Correcting I-94 Errors: Contacting USCBP Deferred Inspection

When entering the United States, a Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) officer stamps your passport and generates an I-94 date in the system. Travelers entering by land vehicle receive a paper I-94, while those arriving by air or sea have only an electronic I-94 record, which can be checked and printed on the USCBP website. The stamp date in your passport should match your I-94.

I-94 Determines Your Authorized Period of Stay in the U.S.

Many people mistakenly believe that as long as their visa has not expired, they can stay in the U.S. indefinitely. In fact, in most cases, how long a nonimmigrant visa holder may legally stay in the U.S. depends on the period granted by the USCBP officer at entry—that is, the date on the passport stamp/I-94—and has nothing to do with the visa's expiration date.

The image above shows my relative's passport with a B1/B2 visa; there are two stamps in the upper left corner:

• "ADMITTED WAS JUN 12 2017" indicates entry on June 12, 2017; "B2 Class Until Dec 11, 2017" indicates B2 status with permission to stay until December 11, 2017—a full six months.

• "ADMITTED WAS DEC 12 2015" indicates entry on December 12, 2015; "B2 Class Until 11 JUN 2016" indicates B2 status with permission to stay until June 11, 2016—also a full six months.

• There is also a 2018 entry stamp in the lower right corner: entered on July 4, 2018, expired on January 3, 2019—again a full six months. Although I did not capture the full image above, it can be seen through the online I-94; see this article.

The holder should depart before the above date, or apply for an extension, or change status; otherwise it constitutes overstay.

• {https://gonglue.us/2827}

• {https://gonglue.us/14973}

Both I-94 and Passport Stamps Can Contain Errors

As noted above, the I-94 and passport stamp should match. However, CBP officers are only human and can make mistakes.

• One reader discovered after entry that the passport stamp date did not match the I-94 record: the I-94 gave six months, but the passport gave only two months. Another reader's I-94 was valid until August 31—her originally planned departure date, with tickets already booked—while the passport stamp was valid only until August 27.

• Another reader only discovered when applying for an extension that her I-94 record had not been updated: she entered in both 2013 and 2017, but the I-94 on the CBP website still showed the 2013 record.

Contact the Deferred Inspection Office for I-94 Errors

Entry I-94 records are completed and stamped by USCBP officers and have nothing to do with USCIS. Both situations above should be corrected by contacting a USCBP Deferred Inspection Office; there are more than 70 nationwide. Twelve city offices on the list provide email addresses. If you entered or reside in these cities, you can contact them by email, explain the error, and attach supporting documents such as the passport biographic page, travel records or tickets, I-797, I-20, etc.:

• Boston, Massachusetts: [email protected]

• Charlotte, North Carolina: [email protected]

• Chicago, Illinois: [email protected]

• Houston: [email protected] .

• Los Angeles, California: [email protected]

• Miami, Florida: [email protected]

• Milwaukee, Wisconsin: [email protected]

• Orlando, Florida: [email protected]

• Seattle, Washington: [email protected]

• St. Louis, Missouri: [email protected]

• St. Paul, Minnesota: [email protected]

• West Palm Beach, Florida: [email protected]

Each time you enter the United States, after the customs officer returns your passport, remember to check it on the spot; if the stamp date is incorrect, you can correct it immediately. After entering the United States, you should check your I-94 record on the USCBP website within a few days to ensure there are no errors, see {https://gonglue.us/15029}.

Reader Miki's Case Example

Reader Miki shared her personal experience. When her mother entered the United States, the I-94 was given 6 months, but later she noticed that the passport was only given 2 months, so she contacted USCBP to change it:

I first called to ask what should be done for a problem like my mother's. The CBP officer first asked whether the passport had the word "limited" (my mother's did not). Then today we brought all the documents submitted during her entry and her passport, went to the immigration office together, filled out the form, and handed everything over to them. CBP asked why she came for so long, whether she was working here, whether she had enough money in her home country to support the period of stay in the United States, whether she had a house... In the end, he helped us change the date on the passport and told us that things are indeed stricter now, so they need to understand the details a bit more. Now it is the same 6-month period as on the I-94 online.

The reference above to "went to the immigration office" is likely a mistake; this matter falls under USCBP, which is a different government agency from USCIS. She herself later wrote that it was handled by "CBP" officers. Miki photographed her mother's revised visa page and sent it to me; special thanks to Miki for sharing.

Example of USCBP Correcting a Period of Stay — Thanks to Reader Miki

The photo above clearly shows the words "LOS/DEFERRED", which refers to the USCBP Deferred Inspection office in Los Angeles. The period of stay written by the USCBP officer at entry was "May 11, 2017", in the lower left corner; after adjustment it has been crossed out. The date adjusted by the Deferred Inspection office was extended to Sept. 07, 2017, consistent with the I-94, for a total period of stay of 6 months.

For J/F visas, usually no specific date is given; instead, "D/S" is given, which is the abbreviation of "Duration of Status", meaning "as long as your status remains unchanged, you can continue to stay in the United States, with no specific deadline", see {https://gonglue.us/33052}.

Reader gcx900226's Case Example

Reader gcx900226, when preparing to apply for an extension, found that the online I-94 had not been updated and still showed the record from the previous entry. I suggested she contact the deferred inspection office to correct it. Below is her experience:

On 7/24 I called the deferred inspection office and did not receive a reply within 48 hours. On 7/26 I continued calling and still received no reply. On 7/31 I went to DFW airport; there is a reception desk next to the gate where passengers exit customs in terminal D. The young man had a very bad temper, said he had replied to all messages, and did not acknowledge that he had not replied to my two messages... He insisted that without having received his call and without an appointment, nothing could be done; he could only help you make an appointment and come back next time. He told us to wait while he made the appointment, but ten minutes later he came over and informed me that he had already updated it for us... (tough talk, soft heart?) Good luck to everyone.

CBP Website Contact Tool

CBP updated its website in 2022, and you can submit requests about I-94 on its official website. Go to this page, select "I-94/Traveler Compliance" -> "Issue with my I-94/Travel History" in the drop-down menu, leave your email address, describe the problem you encountered, and you can submit and contact CBP. If your English is not good, you can consider using ChatGPT to help!

CBP Website Contact Tool

I have not used this tool and do not know how long it takes to receive a reply.

USCIS Provides a New I-94 After Extension Approval

If you apply for an extension or change of status within the United States, USCIS will give you a new I-94 after approval, but it will not be updated in the I-94 tool on the CBP website. This is normal because CBP and USCIS are two different departments, and their systems do not synchronize. CBP only handles entry and exit, not extensions/change of status within the United States. See: [https://gonglue.us/66899].