What is an I-94 or I-94W?

By: brentwood | Posted: 23rd May 2011

Foreign nationals visiting the United States must complete an I-94 if they hold a valid visa, or an I-94W if they are traveling without a visa under the Visa Waiver Program.

The I-94 card is provided by the transportation carrier (for example the airline you traveled with) and it must be surrendered to an inspector of the Bureau of Customs and Border Security at the port of entry into the United States when applying for admission. The inspector will then separate the bottom part of the card and he or she will attach it to the passport. The part attached to the passport notes the date of entry to the United States and authorized period the visitor may remain in the country. In cases where a foreign national is the United States and holds a student visa, such as the F-1 or J visa, they will not find a specific expiration date but instead will find a D/S written on their I-94. This stands for Duration of Status and it correlates with the student’s program completion date.

When a foreign visitor leaves the United States, the transportation carrier representative, usually at the check-in counter, should remove the I-94 or I-94W from the passport. If this is not done, then the departure date is never registered with the USCIS, making entry into the United States at a later date problematic. In fact, the next time the foreign national attempts to enter the United States, their visa may cancelled or the person may be denied entry into the United States.

If you still have your I-94 after you depart, then it is the foreign national’s responsibility to correct the matter. To do so, the person is required to complete the back of the I-94 or I-94W card, listing the port and date of departure from the United States and the carrier/flight information. The I-94 or I-94W, along with a letter of explanation and evidence of your departure (see below for examples) from the U.S., should be sent to:

DHS – CBP SBU
1084 South Laurel Road
London, KY 40744

Visitors who remain beyond their permitted stay in the United States under the Visa Waiver Program cannot reenter the U.S. in the future without obtaining a visa. When you arrive at a U.S. port of entry seeking admission under the Visa Waiver Program without a visa, United States immigration officials may deny you entry into the U.S. Visitors must ensure that they surrender the I-94 or I-94W stub to the transport carrier before they depart the United States.
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Tags: flight information, departure date, foreign nationals, port of entry, student visa, uscis