Arriving in the U.S.: how to find and check your I-94 record

Step 1 — Understand what the I-94 is

The Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record, is the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) record for travelers admitted to the U.S.; it is also issued when someone adjusts or extends their status here (CBP — I-94 Fact Sheet).

Most people never see a paper form: CBP now gathers the information automatically from electronic travel records (CBP — I-94). In your passport you may get only an admission stamp showing your date of admission, class of admission and “admit until” date (CBP — I-94 Fact Sheet). CBP still gives paper I-94s to some travelers, such as certain asylees and parolees (CBP — I-94 Fact Sheet).

Why it matters: CBP says people use this record to prove their legal visitor status to employers, schools and government agencies (CBP — I-94). A record of admission printed from the CBP website counts as a lawful record of admission (CBP — I-94 website).

Crossing by land or by ferry? You can apply in advance for a provisional I-94 online, for a fee, but you must still appear at the port of entry within seven days of applying (CBP — I-94 FAQs).

Step 2 — Get your record from the official website or app

On the website (CBP — I-94 FAQs):

1. Go to i94.cbp.dhs.gov and choose “Get Most Recent I-94/I-95”.
2. Read and accept the Terms of Service.
3. Enter your first name, last name, date of birth, passport number and country of citizenship, which is the country that issued your passport (CBP — I-94 website).
4. Click “Continue”, then “Print”. You can also save the page as a PDF.

Typing tips from CBP (CBP — I-94 FAQs):

• Use the passport you entered with, not a newer one.
• Type your name as it appears in the machine-readable zone (MRZ), the lines with “<<<” at the bottom of your passport’s photo page. Leave out accents and replace each “<” between names with a space.
• If your passport shows several first or last names, enter all of them.
• Don’t mix up zero (0) and the letter O, or one (1) and the letter I.
• If you entered without a passport using an A-number (Alien Registration Number), enter that number as your document number.

In the app. Download CBP Link from the Apple or Google store, sign in with a free Login.gov account and tap “Get Most Recent I-94/I-95”. You can scan your passport’s MRZ or type your details (CBP — I-94 FAQs; CBP — CBP Link).

No record found? Check every detail again. If it still fails, use the CBP Information Center’s Ask a Question page: choose “I-94/Traveler Compliance”, then “Issue with my I-94/Travel History”, describe the problem and upload supporting documents (CBP — I-94 FAQs).

Step 3 — Check every detail against your documents

Your printout shows (CBP — I-94 website):

• your name, birth date, document number (usually your passport number) and country of citizenship;
• your admission (I-94) record number: 11 characters, which since May 2019 means 9 digits, a letter and one more digit (CBP — I-94);
• your arrival date;
• your class of admission: the code for the category you were admitted under, such as F1 or J1 (CBP — I-94 FAQs);
• your Admit Until Date: the date the admitting CBP officer recorded as the end of your admission period (CBP — I-94 FAQs).

Compare each line with your passport, your visa and any stamp in your passport. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) gives these examples of errors: a misspelled name, or an incorrect date of birth, visa classification or date of admission (USCIS — I-102). Small errors matter: CBP asks employers and agencies to check that your printout matches what the website shows for you (CBP — I-94 website).

Students, exchange visitors and foreign media (F, J and I). On July 17, 2026, DHS published a final rule on how admission periods are set for these groups (Study in the States). Don’t rely on general explanations of your Admit Until Date, including this one. Check that DHS page and talk to your designated school official (DSO), as DHS advises students (Study in the States), or to your exchange program sponsor.

Step 4 — If something is wrong, go to the office that issued it

CBP issued it (most arrivals). CBP’s fact sheet suggests first checking the website or app again, in case your record was updated (CBP — I-94 Fact Sheet). If a CBP-issued I-94 has an error, or you were admitted incorrectly, CBP’s FAQ says to contact your nearest Deferred Inspection office “within thirty days of admission or parole”, or to send an inquiry through Ask a Question (CBP — I-94 FAQs).

About the Deferred Inspection Sites (CBP — Deferred Inspection):

• There are over 70. If appropriate, staff can fix errors made at entry: the wrong nonimmigrant classification, wrong personal details or an incorrect period of admission.
• Any designated site, or any CBP office at an international airport, should be able to help, wherever your record was issued.
• Contact sites outside international airports first, to make an appointment if needed. Mail-in is generally not available.
• Each site lists its own hours and contacts; some take correction requests by email.

Don’t use Form I-102 for a CBP error. USCIS says to go to a CBP port of entry or deferred inspection office instead (USCIS — I-102).

USCIS issued it. USCIS issues I-94s for changes of status, extensions of stay and adjustments of status (CBP — I-94 FAQs). To correct one, USCIS asks for Form I-102 with the record containing the error, a copy of a government ID, a statement and, if needed, supporting documents (USCIS — Correct documents). The I-102 page has the fee and the filing address, which changed on October 7, 2026 (USCIS — I-102). If a USCIS asylum office issued your I-94, contact the asylum office for where you live now; for an error on a temporary green card stamp (ADIT stamp) on your I-94, call the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833) (USCIS — Correct documents).

Wrong travel history? CBP calls “View Travel History” (up to 10 years) a helpful tool, not an official record for legal purposes; it may miss, for example, land departures into Mexico (CBP — I-94 FAQs). To request a correction, use either Ask a Question or DHS TRIP, not both, with supporting evidence (CBP — I-94 FAQs).

Step 5 — Save a copy and know where you’ll need it

Save it after every arrival. The website shows only your most recent I-94; for most travelers, earlier records can’t be retrieved there (CBP — I-94 FAQs). Keep a PDF and a printed copy.

Where it’s used:

• Social Security number and driver’s license. CBP suggests printing your I-94 before applying for benefits such as a driver’s license or a Social Security card (CBP — I-94 Fact Sheet). See our guides to the Social Security number and the driver’s license and state ID.
• REAL ID. TSA lists a valid passport with a valid visa and an I-94, or an Employment Authorization Document, as what nonimmigrants present (TSA). F and M students are advised to wait 10 days after arrival before applying for a driver’s license, so their I-94 information can update in all government systems (Study in the States).
• Work. For Form I-9 (employment eligibility), one acceptable document is a foreign passport with a valid I-94 showing the correct employment-based class of admission (CBP — I-94 FAQs). If an employer or agency asks for your admission information, give your I-94 number and the other documents they request (CBP — I-94 website).