What is a port of entry?

What happens at a U.S. port of entry?

CBP describes arrival as a single inspection gate that applies to everyone: every person arriving at a U.S. port of entry is subject to inspection by CBP officers for compliance with immigration, customs and agriculture regulations. [3] The agency adds that the more international travellers know about what to expect, the easier and quicker the process becomes. [3]

The term covers all three ways of arriving. CBP refers to airports and ports of entry when it describes lanes for frequent travellers, and it separately describes how the arrival record works at land border crossings. [6] [4] For U.S. citizens entering the country, CBP also operates Enhanced Passenger Processing (EPP), which it describes as a pre-primary queue segmentation process. [6]

Arrival paperwork starts before the border itself. CBP's clearing-customs guidance points travellers to information on traveller entry forms, agricultural products that are allowed or prohibited, and which items are dutiable, on the basis that knowing this helps travellers move speedily through the CBP clearance process. [5] See customs declaration for the declaration side of that paperwork.

What records does CBP create at arrival?

Foreign visitors no longer need to complete a paper CBP Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record; CBP gathers travellers' arrival and departure information automatically from their electronic travel records, and those who need to prove legal-visitor status to employers, schools, universities or government agencies can access the record online. [4] At the land border, I-94s are issued electronically and travellers no longer receive a paper I-94 stub. [4]

Travellers who want a paper Form I-94 can print one themselves from the I-94 website using the "Get Most Recent I-94" option, or through the same option in the CBP Link mobile app. [4] Visa Waiver Program travellers need an approved Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) before arriving at a U.S. land border, and CBP encourages them to apply for an I-94 in advance through the I-94 website or the CBP Link app. [4] The types of permission a traveller can arrive under are covered in entry permission types.

Departures are recorded differently depending on the mode of travel. A traveller who was issued a paper Form I-94 should surrender it on exit to the commercial carrier, to the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA), or to CBP. [4] When a traveller leaves by air or sea, CBP records the departure electronically from manifest information supplied by the carrier. [4] Someone who received an electronic I-94 on arrival and then departs by land may find that the departure is not recorded accurately; CBP says the departure will be recorded if the traveller departs via land and re-enters the United States before the expiration date stamped in the passport, and otherwise suggests that travellers who are not residents of Canada or Mexico carry evidence of departure such as entry stamps, transportation tickets, pay stubs or receipts. [4]

What happens if documents need a second look?

CBP refers arrivals whose documentation requires additional review or possible correction to deferred inspection, and there are more than 70 deferred inspection sites throughout the United States and the outlying territories. [4] A traveller who wants a paper Form I-94 can ask for one during the inspection process, but CBP says all such requests are accommodated in a secondary setting. [4]

For lawful permanent residents returning to the United States, CBP lists an expired green card shown together with a receipt notice, or a valid passport containing a valid USCIS ADIT stamp, or a valid USCIS Form I-94 carrying an ADIT stamp, DHS seal and printed photo of the permanent resident, as evidence of continued status. [6] CBP states that it has no authority to claim that these documents are sufficient evidence to gain entry to other countries after a departure from the United States. [6]

Exceptions and limits

• Scope of this page. Everything here describes the U.S. CBP arrival process. Other countries run their own border agencies and set their own entry rules, and those rules can attach to the journey rather than the border: Canada introduced an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) for visa-exempt foreign nationals travelling to Canada by air, with exceptions including U.S. citizens and travellers holding a valid visa. [3]
• Outbound direction. A U.S. citizen planning to travel abroad must comply with the document requirements of that country, and CBP directs travellers to the U.S. Department of State for the list of foreign consular offices in the United States. [1]
• Status evidence is not portable. CBP's statement that an expired green card plus receipt notice may serve as evidence of continued status applies to returning to the United States, and the agency says it has no authority to claim the same evidence gains entry elsewhere. [6]
• Departure evidence and residency. CBP frames its suggestion to travel with evidence of departure for travellers who are not residents of Canada or Mexico, so the advice does not describe what residents of those two countries should carry when they leave the United States by land. [4]
• Timing of the paperwork. A paper I-94 requested at inspection is handled in a secondary setting, which CBP describes as the route for requests made during the process rather than at the primary queue. [4]
• Currency of this guidance. CBP's international-visitor guidance was last modified on 27 September 2024, and its I-94 guidance on 22 July 2026. [3] [4]

Frequently asked questions

Who inspects travellers at a U.S. port of entry?

CBP officers carry out the inspection, checking compliance with immigration, customs and agriculture regulations for everyone arriving at a port of entry. [3]

Do you still get a paper I-94 on arrival?

Not as a matter of course: information is collected electronically, and travellers can print their own Form I-94 from the I-94 website or the CBP Link app. [4] A paper form can be requested during inspection and is handled in a secondary setting. [4]

What do Visa Waiver Program travellers need before a land border port of entry?

They need an approved ESTA obtained before arriving at the U.S. land border, and CBP encourages them to apply for an I-94 in advance. [4]

What happens if your documents need correction at the border?

CBP can refer the arrival to one of more than 70 deferred inspection sites in the United States and outlying territories for additional review or possible correction of documentation. [4]

Do trusted traveller programmes change the port of entry experience?

CBP describes Department of Homeland Security Trusted Traveler Programs as a way to help move through the line at the airport or port of entry. [6]

Related pages

Terms: customs declaration, entry permission types, proof of funds and accommodation for entry. Index: all frequent flyer terms.

Sources

Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. It covers the U.S. Customs and Border Protection arrival process only; the border agencies and entry rules of other countries are not covered here.

1. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Know Before You Go, checked 18 October 2026
2. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Know Before You Visit, checked 18 October 2026
3. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Arrival/Departure Forms: I-94, checked 18 October 2026
4. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Clearing Customs, checked 18 October 2026
5. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, For U.S. Citizens/Lawful Permanent Residents, checked 18 October 2026