What is an I-94 arrival/departure record?

What does an I-94 record actually contain?

A U.S. arrival/departure record is, in plain terms, the paperwork of an admission. It answers two practical questions — when the traveler was let in, and how long the entry lasts — and it is the document third parties ask for when they need to confirm that a visitor is in the country lawfully. CBP says travelers who need to prove legal visitor status to employers, schools or universities, or government agencies can access their arrival/departure record information online. [1] International travelers can apply for a provisional I-94, retrieve their admission number or record, and pull a limited travel history of their U.S. arrivals and departures. [2]

The I-94 number is a separate identifier from the passport or visa number. CBP states that from May 2019 I-94 numbers have been alphanumeric, 11 characters long: nine digits, then a letter in the tenth position, then a digit in the eleventh position. Before that change they were 11 digits and numeric only. [1] I-94s already issued in the older numeric-only format remain valid until the Admit Until Date printed on the paper I-94 and/or the date displayed on the I-94 website. [1]

How is an electronic I-94 created at air, land and sea ports?

Air and sea. CBP gathers travelers' arrival and departure information automatically from electronic travel records, so nobody has to fill in a paper stub on arrival by air or sea. [1] When a traveler leaves by air or sea, CBP records the departure electronically from manifest information provided by the carrier or by CBP itself. [1] Separately, the Verify My Exit (VME) application lets non-U.S. citizen travelers record their departure from the United States biometrically. [2]

Land. At the land border, travelers are issued I-94s electronically and no longer receive a paper I-94 stub. CBP encourages anyone who needs an I-94 to apply through the CBP Link mobile app or the CBP I-94 website. [1] Visa Waiver Program (VWP) travelers must hold an approved ESTA to enter and must obtain it before arriving at the U.S. land border; CBP also encourages them to apply for the I-94 in advance. [1] VWP travelers can start with the ESTA guide.

Paper copies, on request. A traveler who wants a paper Form I-94 can print it from the I-94 website using "Get Most Recent I-94", or use the same option in the CBP Link app. [1] A paper form can also be requested during the inspection process, but CBP says all such requests are accommodated in a secondary setting. [1] On leaving, a traveler who was issued a paper Form I-94 should surrender it to the commercial carrier, the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) or CBP. [1]

CBP estimates that the automated process saves the agency USD 15.5 million a year, alongside streamlining entry and supporting security. [1]

Why does the Admit Until Date matter more than the visa stamp?

A visa and an ESTA are about reaching a U.S. port of entry; neither decides what happens at the desk. CBP states that authorization through ESTA does not determine whether a traveler is admissible, and that its officers decide admissibility when the traveler arrives. [2] At the port of entry, CBP officers carry out the immigration, customs and agriculture parts of the inspection. [2] The length of stay granted is therefore whatever is set during that inspection, and it is the I-94 record that carries it.

That is why the Admit Until Date, rather than the visa in the passport, is the number to plan a trip around. CBP's own test of whether an older-format I-94 is still good is the Admit Until Date printed on the paper I-94 and/or the date displayed on the I-94 website. [1] A traveler checking how long a trip may run is checking that date, and the arrival/departure record is where a future employer, school or agency will look for it too. [1] For travel that depends on how a U.S. entry will be treated — for example a transit through the United States on the way to another country — see the C1 transit visa guide and entry permission types.

Exceptions and limits of the arrival/departure record

• Land departures may go unrecorded. A traveler who received an electronic I-94 on arrival and then departs by land may find that the departure is not recorded accurately. [1] A departure is recorded if the traveler leaves by land and re-enters the United States before the expiration date stamped in their passport. [1]
• Carrying proof of a land exit. Travelers who are not residents of Canada or Mexico, hold an electronic I-94 and leave by land without re-entering before the date in their passport may want to travel with evidence of departure into Canada or Mexico — passport entry stamps, transportation tickets, pay stubs and/or other receipts. [1] An entry stamp can be requested from CBSA when entering Canada or from Mexico's Instituto Nacional de Migracion (INM) when entering Mexico. [1]
• Paper means a second queue. A printed I-94 is available, but a paper form requested during inspection is handled in a secondary setting rather than at the primary desk. [1]
• Travel history is partial. The I-94 service returns only a limited travel history of a traveler's U.S. arrivals and departures. [2]
• Older records keep their date. Numeric-only I-94s issued before May 2019 stay valid until their printed or displayed Admit Until Date; they are not cancelled by the switch to alphanumeric numbering. [1]

Scope: this page covers the U.S. arrival/departure record under CBP's published rules as of 18 October 2026. The admission period itself is set by the officer at the port of entry, and the record documents that decision rather than replacing it. [2]

Frequently asked questions

Do I still fill in a paper I-94 when I arrive in the United States?

No. Foreign visitors no longer need to complete a paper CBP Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record, because CBP gathers arrival and departure information automatically from electronic travel records. [1]

How do I get my I-94 number?

CBP directs travelers to the I-94 website or the CBP Link mobile app; a paper copy can be produced with the "Get Most Recent I-94" option on either. [1] International travelers can also apply for a provisional I-94 and retrieve their admission record and a limited arrival/departure history there. [2]

What happens if I leave the United States by land?

If you arrived on an electronic I-94 and leave by land, the departure may not be recorded accurately, unless you leave by land and re-enter before the expiration date stamped in your passport. [1] Keeping stamps, tickets and receipts as evidence of the exit is one option CBP mentions. [1]

Does an approved ESTA mean I am admissible to the United States?

No. CBP says ESTA authorization does not determine whether a traveler is admissible, and that CBP officers decide admissibility on arrival. [2]

What do I do with a paper I-94 when I leave?

A traveler issued a paper Form I-94 should surrender it on departure to the commercial carrier, CBSA or CBP. [1]

Related pages

ESTA: the U.S. travel authorisation, U.S. C1 transit visa, entry permission types, onward ticket requirement, and the full frequent flyer glossary.

Sources

Sources checked on 18 October 2026. It covers U.S. arrival/departure records only; entry formalities for other countries are not covered here — see the glossary for related entry terms.

1. Arrival/Departure Forms: I-94, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, checked 18 October 2026
2. For International Visitors, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, checked 18 October 2026