Travel guide
Most visitors no longer fill out a paper I-94 — CBP records your arrival electronically. Here's when you still need to act, and how to get your record.
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Foreign visitors to the U.S. no longer need to complete a paper CBP Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record. CBP now gathers travelers' arrival and departure information automatically from their electronic travel records.[1]
Instead, CBP now gathers your arrival and departure information automatically from your electronic travel records. If you need to prove your legal-visitor status to an employer, school or government agency, you can access your CBP arrival/departure record information online.[1]
Your arrival/departure record still matters, though. If you need to prove your legal-visitor status to an employer, a school or a government agency, you can access your CBP arrival/departure record information online.[1]
When you leave the U.S. by air or sea, CBP records the departure electronically using manifest information provided by the carrier or by CBP.[1]
At the land border, travelers are issued I-94s electronically and no longer receive a paper I-94 stub. So even there, the paper stub is gone.[1]
Visa Waiver Program travelers are in a slightly different spot. They need an approved ESTA for entry and must obtain it before arriving at the U.S. land border. CBP also encourages them to apply for an I-94 in advance using the I-94 website or the CBP Link mobile app.[1]
If you want a paper copy for your own records, you can print one. A traveler who wants a paper Form I-94 can print it from the I-94 website using "Get Most Recent I-94" or the same option on the CBP Link mobile app.[1]
The ESTA application requires credit card information to pay the associated fees, and the fee is charged for each new ESTA application submitted. Visa Waiver Program travelers need an approved ESTA for entry and must obtain it before arriving at the U.S. land border.[1],[5]
CBP now gathers travelers' arrival/departure information automatically from their electronic travel records. If you need your record, CBP encourages travelers who require one to apply using the CBP Link mobile app or the CBP I-94 website.[1]
Check if you need ESTA
If you're a Visa Waiver Program traveler, you need an approved ESTA before boarding a U.S.-bound airplane or vessel or presenting yourself at a U.S. land border port of entry. If you already hold a valid visa, you are not required to apply for ESTA.[5]
Apply for ESTA early
ESTA applications may be submitted at any time prior to travel, though CBP recommends applying as soon as you begin preparing travel plans or prior to purchasing airline tickets.[2]
Pay the fee
You'll need credit card information to pay the associated fees to complete the ESTA application. The fee is charged for each new application.[5]
Save your confirmation
DHS recommends that travelers print out the ESTA application response as a record of their ESTA application number to confirm their ESTA status.[5]
Get your I-94 if you need it
Visa Waiver Program travelers are encouraged to apply for an I-94 in advance using the I-94 website or the CBP Link mobile app. If you want a paper copy, print it from the I-94 website using "Get Most Recent I-94" or the same option on the CBP Link mobile app.[1]
CBP recommends applying for ESTA as soon as you begin preparing travel plans or before you buy airline tickets. You can apply at any time prior to travel.[2]
Visa Waiver Program travelers are encouraged to apply for an I-94 in advance using the I-94 website or the CBP Link mobile app. CBP encourages travelers who require an I-94 to apply using the CBP Link mobile app or the CBP I-94 website.[1]
An approved ESTA is not a visa. It lets you board a U.S.-bound airplane or vessel or present yourself at a land border under the Visa Waiver Program, but it does not determine whether you are admissible to the United States. CBP officers determine admissibility when you arrive.[2],[5]
The Visa Waiver Program permits citizens of participating countries to travel to the United States for business or tourism for stays of up to 90 days without a visa. If you have a valid visa, you can still travel on that visa for the purpose for which it was issued.[3],[5]
Your I-94 record shows your admission status. You can check it on the I-94 website by clicking the 'View Compliance' tab. CBP also sends e-mail reminders about the time left in the United States and notifications to travelers who may have overstayed.[4]
If you received an electronic I-94 on arrival by air, 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 before the expiration date stamped in your passport.[1]
When you arrive, CBP officers determine whether you are admissible. Have your passport and, if you're a Visa Waiver Program traveler, your approved ESTA ready.[2],[5]
At the land border, you'll be issued an I-94 electronically. You won't get a paper stub.[1]
If you're not a resident of Canada or Mexico, received an electronic I-94 and depart via land without re-entering before the expiration date stamped in your passport, you may want to travel with evidence of your departure into Canada or Mexico. Evidence can include entry stamps in a passport, transportation tickets, pay stubs and/or other receipts. You can request an entry stamp from CBSA when entering Canada or from the Instituto Nacional de Migracion (INM) when entering Mexico.[1]
If your ESTA application is denied and you still want to travel, you'll need to apply for a nonimmigrant visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. U.S. Embassies and Consulates cannot provide details about ESTA denials or resolve the issue that caused the denial.[5]
If your passport lacks a machine-readable zone, you have two options: obtain a qualifying, new passport if your country of nationality is producing one, or obtain a visa. You should contact your passport-issuing agency or your country's embassy if you have questions about your country's production of a qualifying e-Passport.[3]
If you received an electronic I-94 and depart via land, your departure may not be recorded accurately. You may want to travel with evidence of your departure, such as entry stamps, transportation tickets, pay stubs and/or other receipts.[1]
No. Foreign visitors to the U.S. no longer need to complete a paper CBP Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record. CBP now gathers your arrival and departure information automatically from electronic travel records.[1]
You can get your I-94 number from the I-94 website or the CBP Link mobile app. If you need a paper copy, print it from the I-94 website using "Get Most Recent I-94" or the same option on the app.[1]
If you received an electronic I-94 on arrival by air, 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 before the expiration date stamped in your passport. If you are not a resident of Canada or Mexico, received an electronic I-94 and depart via land without re-entering before the expiration date stamped in your passport, you may want to travel with evidence of your departure into Canada or Mexico.[1]
No. An approved ESTA is not a visa. It determines eligibility to travel under the Visa Waiver Program, but CBP officers determine admissibility when you arrive.[2],[5]
If your ESTA is denied and you still want to travel, you'll need to apply for a nonimmigrant visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. U.S. Embassies and Consulates cannot provide details about the denial or resolve the issue that caused it.[5]
You can check your admission status on the I-94 website by clicking the 'View Compliance' tab. CBP also sends email reminders about time left in the U.S. and potential overstays from travelercompliance@cbp.dhs.gov.[4]
Every rule, fee and deadline above is taken from these official pages, which we read on October 20, 2026. Rules change, so check the official page before you apply or pay.
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