Form I-94: What It Is and How to Get Your I-94 Record
CBP’s 2021 fact sheet calls Form I-94 the Department of Homeland Security arrival/departure record, and CBP’s I-94 page says foreign visitors no longer need to complete the paper form. That page also says a traveler who would like a paper Form I-94 can print their own from CBP’s I-94 website. For a land border port of entry, the Federal Register notice published October 1, 2026 gives the total I-94 fee for FY 2027 as $30, made up of a $6 land border fee and a $24 HR-1 fee.
Maintained by Archie Chang · Reviewed November 2, 2026 · Methodology & sources
When we checked on November 2, 2026, CBP’s I-94 page (last modified Jul 22, 2026), CBP’s I-94 Automation Fact Sheet page (last modified Sep 30, 2025) and its PDF (CBP Publication No. 1496-0721, July 2021), the Federal Register notice of October 1, 2026 and the eCFR (title 8 up to date as of October 29, 2026) said what is quoted on this page.
What Form I-94 is
“Foreign visitors to the U.S. no longer need to complete paper Customs and Border Protection Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record. Those who need to prove their legal-visitor status—to employers, schools/universities or government agencies—can access their CBP arrival/departure record information online.”
“The term Form I-94, as used in this chapter I, includes the collection of arrival/departure and admission or parole information by DHS, whether in paper or electronic format, which is made available to the person about whom the information has been collected, as may be prescribed by DHS.”
Air and sea versus land border
Three CBP documents describe the paper form and land ports of entry, and they differ. Each is shown with its date, and this page does not choose between them.
| CBP document | Date | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| I-94 page | Last modified Jul 22, 2026 | “Now at the land border, travelers will be issued I-94s electronically and will no longer receive a paper I-94 stub.” |
| I-94 Automation Fact Sheet (web page) | Last modified Sep 30, 2025 | “To increase efficiency, reduce operating costs, and streamline the admissions process, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has automated the Form I-94 at air and sea ports of entry. The paper form is no longer provided to a traveler upon arrival except in limited circumstances, and at land ports of entry.” |
| I-94 Automation Fact Sheet (PDF) | July 2021 | “To increase efficiency, reduce operating costs, and streamline the admissions process, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has automated the Form I-94 at air, sea, and land ports of entry. The paper form is no longer provided to a traveler upon arrival except in limited circumstances.” |
“A paper form can be requested during the inspection process but all such requests will be accommodated in a secondary setting.”
Getting your I-94 record from CBP
“If a traveler would like a paper Form I-94, the traveler can print their own I-94 Form from the I-94 website using "Get Most Recent I-94" or by using the same option on the CBP Link mobile application.”
“If travelers need the information from their Form I-94 admission record to verify immigration status or employment authorization, they are encouraged to get their I-94 Number from the I-94 website or by using the CBP Link mobile app.”
“The website is the official site for international travelers visiting the U.S. to apply for or retrieve and print their I-94 admission number/record (which is proof of legal visitor status) […]”
CBP’s official I-94 website: i94.cbp.dhs.gov. This is the only I-94 service this page links to.
I-94 fee at a land border
| Item | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Land border fee | $6 | 91 FR 62534 |
| HR-1 I-94 fee | $24 | 91 FR 62534 |
| Total, land border port of entry | $30 | 91 FR 62534; $6 + $24 = $30 (our arithmetic) |
“Accordingly, the total fee to apply for a CBP Form I-94 at a land border port of entry for FY 2027 will continue to be $30, consisting of the $6 land border fee and the $24 HR-1 fee. CBP will not assess a fee for aliens arriving at an air or sea port of entry because such aliens are not required to submit an application for a CBP Form I-94.”
“In accordance with the inflation adjustment rounding requirement in HR-1, the existing fee for Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record applications will not change for FY 2027.”
“HR-1 requires that DHS annually adjust certain immigration-related fees for inflation.”
“CBP will begin assessing the FY 2027 amounts for the HR-1 I-94, ESTA, and EVUS fees described in this notice on October 16, 2026.”
The notice published October 1, 2026 gives these amounts for FY 2027. It describes the inflation adjustment as annual, and it leaves the $24 HR-1 part unchanged for FY 2027.
The notice explains how the $30 total relates to the $6 fee:
“Payment of the $6 land border fee is required pursuant to 8 CFR 103.7(d)(4), 235.1(h)(1), and 286.9(b)(1), and is not a fee that is required by HR-1.”
The eCFR text of 8 CFR 103.7(d)(4), up to date as of October 29, 2026, lists $6.00. The Federal Register notice says the $30 total includes the $6 land border fee and cites 8 CFR 103.7(d)(4) for it; the $24 part is the HR-1 fee.
“Form I-94 fee. (i) For issuance of an Arrival/Departure Record at a land border port-of-entry: $6.00. (ii) Each applicant requesting an Arrival/Departure Record from USCIS, must submit the fee required by 8 U.S.C. 1807.”
I-94, admission stamp, passport date and visa
| Item | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| Form I-94 | “Unless otherwise exempted, each arriving nonimmigrant who is admitted to the United States will be issued a Form I-94 as evidence of the terms of admission. For land border admission, a Form I-94 will be issued only upon payment of a fee, and will be considered issued for multiple entries unless specifically annotated for a limited number of entries.” |
| CBP admission stamp | “Travelers are given a CBP admission stamp on their travel document.” |
| Date stamped in the passport | “If you received an electronic I-94 upon arrival by air or sea or land and depart via land, your departure may not be recorded accurately. A departure will be recorded if you depart via land and re-enter the United States prior to the expiration date stamped in your passport.” |
| Visa | CBP’s I-94 page, CBP’s I-94 Automation Fact Sheet web page, CBP’s I-94 Automation Fact Sheet PDF and 8 CFR 1.4 mention no visa other than the Visa Waiver Program, so they do not explain what a visa is or compare it with the I-94. 8 CFR 235.1(h) mentions visas only in listing exemptions. This page therefore does not compare the I-94 with a visa. |
Frequently asked questions
What is Form I-94?
CBP’s I-94 Automation Fact Sheet (July 2021) called it the Department of Homeland Security arrival/departure record, electronically issued to travelers who are admitted to the U.S., who are adjusting status while in the U.S., or extending their status, among other uses. 8 CFR 1.4, as in the eCFR on October 29, 2026, said the term includes arrival/departure and admission or parole information collected by DHS in paper or electronic format.
Do travelers get a paper I-94 at the land border?
CBP’s I-94 page (last modified Jul 22, 2026) said travelers at the land border will be issued I-94s electronically and will no longer receive a paper I-94 stub. CBP’s I-94 Automation Fact Sheet web page (last modified Sep 30, 2025) worded land ports of entry differently: it said CBP had automated the Form I-94 at air and sea ports of entry. The two CBP pages differ, and the 2021 fact sheet PDF said air, sea and land ports of entry.
How do you get or print your I-94 record?
CBP’s I-94 page (last modified Jul 22, 2026) said a traveler can print their own I-94 from the I-94 website using Get Most Recent I-94, or use the same option in the CBP Link mobile app. CBP’s 2021 fact sheet called the I-94 website the official site for travelers to apply for or retrieve and print their I-94 admission number and record.
How much is the I-94 fee at a land border?
The Federal Register notice published October 1, 2026 (91 FR 62534) said the total fee to apply for a CBP Form I-94 at a land border port of entry for FY 2027 will continue to be $30, made up of the $6 land border fee and the $24 HR-1 fee. It said CBP will not assess a fee for aliens arriving at an air or sea port of entry because they are not required to submit an application for a CBP Form I-94.
Why does the eCFR show $6.00 for the I-94 fee?
The eCFR text of 8 CFR 103.7(d)(4), up to date as of October 29, 2026, listed $6.00 for issuance of an Arrival/Departure Record at a land border port-of-entry. The Federal Register notice published October 1, 2026 said the $30 total includes that $6 land border fee and that the $6 fee is not a fee required by HR-1.
Is the I-94 the same as a visa or a passport stamp?
8 CFR 235.1(h), as in the eCFR on October 29, 2026, said each arriving nonimmigrant who is admitted, unless otherwise exempted, will be issued a Form I-94 as evidence of the terms of admission, and CBP’s I-94 Automation Fact Sheet web page (last modified Sep 30, 2025) said travelers are given a CBP admission stamp on their travel document. CBP’s I-94 page (last modified Jul 22, 2026), CBP’s two fact sheet documents and 8 CFR 1.4 did not explain what a visa is or compare it with the I-94, and 8 CFR 235.1(h) mentioned visas only in listing exemptions, so this page does not compare the I-94 with a visa.
Does the I-94 record when a traveler leaves?
CBP’s I-94 page (last modified Jul 22, 2026) said that if a traveler received an electronic I-94 on arrival by air, sea or land and departs by land, the departure may not be recorded accurately. It said a departure will be recorded if the traveler departs by land and re-enters the United States before the expiration date stamped in the passport.
Related pages
For other U.S. travel and immigration fees, see how much a passport costs and the green card renewal fee.
Sources (reviewed November 2, 2026): CBP: Arrival/Departure Forms: I-94 · CBP: I-94 Automation Fact Sheet (web page) · CBP: I-94 Automation Fact Sheet (PDF, July 2021) · Federal Register: 91 FR 62534 (October 1, 2026), CBP fee notice · eCFR: 8 CFR 103.7 Fees · eCFR: 8 CFR 235.1 Scope of examination · eCFR: 8 CFR 1.4 Definition of Form I-94 · CBP I-94 website (official)