Updated November 4, 2026

I-94 travel history: how to check it and fix missing trips

You can check up to 10 years of your US arrival and departure dates for free on CBP's I-94 website (i94.cbp.dhs.gov) or the CBP Link app. CBP says this travel history is a helpful public tool, not a record for legal purposes, while the separate "Get Most Recent I-94" tab gives you proof of legal status. A missing trip or a "Not Found" result is fixed through exact passport MRZ formatting, the CBP Information Center or a Deferred Inspection Site.

Everything below comes from CBP's I-94 website and FAQs, cbp.gov and the CBP Help Center, checked on November 3, 2026.

Most recent I-94 vs. travel history: what is the difference?

The CBP I-94 website and the free CBP Link mobile app have two main lookup tabs: "Get Most Recent I-94/I-95" and "View Travel History." They look similar, but they serve different purposes.

"Get Most Recent I-94/I-95" gives you your Arrival/Departure Record. It shows your 11-character admission number (numeric before May 2019, or 9 numbers, 1 letter, and 1 number since May 2019), your class of admission, and your "Admit Until Date." CBP states that this printout is the document you present to an employer, school, university, or government agency. Most travelers can retrieve their most recent I-94 going back to 1983, while Duration of Status (D/S) travelers such as F-1, F-2, J-1, and J-2 visa holders can access their electronic I-94 regardless of creation date.

"View Travel History" logs your US arrival and departure dates and ports of entry or exit for the past 10 years, including trips on expired passports. CBP states that this online travel history is a tool to assist you and is not a record for legal purposes.

Only nonimmigrant travelers can check their travel history on the CBP I-94 website. US citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (green card holders) must submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request instead. For what happens when the officer creates your record at the airport or land border, read our guide on arriving in the US and what the CBP officer checks at entry.

How to check your I-94 travel history online (up to 10 years)

Pulling your I-94 or 10-year travel history is free and takes about 4 minutes on i94.cbp.dhs.gov or on the free CBP Link mobile app (which requires a free Login.gov account).

CBP strongly recommends using the "CAPTURE DOCUMENT" button on the website or "Document Scan" in the app to photograph your passport's Machine-Readable Zone (MRZ), the two lines of letters, numbers, and chevrons (<<<) at the bottom of the biographic page. If you type your details manually, match the MRZ using these rules:

• Country of Citizenship / Issuance: Select the country code in zone 1 of your MRZ, which is your country of citizenship even if the passport was issued at a consulate abroad.
• Passport Number: Enter the number from zone 2 of the MRZ. Check zero (0) versus the letter "O", and one (1) versus the letter "I". For "Get Most Recent I-94/I-95," enter the exact passport number used for that entry, even if expired.
• Last (Surname) and First (Given) Name: Enter all first and last names exactly as shown in zones 3 and 4 of the MRZ. Do not use special characters (~, `, or umlauts). Replace every chevron (<) between name parts with a space.
• Date of Birth: Enter in MM/DD/YYYY format.
• A-Number or Border Crossing Card lookups: Enter your Mexican Border Crossing Card (BCC) or Alien Registration Number (A-Number) in the Document Number field. Travelers issued Form I-862 (Notice to Appear) and paroled under class "DT" enter their A-Number as the document number and "USA" as the Country of Citizenship.

Why trips, land departures, and USCIS extensions are missing

Seeing a gap in your online travel history is common. CBP collects travel history from multiple sources and notes that four categories of records do not show up online:

USCIS extensions, changes of status, and adjustments of status. Approvals from USCIS (including extensions of stay, changes of status, and USCIS adjustments of status) never appear on the CBP I-94 website. When USCIS approves a change or extension, it attaches a paper Form I-94 stub to the bottom of your Form I-797 approval notice, and that paper stub is your I-94.

Land border departures, especially into Mexico, and closed-loop cruises. Airlines send departure manifests to CBP automatically, and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) typically records land or ferry exits into Canada. However, land departures into Mexico are not automatically registered unless you speak with a CBP officer before entering Mexico, log your exit on the CBP Link app, or re-enter the US before the expiration date stamped in your passport.

Short trips under 30 days to Canada, Mexico, or adjacent islands. Under automatic visa revalidation (8 CFR 214.1(b) and 22 CFR 41.112(d)), eligible nonimmigrants visiting Canada or Mexico for 30 days or less (and F and J visa holders visiting adjacent islands other than Cuba for 30 days or less) keep their existing I-94. No new I-94 is issued and your Admit Until Date is not extended.

Air carrier reservation updates and manifest or passport mismatches on departure. CBP notes that air carrier reservation updates are omitted from the online travel history. In addition, an air or sea exit can fail to link to your arrival if you left on a different passport (dual citizenship) than you entered on, used a slightly different name variation, had your name misspelled on the airline manifest, or left on an open-loop or transatlantic cruise miscoded by the cruise line as closed-loop.

How to record a land or sea exit with the CBP Link app

If you leave the US by land or sea (especially when walking or driving into Mexico), you can record your exit using the voluntary "Verify Departure" feature in the free CBP Link / CBP Home mobile app. Wait until the day you physically leave, because CBP records the date you use the app as your departure date:

• Travel at least 3 miles outside the US border and turn on "Use my Location" on your smartphone.
• Open the CBP Link app, select "Departing Traveler," tap "Verify Departure," and take a live selfie.
• Enter your name, date of birth, sex, passport or A-Number, and the country you are currently in (such as "Mexico") and submit.
• If you hold a paper Form I-94 when leaving by land or ferry, surrender it to CBSA when entering Canada or to CBP before entering Mexico.
• Keep physical proof of your exit too. If you do not re-enter before your passport stamp expires, CBP recommends carrying entry stamps from CBSA (Canada) or the Instituto Nacional de Migracion (INM in Mexico), transportation tickets, pay stubs, or dated receipts.

Troubleshooting table: how to fix every I-94 and travel history error

Different I-94 problems go to different offices. Use this table to match your error to the right agency.

How to fix an error on your current I-94 or a missing departure

Fixing an entry error on your current I-94 (CBP Deferred Inspection). If CBP admitted you under the wrong visa class, misspelled your name, or gave you the wrong Admit Until Date, contact any of the over 70 CBP Deferred Inspection Sites within 30 days of admission or use the CBP Ask a Question portal (help.cbp.gov). Any designated Deferred Inspection Site or CBP office inside an international airport can help you, regardless of where you entered.

While mail-in procedures are generally not available, many major sites publish dedicated I-94 correction email inboxes on cbp.gov (including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco). Check your local site's rules first: Charlotte requires email and does not take walk-ins, while Louisville uses email only for inquiries and requires in-person corrections. Include a brief description of the issue and clear scans of your passport biographical page, US visa page, admission stamp, and supporting status documents. Deferred Inspection cannot extend your stay, change your status, or fix a USCIS-issued I-94.

Fixing a missing departure or "10 Days Remaining" email. If you receive a "10 Days Remaining" reminder email after leaving the US, first check "View Travel History." If your departure appears there, no action is needed. If it is missing, you must file a redress request using only one of two processes, either the CBP Information Center or DHS TRIP, because submitting to both will delay your results.

To use the CBP Information Center (help.cbp.gov/s/questions, where average email response time is 3 to 5 business days), select Topic "I-94 / Traveler Compliance" and Applicable Issue "Issue with my I-94/Travel History," "I've departed the U.S. and I still have my I-94," or "10-Day Email Notification." Explain when and how you left and upload your passport copy plus timely departure proof (CBSA or INM entry stamps, boarding passes, tickets, pay stubs, or receipts). Attorneys or third parties filing for someone other than a minor child must attach signed written consent (CBP recommends Form G-28) and the traveler's passport copy.

When your I-94 and travel history matter for visas, work, and status

Form I-9 and employment verification. Employers verify identity and work authorization on Form I-9 and E-Verify. A foreign passport with a valid Form I-94 showing the proper employment-based class of admission is an acceptable document, whether it is a stamped paper I-94 or an electronic printout.

Overstays and automatic visa nullification under INA 222(g). Your I-94 Admit Until Date, not your visa expiration date, controls how long you may stay. Remaining past 11:59 PM Eastern Time on your Admit Until Date without USCIS authorization automatically nullifies your visa under Section 222(g) of the INA (and permanently ends ESTA eligibility for Visa Waiver Program travelers).

Unlawful presence bars under INA 212(a)(9)(B). Remaining unlawfully in the United States for a period of one (1) to 180 days requires you to apply for a new visa at a US embassy or consulate before future travel. Under INA Section 212(a)(9)(B), remaining unlawfully for a period of 181 days and less than one-year (364 days) triggers a 3-year bar, and 365 days or more triggers a 10-year bar.

Future visa stamping and re-entry. CBP's online compliance check is not a legally binding determination. The U.S. Department of State makes the final decision on new or renewal visas (see our guides on H-1B visa stamping and CEAC status meanings), and a CBP officer decides admissibility at the port of entry (see what CBP officers ask at the US border).

Provisional land border I-94s ($30 fee) and FOIA requests (1982 onward)

Applying for a Provisional I-94 at a land border ($30 fee). Air and sea I-94s are automatic and built into your ticket, but at land borders and selected ferry ports (such as CBP Victoria Preclearance), CBP no longer issues paper stubs and encourages applying for a Provisional I-94 online or in the CBP Link app up to 7 days before arrival. Since September 30, 2025, the Provisional I-94 fee is $30 per application ($6 land border fee plus the $24 HR-1 fee under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act), paid via Pay.gov. Our ESTA fee guide covers the same HR-1 fees for Visa Waiver travelers. You must appear at the port of entry within 7 days with the exact same passport or Border Crossing Card to complete biometrics and your CBP interview, or the application expires with no refund.

Filing a CBP FOIA request for travel records (1982 onward). You need a FOIA request if you are a US citizen or green card holder, need records older than 10 years, or lost your entry passport number. Effective January 22, 2026, CBP no longer accepts hard copy FOIA requests by mail, fax, or email. Submit your request online through the CBP SecureRelease portal or FOIA.gov (asking for records, not questions) with your full name, aliases, date of birth, A-Number, parents' names, and a signed Certification of Identity or perjury statement.

What CBP and consular officers may ask if your travel history has a gap

If an earlier land exit was missed or you had a long stay, a consular or border officer may ask about your travel dates. Here is what each question checks and what to have ready:

"Our records show you entered the US on [date], but we don't see a departure. When did you leave?" Why they ask: an unrecorded exit looks like an overstay until you prove when you left. How to prepare: state the exact date and method of departure and hand over physical proof of timely exit, such as your CBSA or INM passport entry stamp, boarding pass, foreign pay stubs, or dated receipts.

"Your online CBP I-94 expired last year. Why did you stay in the US until last month?" Why they ask: USCIS extensions and changes of status do not update CBP's online portal. How to prepare: explain that USCIS approved an extension or change of status, and show your Form I-797 approval notice with the attached paper Form I-94 stub.

"You stayed in the US for five months on your last visit. What were you doing, and did you leave on time?" Why they ask: long visitor stays raise questions about unauthorized work and timely departure. How to prepare: state the reason for the stay, confirm you left before your Admit Until Date, and have your return ticket or home entry stamp ready.

Arriving soon? Our ESTA arrival questions guide covers the inspection itself.

Visaful is an AI mock interview app for US visa interviews: an AI officer asks your visa's questions out loud and shows what to fix.

This is interview practice, not legal advice. For questions about your own case, talk to an immigration attorney. Visaful is not affiliated with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Homeland Security or any government agency.