I 94 while travelling

[chatterjee1]

I have to questions for folks who have travelled out of the country:
a) I have 2 I 94 cards, the 1st card which was attached to my
passport on arrival and the 2nd one which came with my new visa approval
notice(when I changed jobs). While leaving the country, do I have to return both cards or only the 1st card?
b) Also, when I get back, do I show the immigration officer my new approval notice or wait to be asked ? I do not have visa stamp of new employer.
Thanks a lot.

 

[baby_mde]

I have to questions for folks who have travelled out of the country:
a) I have 2 I 94 cards, the 1st card which was attached to my
passport on arrival and the 2nd one which came with my new visa approval
notice(when I changed jobs). While leaving the country, do I have to return both cards or only the 1st card?
b) Also, when I get back, do I show the immigration officer my new approval notice or wait to be asked ? I do not have visa stamp of new employer.
Thanks a lot.

do they have same numbers?? If so just give first one. In my case, the second one has different number. I wanted to give both.

 

[Hariya]

a) I have 2 I 94 cards, the 1st card which was attached to my
passport on arrival and the 2nd one which came with my new visa approval
notice(when I changed jobs). While leaving the country, do I have to return both cards or only the 1st card?

I have always stapled the two together - it says on the notice to attach the new card to the old one, if any. It has worked fine for me so far. Also the approval is not a VISA approval but an employer sponsored petition for temporary worker approval, based on which a VISA can be obtained at a US consulate, when neccessary.

b) Also, when I get back, do I show the immigration officer my new approval notice or wait to be asked ? I do not have visa stamp of new employer.
Thanks a lot.

Approval notice alone is not sufficient to enter back into the US (it says so on the notice: THIS IS NOT A VISA).

For H1 one needs a VISA (even the old visa, if current, is OK) and the immigration officer, in your best interests, should ask you for the new approval, if you do not have it out in advance.

Since, in case the above does not happen, then the immigration officer will tend to give you an I-94 expiry that will match the old visa expiry and this may not be beneficial for you, besides possibly misrepresenting the employer info that is written by hand by the officer on the back of the I-94 (with a fresh revalidation such will not be the case).

 

[chatterjee1]

I have always stapled the two together - it says on the notice to attach the new card to the old one, if any. It has worked fine for me so far. Also the approval is not a VISA approval but an employer sponsored petition for temporary worker approval, based on which a VISA can be obtained at a US consulate, when neccessary.



Approval notice alone is not sufficient to enter back into the US (it says so on the notice: THIS IS NOT A VISA).

For H1 one needs a VISA (even the old visa, if current, is OK) and the immigration officer, in your best interests, should ask you for the new approval, if you do not have it out in advance.

Since, in case the above does not happen, then the immigration officer will tend to give you an I-94 expiry that will match the old visa expiry and this may not be beneficial for you, besides possibly misrepresenting the employer info that is written by hand by the officer on the back of the I-94 (with a fresh revalidation such will not be the case).

So, I will basically have to hand over both the I 94 cards while leaving the country, right? I have a valid visa stamp of my old employer on my passport. Thanks Hariya for your answers.