I-94 Form Online: How to Get, Check, and Print Your I-94 Record

You can get your I-94 form online, free, in about two minutes at i94.cbp.dhs.gov — the official U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) website. There is no paper application, no fee, and no third-party service required to retrieve it: since 2013, CBP creates the I-94 electronically for travelers arriving by air or sea, and you simply look it up with your passport details. This guide walks through exactly how to find, print, and fix your I94 online, how to apply for a provisional I-94 before a land border crossing, and what the record means for your legal stay in the United States.

One warning before anything else: only use the official CBP site. Look-alike websites charge $30–$50 to "process" an I-94 form online that CBP provides for free, and some harvest passport data. The only official retrieval address is i94.cbp.dhs.gov, and the only official mobile app is CBP Home on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

What Is an I-94?

The I-94 Arrival/Departure Record is the official document that proves a foreign visitor was lawfully admitted to the United States, in what status, and until what date. CBP creates one for essentially every non-U.S. citizen admitted at a port of entry — visitors on B-1/B-2 visas, students on F-1 visas, workers on H-1B or L-1 visas, exchange visitors on J-1 visas, and Visa Waiver Program travelers (whose record is technically the I-94W).

Three facts about the I-94 surprise almost everyone:

• It's electronic now. CBP automated the I-94 for air and sea arrivals on April 30, 2013. Officers no longer staple a white paper card into your passport at the airport; the record exists in CBP's database, and you print it yourself from the I-94 website if you need a copy.
• It — not your visa — controls how long you can stay. The "Admit Until Date" on your I-94 is your authorized period of stay. Your visa's expiration date only limits when you can use the visa to *enter* the U.S.
• CBP issues it, but USCIS relies on it. People often search for their "USCIS I-94 record" because USCIS asks for it constantly — on work permit applications, extensions of stay, and adjustment of status. The record itself comes from CBP's system; USCIS only issues a new I-94 when it approves a change or extension of status (printed at the bottom of the Form I-797A approval notice).

You'll need your I-94 number and admission details for a Social Security number application, a driver's license, employment verification (Form I-9), university enrollment, and nearly every immigration benefit filing.

How to Get Your I-94 Online: Step by Step

Here is how to get your I-94 online from the official CBP site. Retrieval is free and takes only the biographic page of your passport.

1. Go to i94.cbp.dhs.gov. Type the address directly or follow a link from cbp.gov — not from an ad.
2. Select "Get Most Recent I-94." Consent to the terms when prompted.
3. Enter your details exactly as they appear in your passport: first (given) name, last (family) name, date of birth, passport number, and country of issuance.
4. Submit and review the record. You'll see your I-94 admission number, your most recent date of entry, your class of admission (visa category), and your Admit Until Date.
5. Print or save it. Use the print option to produce a paper copy for employers, the DMV, or the Social Security Administration, and save a PDF for your records.

The whole process is retrieval, not generation. If you've searched "generate I-94," what you actually do is pull up the record CBP already created when it admitted you — no site can legitimately generate an I-94 for you, and any service claiming to is a red flag.

Getting Your I-94 on the CBP Home App

CBP's official mobile app, CBP Home (which replaced the CBP One app in March 2025), offers the same functions on your phone. After downloading it from the official CBP mobile apps directory, you can retrieve your most recent I-94, view your five-year travel history, check how long you're permitted to remain in the U.S., and apply for a provisional I-94 before a land border trip.

If Your I-94 Doesn't Come Up

A "record not found" result usually means a data-entry mismatch, not a missing record. Try these fixes in order:

• Re-enter your name exactly as printed on the passport you used to enter, including middle names in the first-name field if CBP keyed them that way.
• Try name variations: hyphenated surnames without the hyphen, or first and middle names swapped.
• If you have dual citizenship, try the other passport number.
• If nothing works, contact CBP or visit a Deferred Inspection Site — the CBP offices that correct admission records.

How to Apply for a Provisional I-94 Online Before a Land Border Arrival

Land border crossings are the one case where you *apply* for an I-94 rather than just retrieve one. Travelers entering by land who need an I-94 — most visa holders do; short visits by Canadians and Mexican Border Crossing Card holders within border zones generally don't — can complete most of the process online before arriving, which cuts waiting time at the port of entry.

Here's how the provisional I-94 works:

1. Apply up to 7 days before your planned entry on the I-94 website ("Apply for New I-94") or in the CBP Home app.
2. Enter your biographic, passport, and visa details and your expected date and port of entry.
3. Pay the fee online by credit or debit card, direct debit, or PayPal.
4. Complete the process at the port of entry within 7 days. A CBP officer verifies your documents and finalizes the I-94 when you cross. If you don't enter within 7 days of applying, the provisional I-94 expires and you must apply — and pay — again. The fee is not refunded if you're denied entry or never cross.

About the fee: the land border I-94 fee was $6 for many years, but as of September 30, 2025, the total charge is $30 per application — the original $6 land border fee plus a new $24 I-94 fee introduced by the 2025 budget reconciliation law (H.R. 1), which DHS will adjust annually for inflation. Air and sea travelers are not charged; their I-94 remains free and automatic. Check CBP's I-94 fact sheet for the current amount before you travel.

I-94 vs. Visa vs. I-797: Which Document Controls Your Stay?

These three documents get confused constantly, and mixing them up is one of the most common ways people accidentally overstay. Here's the difference:

Document	Issued by	What it actually does
Visa (passport stamp/foil)	U.S. Department of State	Lets you *travel to* a U.S. port of entry and request admission. Its expiration limits entry, not stay.
I-94 record	CBP at entry (or USCIS on approval of a change/extension)	Controls your lawful status: class of admission and the date you must leave by ("Admit Until Date").
Form I-797 approval notice	USCIS	Confirms an approved petition or application. An I-797A includes a *new* I-94 at the bottom, which replaces the one from entry.

Two practical consequences:

• A valid visa does not extend your stay. You can hold a 10-year B-2 visitor visa and still be out of status the day after your I-94 date passes.
• An expired visa does not end your stay. If your visa expires while you're in the U.S. but your I-94 is still valid, you're in status — you just need a new visa before your *next* entry.

Students and exchange visitors are the exception: F and J admissions are usually marked "D/S" (Duration of Status) instead of a fixed date, meaning status lasts as long as the academic program plus any grace period, per the Form I-20 or DS-2019.

How to Check Your U.S. Travel History Online

The same CBP website retrieves your travel history — a list of your U.S. arrivals and departures over roughly the last 10 years, drawn from carrier manifests and border records. Select "View Travel History" at i94.cbp.dhs.gov and enter the same passport details.

This is enormously useful when an immigration form asks you to list every U.S. entry (the N-400 naturalization application, for example, or a visa renewal DS-160). Treat it as a memory aid rather than gospel: land border exits in older years were not always recorded, so cross-check against your own passport stamps. The history is informational and doesn't replace the I-94 itself as evidence of lawful admission.

If you're getting established in the U.S., the I-94 is usually just the first of several online government processes — see our step-by-step guides to filing for state disability benefits with SDI Online and the free IRS EIN application online if you're starting a business, both from AutoSEO's library of plain-English guides to government services online.

Fixing Errors and Common I-94 Problems

Because so much rides on the I-94's details, fix errors as soon as you spot them:

• Wrong name, visa class, or date caused by CBP at entry: contact a CBP Deferred Inspection Site or the port of entry where you were admitted. Corrections are free. Bring your passport, visa, and any evidence of the correct information.
• I-94 doesn't reflect your USCIS-approved extension or change of status: your current I-94 is the one at the bottom of your I-797A approval notice — the online record often still shows the original entry, which is normal. Keep the I-797A as proof.
• Record shows you never departed: if a past exit wasn't logged (common with land departures), keep boarding passes, foreign entry stamps, and pay stubs abroad as evidence of timely departure in case it's ever questioned.

This article explains how the system works; it isn't legal advice. For case-specific questions — especially anything involving an expired I-94 or potential overstay — consult an immigration attorney or an accredited representative.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the I-94 expire?

Yes. Every I-94 issued with a fixed date carries an "Admit Until Date," and your authorization to remain in the U.S. ends on that date unless you file for an extension or change of status before it passes. The exceptions are F-1 students and J-1 exchange visitors admitted for "D/S" (Duration of Status), whose stay is tied to their program rather than a calendar date. Staying past your I-94 date starts accruing "unlawful presence," which can trigger 3-year or 10-year reentry bars after 180 days and one year respectively.

What is the I-94 expiration date?

The I-94 expiration date is the "Admit Until Date" printed on your I-94 record — the last day you're authorized to remain in the United States. Check it at i94.cbp.dhs.gov every time you enter the country, because it's set by the CBP officer at admission and is not necessarily the same length as your visa validity or your petition period. For H-1B and L-1 workers, for example, it's normally the petition end date (often plus a 10-day grace period); for B-2 visitors, it's typically six months from entry.

My I-94 expired but I have a valid I-797 — am I still legal?

Usually yes — if the I-797 is an I-797A approval notice, its bottom section contains a new I-94 with a new validity date, and that replacement I-94 is what governs your status. The online CBP record showing your old entry date doesn't override it. If you filed a timely extension that's still *pending*, you're generally in a period of authorized stay while USCIS decides (and many work categories get up to 240 days of continued work authorization). But if your I-94 expired and you have only an old I-797 that doesn't extend your date, you're likely out of status — talk to an immigration attorney promptly.

How do I extend my I-94?

You can't extend an I-94 directly with CBP from inside the country — you extend your *stay*, which produces a new I-94. File Form I-539 (Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status) with USCIS before your current I-94 expires if you're a visitor, student, or dependent; workers' employers file Form I-129 instead. If USCIS approves, the I-797A approval notice includes your new I-94. The other route is simply departing and re-entering the U.S., where CBP issues a fresh I-94 at admission. Visa Waiver Program entries generally cannot be extended at all.

Do I need an I-94 if I have an ESTA?

ESTA and the I-94 are different things, and you effectively get both. ESTA is the pre-travel authorization that lets you board transport to the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program; on arrival, CBP still creates an electronic admission record for you (the I-94W), typically valid for 90 days. You won't receive any paper, but you can retrieve the record at i94.cbp.dhs.gov like any other traveler — and you may need it for things like a driver's license or tax paperwork. The 90-day VWP limit cannot be extended.

How do I replace a lost I-94?

If your I-94 is electronic — any air or sea arrival since April 30, 2013, and most recent land entries — there's nothing to replace: retrieve and reprint it free at i94.cbp.dhs.gov or in the CBP Home app, as many times as you like. If you lost a *paper* I-94 (an older land entry or a card issued by USCIS with an approval notice), you can request a replacement from USCIS with Form I-102, which carries a filing fee (check the current amount on uscis.gov). Before paying for an I-102, check the online system first — many older land records have since been digitized.