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8 mins read | Feb 24, 2026
The I-94 form controls your legal immigration status in the United States. Every time you enter the country on a nonimmigrant visa, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) creates an I-94 record that documents when you arrived, what visa class you were admitted under, and how long you're authorized to stay. Its purpose is to work as your official arrival and departure record in the country.
The I-94 form serves a different purpose than the visa stamped in your passport. Your visa allows you to travel to the U.S. and request entry at a specific port of entry, which can be an airport or border crossing where CBP inspects you. The I-94, on the other hand, records the actual terms of your admission once you're in the country, so if there's ever a conflict between your visa expiration date and your I-94 "admit until" date, the I-94 will be the one determining how long you can legally stay in the U.S. Many people confuse the I-94 with their visa, but they are different documents.
If you're looking for more clarity, this guide covers what the I-94 form looks like, how to get your I-94 form online, and why you should check it after any US entry and travel.
What is the I-94 form and why does it matter?
The I-94 form, which is officially called the Arrival/Departure Record, is a document that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection issues to every foreign national entering the United States on a nonimmigrant visa. It records:
- your admission number (a unique 11-digit identifier),
- your class of admission (such as H-1B, O-1, L-1, or B-1/B-2),
- the date you entered the U.S.,
- and the date your authorized stay expires.
The I-94 proves you're in the country legally and that you have not overstayed. In case you're applying for a visa extension, changing your immigration status, or filing for a work permit (also known as an Employment Authorization Document, or EAD), USCIS will ask for your I-94 information. It is also how employers verify if you have authorization to work during the Form I-9 process.
See it this way: if you travel to the U.S. and your visa expires while you're still in the country, it will not be a problem as long as your I-94 hasn't expired yet. But if your I-94 expires and you're still in the U.S., then you would be overstaying, and that can have serious consequences for future visa applications.
What does an I-94 form look like?
Before 2013, CBP officers handed travelers a small white paper card to fill out on the plane or at the border. That paper was the I-94 form and you needed to fill it out with your name, passport number, flight information, and the officer would stamp it with your admission class and authorized stay date.
Thankfully, since 2013, CBP has automated the I-94 process at airports and seaports. Now, when you arrive by air or sea, your I-94 is created electronically using the information from your passport scan and your airline's manifest data. You don't need to fill out any paper card at the airport anymore.
If you retrieve your I-94 online, you'll see a digital document with several key fields: your admission number, most recent date of entry, class of admission, and "admit until" date (the last day you're authorized to stay). The form also displays your name and date of birth as they appear in your passport.
In case you've crossed a land border, there's an exception. When entering the U.S. through a land port of entry from Canada or Mexico, CBP may still issue a paper I-94 stapled to your passport. There's a $6 fee for paper I-94 cards at land borders that CBP charges.
| I-94 Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Admission number | Your unique 11-digit identifier |
| Most recent date of entry | When you last entered the U.S. |
| Class of admission | Your visa category (e.g., H-1B, O-1A, L-1) |
| Admit until date | The last day of your authorized stay |
| Name and date of birth | As shown in your passport |
How to get your I-94 form online
You can retrieve your I-94 record for free on the official CBP website at i94.cbp.dhs.gov. The process takes about two minutes and requires your full name as it appears on your passport, your date of birth, and your passport number.
- Click "Get Most Recent I-94" and enter your details.
- The system will pull up your most recent arrival record, which you can view on screen and save as a PDF. You can also access your full I-94 travel history, showing all your entries and departures over the past five years.
- If the website can't find your record, double-check that your name and passport number match your travel document exactly. Even small differences like a missing middle name can prevent the system from matching your record.
- If you've recently changed passports, try searching with your old passport number.
How to download your I-94 form
To download your I-94 form as a PDF, visit i94.cbp.dhs.gov, retrieve your record using the steps above, and click the print or download option on the results page.
It's a good practice to download your I-94 every time you enter the United States. Save a copy in a secure location alongside your other immigration documents. You'll need your I-94 information for visa extensions, change of status applications, and work permit requests.
If you're working with an immigration attorney or preparing a petition, they'll ask for your most recent I-94 as one of the first documents. Having it readily available speeds up the process and helps confirm your current visa classification and authorized stay dates.
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When to check your I-94 form
Check your I-94 record after every entry into the United States.
CBP occasionally makes errors, such as entering the wrong class of admission or the wrong "admit until" date. Catching these mistakes early matters because they can create problems when you file for a visa extension, change employers, or apply for a green card.
For example, if CBP accidentally records your admission class as B-2 (tourist) instead of H-1B (work visa), your employer's records won't match what USCIS has on file. If you spot an error, request a correction through CBP's Deferred Inspection process or by visiting a local CBP office.
Check your I-94 well before your "admit until" date approaches.
If your authorized stay is about to expire and you haven't filed an extension or changed your status, you'll need to act quickly. Filing a timely extension with USCIS before your I-94 expires is critical to maintaining your legal status.
I-94 form and your immigration status: what to know
Please be aware that your I-94 record is the single most important document for tracking your immigration status in the U.S.
The "admit until" date on your I-94 determines how long you can stay, and it overrides any other date, including the expiration on your visa stamp. Again, the I-94 date matters more than the expiration on your visa.
Some considerations:
For some visa categories, the I-94 won't show a specific date. Instead, it may say "D/S," which stands for "duration of status." This is common for F-1 students and J-1 exchange visitors. D/S means your authorized stay lasts as long as you maintain the conditions of your visa, such as being enrolled in school or participating in your exchange program.
If you hold a work visa like the H-1B, O-1A, or L-1, your I-94 will typically show a specific end date. That date should align with the dates on your approved petition, known as the I-797 approval notice. If they don't match, contact your immigration attorney to sort out the discrepancy before it causes issues down the line.
Whether you're on a temporary work visa now and considering a path to permanent residence, or you're just starting to explore your options, understanding how the I-94 connects to your broader immigration strategy is a good starting point.