USAnaru™
USAnaru™ — Your crossing to the right U.S. school.
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Official form or feeF-1 · J-1Arrival & I-94I-94

Form I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record)

The I-94 is CBP's record of when you entered the United States, in what status (F-1 or J-1) and until when you are admitted. There is no paper card any more for air arrivals; you look up and print your I-94 on CBP's official website or app after you land, and you should check it right away.
Who issues / uses itCreated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection when you are admitted. Used by schools, DSOs and sponsors, the DMV, Social Security and USCIS.
When in the processAt your first entry and at every re-entry. Check it within a few days of arrival.
Last checked2026-10-10

Official page ↗

Steps

  1. At the airport, show your passport with visa and the signed I-20 or DS-2019 to the CBP officer.
  2. After arrival, go to the official site i94.cbp.dhs.gov (or the CBP app) and choose 'Get Most Recent I-94'.
  3. Check the class of admission (F-1 or J-1) and the 'admit until' date.
  4. Save a copy and send it to your DSO or sponsor if they ask.
  5. If something is wrong, contact your DSO or sponsor at once; CBP handles corrections.

Why the I-94 matters more now

Since September 15, 2026, F-1 and J-1 students are admitted for a fixed period — the program dates on the I-20 or DS-2019 (up to 4 years) plus 30 days to prepare to leave — instead of "duration of status" (D/S). That end date is on your I-94. If you need more time, you must apply for an extension of stay before it ends (see Maintaining F-1 and J-1 status).

Getting your record

CBP collects arrival information electronically and recommends the official I-94 website or the CBP app to view and print your record ("Get Most Recent I-94").

Common mistakes

Questions

My visa expires next year but my I-94 date is earlier — which counts?

The I-94 admission date controls how long you may stay. The visa is only for entering. Ask your DSO or sponsor if dates look wrong.

Do I get a paper I-94 at the airport?

CBP issues I-94s electronically; you download yours on the official website or app.

Official sources

Information, not legal advice. We summarize public U.S. government sources in our own words; rules and fees change. Confirm with the school’s DSO (F-1), your sponsor’s Responsible Officer (J-1) or the U.S. embassy or consulate before you act.

Related documents

Related news & guides

Boarding schools — Schools that can issue an I-20 (F-1) → · Browse boarding schools → · All documents →

Cite as: USAnaru™ — https://usanaru.com/documents/form-i-94

USAnaru™ — Your crossing to the right U.S. school.
Reading time:
Views: 4
Claude: 4 Others: 1
Read by AI & crawlers
Claude4
Others1

Named by what the crawler says it is; look-alikes we detect are counted under Others. Google · Gemini includes Googlebot, Google’s search crawler, whose index Google also uses for its AI features; other search engines and bots are in Others.