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Sample I-94 |
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 s the plane circled the Chicago airport, an excited Suresh Bhatnagar strained to catch the first glimpse of the land that had come to symbolise infinite opportunity. The Great American Dream; and he was finally about to live it, he thought, as the plane taxied to a halt. Suresh's love for US was, however, not reciprocated by the Immigration Officer at the terminal. "I thought it was all over when the Immigration Officer stated brusquely, I want to see the visa papers. I knew for certain, I had placed them in the inside pocket of the cabin bag but the cold relentless gaze of the immigration inspector made me panic. As I rummaged through the contents of the bag in front of the none too happy immigration inspector, I panicked and began to cry. "I was made to stand aside, till I realised that the all important papers were wrapped in the folds of the shawl. It was one of the most humiliating moments of my life," recalled Satish.
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I-94 facts |
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Form I-94 is issued to non-immigrant visitors on entering US.
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The INS uses I-94 to track dates of arrival and departure.
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It is evidence of the individual's lawful admission to US.
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The I-94 card indicates the type of non-immigrant visa category under which the individual has been admitted to the country, the date and place of admission, and the length of stay authorised stay by the INS on arrival.
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The I-94 card contains an admission number, printed on the top left-hand corner, the foreign visitor's name, date of birth, and country of citizenship.
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It is surrendered to the INS on departure from the US and used to verify that the foreign national has not remained beyond the authorised stay granted on arrival.
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The dollar dreams can sour and the land of milk and honey leave a bitter taste, if you are unfamiliar with immigration procedures at the port of entry. The object d' pride, the valid visa, has a rather seductive quality; it lets you take a peek but not taste the goodies. It will take you right in front of the immigration inspector and no further if you do not have the accompanying documents or sound a wee bit too over-enthusiastic about having arrived, both literally and metaphorically. To step in, you need a certified arrival and departure card, also known as the I-94. The Immigration Officer zealously guarding the gates at the port of entry to ward illegal intruders shares certain traits with the Consular Officer at the Chennai Consulate. His motives are transparent, but it's difficult to gauge the attitude he may adopt towards you. So be prepared for either a routine inquiry or an intensive scrutiny to determine the true intent of your visit. The officer's not going to be predatory, but he's not your best pal either.
Assureconsulting.com clarifies immigration procedures on arrival to help you breeze past the most cantankerous inspector officer when he asks: "How long do you plan to stay?"
Immigration believes in building the suspense, "will I will I not pass the immigration test" enroute to the US. Don't blank out when a few hours prior to landing, the flight attendant distributes the immigration forms. The form asks basic identification question and where you intend to stay in the US. Read the forms and carefully answer all the questions. In case of any doubts, do not hesitate to seek the flight attendant's help. Half the battle, is won if you reread the forms to ensure that they are filled correctly and by keeping all relevant documents handy. Your passport, the visa issued by the US Consular official, and other relevant documents which will help substantiate your intentions must be placed on the upper layer of the cabin bag, so that you do not have to spill the contents of the bag in haste to show the documents.
Most first-time travelers begin to feel the tension rising, as they are about to land. "I felt I would miss the immigration counter and make an absolute fool of myself. My insides were queasy, till I got the admission card, says Sarat Kumaragiri. Although a natural feeling, it's rather unnecessary, On arrival, the airline personnel will direct you to the inspection counter for non-US citizens, where you will be interrogated by the inspection officer.
Like the Consular Officer, the chief concern of the Immigration Officer is to determine whether you harbour an intention to permanently immigrate to the US. The Immigration Officer must determine why you have come to the United States, what documents would you require, if you have those documents, and for how long should you be allowed to initially stay in the United States. The length of the interrogation is dependent on a number of factors and it is difficult to make generalisations. For example, a young, single, unemployed person on a tourist visa with few ties to his or her home country will be questioned more carefully than a person with an
H-1B visa with an authentic appointment letter. But if you are on an H-IB and appear vague about the details of your company, the Immigration Officer may quiz you for a longer time. During the course of the interview, you must be careful not to unwittingly raise suspicions about your intentions. For instance, if you claim to be an executive who claims to be in the US on business and wear a bullet ridden T-shirt and tattered shorts, you must not complain about stuffy immigration officers. Similarly, someone on a brief vacation with sixteen pieces of luggage is bound to raise suspicion.
Most immigration officers have two pet questions, which you must answer precisely and succinctly. The first obvious question is, what are your plans in the US or why have you come to the US? Do not launch into lengthy explanations. For example, if you are on a B-1 visa, your answer should be to attend business meetings in so and so city. Do not be ambivalent, and say, "plan to investigate business opportunities." If you are on an H-1B and your reasons for entering the US are questioned, clearly say, "to work for so and so company." Another question all immigration officers love to ask is: "How long do you plan to stay." Travelers are requested to provide a specific answer such as two months, five months, a year, rather than saying, "as long as allowed". The Immigration Officer is not going to laud you for your impeccable guest manners, but may construe the answer to mean that you have no definite plans to leave. "How sick" was the response from one of our clients, but you've been warned.
Once the Immigration Officer is satisfied, he will issue the coveted I-94, a small white arrival and departure card, which proves that you have entered the US illegally. The card will show the immigration classification you were given and the length of your authorised stay.
The I-94 Form and not your visa, indicates the length of your stay in the
US. The I-94 card also contains an 11 digit admission number, printed on the top left-hand corner, your name, date of birth, and country of citizenship.
(Note: There are currently two different versions of the I-94 card, the most common of which is a small white card (about 4" by 5") stapled into the foreign passport at the time of arrival. The INS has also introduced an automated I-94 card which looks like an airline-boarding pass.
(Read Faqs on automated I-94 card).
The I-94 is the only proof that you are a legal entrant to the US. Therefore, make adequate copies of the document. In case you lose the
form, you will need to submit INS Form 102 at the INS office serving your area.
The I-94 card is not only an admission card, but is also used to verify whether the foreign national has not remained beyond the authorised stay granted on arrival. You must surrender the card to an airline or ship representative when you leave. Turning the form in, tells the government you are following immigration laws and this will facilitate your return to the US. If during the course of your stay in the US, you travel to another country, you must surrender the I-94, unless you travel to Canada or Mexico from the US, for less than 30 days. In this case, you can keep the card so that you can be admitted back to the US with the same I-94.
Faqs on automated I-94
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