(Friday, April 26, 2013)

Washington— U.S. Customs and Border Protection today announced that the automation of Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record is now effective which will streamline the admissions process for individuals lawfully visiting the United States. Form I-94 provides international visitors evidence they have been lawfully admitted to the U.S. which is necessary to verify alien registration, immigration status, and employment authorization.

Increasing efficiency and streamlining processes is a critical component of maximizing our resources at ports of entry,” said Thomas S. Winkowski, acting CBP Commissioner. “In addition to saving millions of dollars for both CBP and the travel and tourism industry, automating the I-94 and going paperless will save valuable time for both travelers and CBP officers.”

The automation means that affected visitors will no longer need to fill out a paper form when arriving to the U.S. by air or sea, improving procedures and reducing costs. As part of CBP’s work to bring advances in technology and automation to the passenger processing environment, records of admission will now be generated using traveler information already transmitted through electronic means.

The change will be implemented at air and sea ports beginning April 30 and will include Charlotte- Douglas International Airport, Orlando International Airport, Las Vegas Airport, Chicago O’Hare, Miami International Airport and Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport that week, continuing across the nation through May 21.

Travelers wanting a hard copy or other evidence of admission can access this information online using the website if they did not receive a hard copy attached to their passport. ( www.cbp.gov/I94 ) Individuals can print a copy of an I-94 based on the electronically submitted data, including the I-94 number from the form, to provide as necessary to benefits providers or as evidence of lawful admission.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation’s borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Form I-94?

Form I-94 is the DHS Arrival/Departure Record issued to aliens who are admitted to the U.S., who are adjusting status while in the U.S. or extending their stay, among other things. A CBP officer generally attaches the I-94 to the non-immigrant visitor’s passport upon U.S. entry. The visitor must exit the U.S. on or before the departure date stamped on the I-94.

How will the new I-94 automation impact international travelers’ entry to the U.S.?

I-94 automation will not impact a traveler’s ability to enter the U.S. CBP will continue to create an I-94 record for all travelers who require one, but the paper form will be created in an electronic format and not provided to the traveler. If a traveler requires a paper version of Form I-94, it will be available at

www.cbp.gov/I94

Will CBP provide a traveler with any documentation or evidence showing status and time allowed in the U.S.?

Yes. CBP will provide each traveler with an admission stamp that is annotated with date of admission, class of admission and admitted until date. The electronic arrival/departure record can be obtained at www.cbp.gov/I94.

Will travelers need to do anything differently when exiting the U.S.? How can they be sure their departure will be recorded properly with this new the I-94 automation process?

Travelers will not need to do anything differently upon exiting the U.S. Travelers issued a paper Form I-94 should surrender it to the commercial carrier or CBP upon departure. The departure will be recorded electronically with manifest information provided by the carrier or by CBP. If travelers did not receive a paper Form I-94 and the record was created electronically, CBP will record their departure using manifest information obtained from the carrier.

How does a traveler revalidate a visa without their I-94?

The I-94 admission record is created electronically and maintained in CBP systems. CBP will verify the I-94 electronically to re-validate an expired visa if the traveler meets the conditions of automatic revalidation. If entry occurred prior to automation, a paper form must be presented in order to comply with validation requirements.

For more information about automatic revalidation go to

http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/travel/id_visa/revalidation.ctt/revalidation.pdf

NEED YOUR I-94 ADMISSION NUMBER?

Go to www.cbp.gov/I94