Skip to main content

I-94 card

Nonimmigrant visitors entering the United States with a visa are required to complete a Arrival-Departure Record (CBP Form I-94) or the Crewman Landing Permit (CBP Form I-95). The Form I-94 shows the date of arrival in the United States, the date when the authorized period of stay expires (the “Admitted Until” date), and the class of admission.

The Form I-94 has two specific perforated sections. The nonimmigrant or the carrier representative must complete both sections of the form. The top section is the arrival record and is retained by the Customs and Border Patrol officer at the port of entry. The bottom section of Form I-94 is the departure record and must be retained by the nonimmigrant until the time of departure from the Unites States.

Definition from Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary

A small green or white card given to all nonimmigrants when they enter the United States. The I-94 card serves as evidence that a nonimmigrant has entered legally. It is stamped with a date indicating how long the nonimmigrant may stay for that particular trip. (It is this date--and not the expiration date of the visa -- that must be followed in determining when the immigrant must leave.) A new I-94 card with a new date is issued each time the nonimmigrant legally enters the United States. Canadian visitors are not normally issued I-94 cards.

Definition provided by Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary.

August 19, 2010, 5:17 pm