Lost I-94 card -- help needed!!!

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Positive4GC

Registered Users (C)
Hi friends,
I just noticed that I misplaced my I-94 card. But I have a copy of it stored as a PDF document. I have to travel to India next month. I am planning to take infopass appointment nextweek. Please let me know if I can travel without issues.

Thanks in advance.
 
Without giving your I-94 upon leaving the country, the potential problems with traveling would arise from situations where they think you overstayed because you didn't register your departure by giving back the I-94, or possibly if the airline insists on seeing the I-94 before letting you board (however I don't know if they actually do that, as it is usually me having to proactively give up my I-94).

If you have filed an I-485 and have the receipt for it, suspected overstay would not be an issue with USCIS because pending I-485 applicants don't have a deadline to leave the country. But airline policies will vary depending on the airport and carrier and which country you're going to.
 
Positive4GC said:
Hi friends,
I just noticed that I misplaced my I-94 card. But I have a copy of it stored as a PDF document. I have to travel to India next month. I am planning to take infopass appointment nextweek. Please let me know if I can travel without issues.

Thanks in advance.
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I think when you are leaving the country, they don't care about your I-94.
I don't think it is a problem to leave the country.
 
You can try visiting your nearest local CBP office for a duplicate copy possibly? (CBP - Customs & Border Protection Agency)

I think - it's a non-issue.....Lot of people forget to return their I-94 when leaving the country...You may have trouble getting Driving License and other federal stuff - without I-94 - I am guessing??
 
Positive4GC said:
Hi friends,
I just noticed that I misplaced my I-94 card. But I have a copy of it stored as a PDF document. I have to travel to India next month. I am planning to take infopass appointment nextweek. Please let me know if I can travel without issues.

Thanks in advance.
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If you are planning renew or extend your H1 or H4 you will get another copy I-94. If you are not doing that use the form I-102 to get the duplicate I-94.
 
number30 said:
If you are planning renew or extend your H1 or H4 you will get another copy I-94.
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The poster is going to India; upon return a new I-94 will be issued at the POE regardless of the type of visa used or Advance Parole. I don't think the poster has anything to worry about, unless the existing I-94 would have expired while away in India.
 
Jackolantern said:
The poster is going to India; upon return a new I-94 will be issued at the POE regardless of the type of visa used or Advance Parole. I don't think the poster has anything to worry about, unless the existing I-94 would have expired while away in India.
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If someone does not surrender I-94 while exiting their will be problem on the return at POE. That is the issue
 
number30 said:
If someone does not surrender I-94 while exiting their will be problem on the return at POE. That is the issue
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Do you know of a single person who didn't give up their I-94 and had problems at the POE because of it, even though they filed an I-485 before leaving or before leaving the US they had a visa that was valid beyond the date of return to the POE?

If you had a visitor's visa that expired on 4/4/2008 and you left the US on 3/3/2008 without surrendering it, they might think you overstayed it because April would pass and they still don't have your I-94. But if you have an H-1 valid for 3 years and you leave and return in year 2, there is no suspicion of overstay even if you didn't give in the I-94. Of course, you should still hand it in if you have it, but there is no reason to unduly worry about it if you don't.
 
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Originally Posted by number30:
If someone does not surrender I-94 while exiting their will be problem on the return at POE. That is the issue
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This is making a big assumption that the airlines do not lose any I-94s; and all the I-94s that are surrendered are properly processed by whoever does what ever with them.

But just the fact that it is paper based that requires human intervention, I suspect strongly that there have been some I-94s misplaced/lost, or not processed properly to tie the exit with the correct individual.

Posted by Jackolantern:
Do you know of a single person who didn't give up their I-94 and had problems at the POE because of it, even though they filed an I-485 before leaving or before leaving the US they had a visa that was valid beyond the date of return to the POE?
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That is a good question.

I think the I-94 is a good document to have while inside the USA to prove one's entry validity. At POE, even though it is upto the IIO to admit you or not, you can prove your exit based on the entry/exit stamps on the passport. Air travel between countries usually results in an entry in the passport.
 
chitti007 said:
I think the I-94 is a good document to have while inside the USA to prove one's entry validity. At POE, even though it is upto the IIO to admit you or not, you can prove your exit based on the entry/exit stamps on the passport. Air travel between countries usually results in an entry in the passport.
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And if your visa was valid for long enough, you had no obligation to exit on or before the date of your trip anyway.
 
here is my situation....

I boarded the Lufthansa flight in Chicago going to Frankfurt. Then due to mechanical problem, the flight was brought back to the gate and rescheduled for next day. Next day I found out I didn't have to travel at all and hence canceled the trip at the airport lufthansa counter and I got my connecting flight and back home. Now I realized I don't have my I-94 card since they collected it already at the gate.

What are my options? I called lufthansa but they said they can't connect to the airport staff. They want me to go collect it in person at the airport. What do I do now? Is there a way to get replacement I-94?

FYI, I am a Green Card holder.
 
nj_skm said:
If you now have a GC, forget about your I-94. You don't need it any more.
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Thank GOD. how positive are you about it? I'll travel tomorow and trying to find a ticket via Chicago so I can reclaim my I94 but ticket is too expensive thru' chicago. Minneapolis comes out good. so how positive are you that if I have Green Card, no need to bother about I-94 card?
 
Jackolantern said:
The poster is going to India; upon return a new I-94 will be issued at the POE regardless of the type of visa used or Advance Parole. I don't think the poster has anything to worry about, unless the existing I-94 would have expired while away in India.
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Here is info from the official source -
http://help.cbp.gov/cgi-bin/customs...SZwX3NlYXJjaF90ZXh0PUktOTQ*&p_li=&p_topview=1

Green card or not I would follow the rule that I-94 (if there is one) needs to be surrendered when exiting the country. Let CBP and USCIS worry about the rest.
 
concorde said:
Here is info from the official source -
http://help.cbp.gov/cgi-bin/customs...SZwX3NlYXJjaF90ZXh0PUktOTQ*&p_li=&p_topview=1

Green card or not I would follow the rule that I-94 (if there is one) needs to be surrendered when exiting the country. Let CBP and USCIS worry about the rest.
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I know that is the official rule and it should be followed when possible. But if it is lost, what can be done? Materialize a new one out of thin air? Or don't travel at all? For somebody with a pending I-485 or an approved GC, the part below won't happen, because they don't have a specified date when they have to leave. So not giving it up would be inconsequential, and a new I-94 will be obtained when re-entering the country if re-entering with AP/H1/L1.
If you do not validate a timely departure from the United States, or, if you cannot reasonably prove otherwise when you apply for admission to the U.S. in the future, CBP may conclude you remained in the U.S. beyond your authorized stay.
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It is like breaking the speed limit when the cops don't see you. You shouldn't have done it, but there is no use in worrying about it, because you can't undo it and you aren't going to get punished for it. All you can do is work towards preventing it from happening again in the future.
 
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