Travelers who enter the United States by air or sea and leave by land through Canada or Mexico should keep documents showing their departure because their exit may not be accurately recorded in the electronic I-94 system, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The agency’s guidance is particularly relevant to travelers who are not residents of Canada or Mexico and do not return to the United States before their authorized stay expires. Passport entry stamps, transportation tickets, pay stubs and other receipts can help establish that they left the country.
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Click hereTravelers also can use the “Verify My Exit” feature in the CBP Link mobile app to verify their departure. The feature uses facial matching and location information to help confirm and record an exit, according to CBP.
Form I-94 is an arrival and departure record issued by CBP. The agency generally creates electronic records for travelers arriving by air or sea rather than issuing paper forms, with limited exceptions. Travelers who need documentation of their admission to verify their immigration status or employment authorization can obtain a copy through the official I-94 website.
For travelers leaving on commercial flights or vessels, CBP generally records departures electronically using information supplied by the carrier. Those departing by air generally do not need to take any additional steps to register their exit.
The process can be less straightforward for travelers who arrive by air or sea but leave through a land border. Their electronic records may show their arrival without accurately reflecting their subsequent departure.
To help document a land departure, travelers can request a passport entry stamp from the Canada Border Services Agency when entering Canada or from Mexico’s National Institute of Migration when entering Mexico. Transportation tickets, pay stubs and dated receipts showing their presence outside the United States also may help establish when they left.
Travelers using CBP Link’s exit verification feature should follow the instructions in the app. The feature allows them to submit biometric confirmation of their departure through live facial matching and geolocation. They should also retain supporting travel documents in case questions arise about a previous departure, CBP said.
Travelers who received a paper I-94 should surrender it when leaving the United States. Those entering Canada can return the form to the Canada Border Services Agency. Those entering Mexico can return it to CBP at the U.S. port of entry before crossing the border. Travelers leaving on a commercial flight or vessel should return the form to the carrier as directed.
Electronic admission records can be retrieved and printed through the official I-94 website. CBP Link also allows travelers to view their current I-94 information, check how long they are authorized to remain in the United States and apply for a provisional I-94 before arriving at a land border crossing.
Travelers whose departures were not recorded should carry evidence of their exit when returning to the United States, according to the agency’s guidance. Those documents may help establish that they left during their previous visit.
Additional information about electronic arrival and departure records is available in CBP’s I-94 Automation Fact Sheet. Instructions and information about the app’s features are available on the agency’s CBP Link information page.
