On May 31st, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published a new update on the I-94 website that will remind travelers of their official recorded departure date from the U.S., via e-mail. Presently, these reminders will be sent to eligible travelers on the visa waiver program. CBP also plans to further update the I-94 website to include similar notifications for additional non-immigrant travelers. The I-94 website will also provide steps to take if a traveler overstayed the terms of their admission.
Travelers can check their official admission and departure dates by entering their name, birthdate, passport number, and passport country of issuance on the I-94 website (https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/home). It is crucial to check the accuracy of one’s I-94 shortly after admission to the U.S. to ensure no errors were made by CBP in recording of the authorized departure date. If an error was made, visit a CBP office to correct the issue in person or by email in some cases.
In May 2013, CBP created the automated I-94 system that eliminated paper forms and manual entry. The automated system allowed CBP Officers to generate the I-94 Arrival Record at the time of inspection. I-94s provide non-immigrant visitors confirmation that they have been lawfully admitted to the U.S. and their accuracy is very important as evidence of authorization to be legally present in, and if applicable, work in the United States.
Any questions regarding the accuracy of an I-94 may require professional review of the foreign national’s immigration status.
Please contact an immigration attorney with Pollack, Pollack, Isaac & DeCicco to discuss questions you may have about these issues.