it was a mistake done by the CBP officer, they can correct the same, if you reach out to them. You can email CBP Office or Call a port of entry location to fix your I-94 issue. Check Locate Port of Entry to find relevant port of entry in your state.