How to get and read your I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record)
Your I-94, Arrival/Departure Record, is U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) official record of your admission — your I-94 number, most recent date of entry, class of admission, and admit-until date. You can get it, and your travel history, free at the official CBP site i94.cbp.dhs.gov or in the free CBP One / CBP Link app. The single most important thing to read on it is the admit-until date — that date, not your visa’s expiration date, controls how long you may legally stay. This is general information, not legal advice.
What the I-94 is, and the admit-until date
The I-94, Arrival/Departure Record, is CBP’s official record of the terms of your admission to the United States. It documents four key facts:
| Field | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| I-94 number | The identifying number for this admission record |
| Most recent date of entry | When CBP last admitted you |
| Class of admission | The status you were admitted in (for example F-1, B-2, H-1B) |
| Admit-until date | The date your authorized stay ends — or D/S |
Two points cause the most confusion:
- Your I-94 admit-until date — not your visa’s expiration date — controls how long you may legally remain. A visa is only permission to travel to a US port of entry and ask to be admitted; it is the I-94 that sets the terms of your stay once CBP admits you. A visa can expire while you are still lawfully present, and a visa can be valid long after your authorized stay has ended. Read the admit-until date.
- “D/S” means Duration of Status. When the admit-until field shows D/S instead of a calendar date, you may stay as long as you maintain your status — for example, by remaining a full-time student — rather than until a fixed date. D/S is common for F-1 students, J-1 exchange visitors, and M-1 vocational students.
Update — July 17, 2026: DHS published a final rule ending D/S for F, J, and I admissions, effective September 15, 2026 (subject to congressional review). From that date, new F/J/I admissions receive a fixed admit-until date instead of D/S; those already on D/S keep their status until their I-20/DS-2019 program end date or 4 years after the effective date, whichever comes first, and receive a dated I-94 if they travel and re-enter. Details: End of “duration of status” (final rule).
Most arrivals today receive an electronic I-94 (paper records are mainly issued at some land crossings), which is exactly why you can retrieve and print it online.
How to get your I-94 free
Retrieving your I-94 is free at the official CBP website i94.cbp.dhs.gov, or through the free CBP One / CBP Link mobile app. You will enter your name, date of birth, passport number, and country of issuance — exactly as they appear on the passport you traveled with. The site offers two things:
- Get Most Recent I-94 — returns your I-94 number, most recent date of entry, class of admission, and admit-until date, and lets you print the official I-94.
- View Travel History — returns your arrivals and departures for the last 10 years.
Looking up your record is free. A separate fee — $30 as of September 30, 2025 (up from $6) — applies only when you apply for a new provisional I-94 before you arrive at a land border. It does not apply to retrieving the I-94 or travel history you already have. No one should charge you to look up your record; if someone says you must pay to see your I-94 or travel history, that is wrong.
If you need a fuller border-crossing history than the 10 years the I-94 site returns, you can also request your immigration records through FOIA — CBP holds travel and border-encounter records.
What you use your I-94 for
Your I-94 is how other institutions verify your status and how long you are authorized to stay. It is commonly needed for:
- Form I-9 employment eligibility verification — proof of your status and work authorization for an employer.
- A Social Security number (SSN) application.
- A driver’s license at the state DMV, which verifies lawful presence.
- Immigration filings with USCIS that ask for your most recent admission.
Before you apply for any of these, check your class of admission and your admit-until date to confirm you are in status. If either looks wrong, resolve it before you rely on it for a benefit.
If your I-94 has an error
If your I-94 shows a mistake — a wrong class of admission, wrong biographic information, or a wrong admit-until date — that happened at the port of entry, your first stop is a CBP Deferred Inspection Site, which can correct CBP-side errors in the entry record for free.
If the record cannot be corrected there, you file Form I-102 with USCIS for a replacement or corrected I-94. Form I-102 carries a USCIS filing fee — corrections for an error that was CBP’s fault are handled free at Deferred Inspection rather than through a paid filing. Because USCIS fees change, see our Form I-102 replacement page for the current amount and how to file.
Related information
- Form I-102 — replace or correct your I-94 — when CBP Deferred Inspection cannot fix the record, and the current USCIS fee
- How to get a copy of your immigration file (FOIA) — request fuller travel and border-encounter history from CBP
- How to change your address with USCIS, the immigration court, and ICE — keep your address current so notices reach you
- USCIS forms — forms, fees, and case status
- How to find an immigration attorney — licensed lawyers and DOJ-accredited representatives
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Last verified: 2026-06-27. General information, not legal advice. Retrieving your I-94 and travel history at i94.cbp.dhs.gov is free; CBP and USCIS fees and procedures change — verify current details on the official CBP and USCIS pages before acting. For any specific situation, contact a licensed immigration attorney or DOJ-accredited representative — never a notario. This page has no compensated or affiliate links.