Filling Out an I-94 Arrival-Departure Form

After going through the arduous process of applying for a visa, you might think you are done filling out U.S. immigration forms. Unfortunately, you will still have to fill out another form when entering the U.S.: Form I-94, the Arrival-Departure Record.

Form I-94 is a document used by U.S. immigration officials to record your arrival to, and any subsequent departures from, the United States. When you reach the U.S. by land, air, or sea, you must still “apply” for entry to the U.S. through immigration and customs officials. If you are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, or if you are looking to enter the U.S. as a nonimmigrant, you will need to submit a completed Form I-94 as a last part of the application process.

Let’s look at the I-94 form and what you will need to complete.

An I-94 Dissected

Form I-94 has three sections separated by perforations.  The top section provides brief instructions on filling out the form.  The middle section, the “Arrival Record”, asks you to complete biographical information as well as details on how you traveled to the U.S.  The bottom section, or “Departure Record”, is more commonly known as an “I-94 Card” and requires some biographical information from you.  Before arriving at a U.S. port of entry, whether by land, sea, or air, you will need to complete the middle and bottom sections.

The Arrival Record Section of the Form

The Arrival Record section helps U.S. immigration mark your arrival to the U.S. in its systems. You must fill out the fields legibly and to the best of your ability. You must use the Latin alphabet, and you must use all upper-case or capital letters.

In some cases, there may not be enough spaces for each field to accommodate your information; fill out all of the spaces in that field, but do not write the remaining characters afterwards. For example, if your Family Name has more characters than available spaces in Field 1, write as many initial characters of your Family Name as can fit until the last marked space and no further.

Field 1 asks for your “Family Name”, and Field 2 asks for your “First (Given) Name.” Your Family Name is also known as your “last name” or “surname” and is the name common to your family. Your First or Given Name is the unique name given to you specifically. Many foreign nationals may have only one name, with no distinction between family or given names. If you only have a single name, you should fill out these sections by matching these fields to the information on your visa stamp. For example, if you have only one name, your visa stamp likely has that name as your “Family Name” or “Surname,” while the “First Name” will be noted as “FNU,” which stands for “First Name Unknown.” You should fill out the Arrival Record name fields by matching the visa stamp format. You can also follow the visa stamp format if you have multiple names.

Fields 3, 4, 5, and 6 should be self-explanatory. For Field 3, note that you must fill out the Birth Date in numeric format. In Field 7, if you traveled to the U.S. by air, match the airline flight number, which you should find on your boarding pass. Airline staff and flight attendants can usually help with this information as well.

If you entered the U.S. by land or sea, write either “LAND” or “SEA” accordingly. Fields 8, 9, 10, and 11 are also self-explanatory; you should generally match these fields to the information on your visa stamp while ensuring that all of the information is accurate.

Fields 12 and 13 may be confusing, especially if you are coming to the U.S. for the first time and are only visiting briefly or just starting out on work or school. For visitors, fill out the best address where you can be contacted. For example, if you will be staying at a hotel, enter the hotel’s address in Fields 12 and 13. If you are enrolling in a college or university but do not have a residence, you can generally list your school’s main address; contact your school’s admissions office for assistance. If you are coming for employment, you may be able to enter your employer’s address. Note that you must inform U.S. immigration of any change in address by filing Form AR-11 within ten days of the change.

After you submit your visa and Form I-94 for inspection at a U.S. port of entry, U.S. immigration officials should retain the Arrival Record portion for their records.

The Departure Record

The bottom portion of Form I-94 is the Departure Record. This section has fields 14 through 17. These sections should be completed in a similar manner as the Arrival Record, matching the information to what is listed on your visa stamp while ensuring that all of the information is accurate. Also, as with the Arrival Record portion, do not write outside of the allotted spaces. If your information exceeds the given spaces in the fields, fill out only as many characters as can fit, and no further.

This section is also known as the “I-94 Card” because, after U.S. immigration officials inspect your documents and admit you to the U.S., they should give this portion back to you as a separate card.  Immigration officials will stamp the I-94 Card with the date of your admission, your immigration status, and the date your authorized stay in the U.S. will end. Typically, the official will staple the I-94 Card into your passport, near your visa stamp.

Keeping Your I-94 Card Safe

The I-94 Card is a vital document: not only does it notify law enforcement and government officials that you are lawfully present in the U.S., it also serves as your means of documenting your departure from the United States.

Keep your passport, visa stamp, and I-94 card with you at all times while in the U.S. Upon leaving the U.S., immigration officials should take your I-94 Card and note that you have departed the United States.  You should contact your U.S. consular post if for some reason immigration officials did not take your I-94 card upon departure or if you lost your I-94 card.  You may want to retain any boarding passes or travel tickets as proof that you departed the U.S.

Should you have any questions on Form I-94, contact an immigration attorney.