NO ELECTRONIC I-94 AFTER ADMISSION
Most air and sea travelers no longer receive a paper Form I-94. The admission record is generally created electronically. If a traveler was legally admitted but cannot retrieve an expected I-94 record, CBP provides procedures for reviewing the admission and correcting the record where appropriate.
CBP automated Form I-94 processing for most air and sea arrivals. Travelers generally retrieve the electronic record online rather than receiving a paper card at the airport.
No paper I-94 does not necessarily mean no I-94 exists.
CBP makes the electronic I-94 available through its official I-94 system for travelers who need evidence of their admission, immigration status or employment authorization.
A retrieval problem can sometimes result from differences in how the passport name, document number or other biographic data was entered.
Compare the information exactly with the passport used for the admission.
Current CBP guidance directs a traveler who was legally admitted but was not given or cannot obtain the expected I-94 to contact the nearest Deferred Inspection Site.
CBP states that proof of legal admission can include the stamped passport and travel tickets where applicable.
Deferred Inspection can review documentation and correct qualifying admission-document errors made at entry.
A missing online record should be resolved rather than assuming an admission class or expiration date from the visa alone.
Usually not. Most air and sea I-94 records are electronic.
Check the passport and biographic information carefully. If you were legally admitted but the record remains unavailable, CBP directs travelers to Deferred Inspection.
No. Visa validity and authorized stay after admission are different concepts.
These government materials provide the principal I-94, admission-period and Deferred Inspection rules discussed on this page.
The electronic admission record can be important for employment, driver licensing, extensions, changes of status and later immigration applications.