The I-94 document serves two purposes:
- It is your entry and exit record of your time in the US. This means it documents when you first enter the US, and when you then leave after your stay in the US.
- It assigns you a category of immigration status, based on your visa type. This status will determine the rules you need to follow while you are in the US. For students, you will have F-1 status, and will need to follow the rules that are specific to international students.
You receive an I-94 when you enter the US, and it closes when you leave the US. Every time you enter the US, you receive a new I-94 with a new I-94 number on it.
Accessing Your I-94 Record
Your I-94 is available online AFTER you enter the US. You can look up your I-94 record here. You will be asked to provide your name, birthday, passport number and country of citizenship. Once your document is located, you will receive a form you can print for your records if you like.
The “Get Travel History” option will provide a page that will summarize all of your dates of arrival to and departure from the US, including the airport or location.
Please note, the “Admit Until Date” should always say “D/S” for F-1 international students. D/S means Duration of Status, which means you are welcome to stay in the US as long as your I-20 is valid. Other statuses will likely have a date, and the individual must leave the US or extend their status before that date.
The “Expiration Date” at the top right of the form is NOT your personal expiration date – this refers to the draft of the form, and is for use by government officials only. It does NOT affect your status in the US.
Sample:
Can’t Find your I-94 Record online? Is Your I-94 Information Incorrect?
First, please be sure to format your name as it appears on your visa, which may solve the problem. If you still can’t locate your record online, this means that an error was made on your I-94 when you entered the US, and needs to be corrected. This is not a bad thing, but does need to be fixed.
To have your I-94 record located and corrected, you will need to visit the nearest Customs and Border Protection (CBP) office. CBP is the organization that manages the I-94 system, and checks your documents when you enter the US.
The nearest CBP Office is BWI airport, about 10 minutes from campus. You will need to visit the Office in the lower level of the International Wing of the airport. UMBC Transit offers shuttles to the airport occasionally, or you can take a taxi or have a friend drive you. If you need to contact CBP at BWI directly, you can call them at 410-865-2100.
CBP is open for I-94 corrections Monday through Thursday, 11am – 3pm.
You will need to take your Passport and I-20 with you.
Please let the ISSS office know if you have any problems.