Obtaining an I-94 Record and Travel History
What is an I-94 and how do I get mine?
An I-94 is the Department of Homeland Security arrival/departure record issued to most non-immigrant aliens. The I-94 contains the following information:
- The alien’s name
- I-94 number
- Class of admission
- Date of entry
- Date until which the the traveler is admitted
An I-94 can either be issued by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
I-94 Issued by U.S. Custom and Border Protection
Often times, if you’re traveling by land, you will still receive a paper copy of your I-94. An example is pictured below. If you are traveling by sea or air, this arrival/departure record is entirely electronic. In most circumstances, you will not receive a paper copy of your I-94.
How to Look Up your I-94 Record and Travel History
As an alien, you can look up your I-94 record and travel history electronically through Custom and Border Protection (USCBP). All non-immigrant aliens with an I-94 record who travel either by air, land or sea can retrieve an electronic version of their I-94. Using information found on your passport, go to the Department of Homeland Security’s site to either:
- Get your most recent I-94 form to prove your legal visitor status in the United States
- View your United States arrival and departure history for the past 5 years
See an example of this electronic record pictured below on the right.
I-94 Issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Sometimes non-immigrant aliens extend or change their status while here in the United States. To do so, you must request the extension or change of status from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). If USCIS approves your request, it will issue you a new Form 1-94 by sending an I-797A and thereby extend your stay in the U.S. until the date listed on your new I-94. Unfortunately, the new I-94 record issued by USCIS will not be updated in the Custom and Border Protection electronic record online. See the sample below of an I-797A with an attached I-94 card.
