I-94 and Border Crossing History Available Online

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently announced the creation of a new website that gives travelers access to five years of their own I-94 arrival / departure and border crossing records. This website promises to serve as a valuable tool to foreign nationals who need quick, easy access to their travel histories.

Access to I-94s and Other Information Within Past Five Years

This new CBP WebPage allows travelers to access their most recent I-94 port-of-entry admission cards, as well as travel records maintained by the CBP from the previous five years. Travelers need to input their personal data, including name, date of birth, and passport information, in order to access their travel history.

Website Expected to Reduce Need for FOIA Requests

This website should help to reduce the long backlog of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests pending at the CBP. While federal agencies, by law, are required to respond to most FOIA requests within 20 days, the CBP has a history of failing to meet this obligation due to the large number of requests it receives. To that end, the CBP expects that this new online tool will mean fewer FOIA requests being filed, and that some currently pending requests will be withdrawn by applicants who can now obtain the desired information directly from the website. The CBP further estimates that this new resource, along with the elimination of paper I-94 cards, as reported in the MurthyDotCom NewsBrief, Phase Out of Paper I-94 Cards at POEs (01.Apr.2013), will help it save some $15.5 million per year.

Conclusion

Lost I-94 cards, or situations in which I-94 cards were never copied and retained, have led many individuals to file FOIA requests for information needed in connection with the immigration process. CBP’s improved I-94 webpage provides both an easy way for travelers to retrieve this information, without cost, and relieves a major funding and workload problem for this important organization charged with defending America’s borders.

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Disclaimer: The information provided here is of a general nature and may not apply to any specific or particular circumstance. It is not to be construed as legal advice nor presumed indefinitely up to date.