I-94 Travel History: Like we protect our houses and watch who comes and takes the exit, nations also keep an eye on the people entering and going from the countries. I-94 is the same travel record maintained by the USA to record people travelling to and from the USA. It is also referred to as the Arrival/Departure record authorised by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The United States of America has a strategic geographical location. It is surrounded by the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the security concern of the country is important. The history of the USA also witnessed illegal infiltration through the borer countries. Therefore, the monitoring of the travel record is essential for the USA like every other country.
History of I-94 Travel History
Form I-94 was introduced by the US government in 1940 in order to track the entry and exit of non-US citizens. The tracking started under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), to document the entry and exit of foreigners. Initially, I-94 was operating in the form of paper and was given to non-US citizens at the time of entry. In the last few years, the recording system has transferred to the online platform to induce the efficiency and accuracy of the data.
Functions & Purpose of I-94 Travel History
Since I-94 was brought to document the travelling records of foreigners, it is not the only purpose it performs but several. Not just keeping the record of non-US citizen’s legal entry, but also registering the time, date and place where they landed from their home country.
The record has questions related to the duration of their stay in the US, which is also essential to see if they are staying in the US more than their Visa allows.
The information provided by the people entering the United States is used by other government agencies to enforce the migration law.
In addition, the form records all the details related to the Visa; the category and the purpose of the entry of an individual.
As every individual comes with a purpose, the form I-94 is a helpful document for institutions and employers to cross-check all the details related to the person. Plus the documentation also helps the person for future visa and permanent settlement in the USA.
The Digitalisation of I-94 can also check the compliance
In 2014, the digitalised form of I-94 came into existence, The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) looked after the functioning of the site. The site has everything an individual needs to see before entering the USA. It facilitates the strangled procedures of the papers and documentation.
For the personal and non-commercial purposes, anyone can apply for it. While applying one has to go through the certain guidelines stated by the CBP. One can have access to their latest I-94 form, and can check the whole travel history and compliance related to immigration.
There is a separate section on the site for the people who are travelling from and to Guam and CNMI (Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands).
Where The Form Get Issued?
The major places where Form I-94 get issues are the ports; seaports, land ports and airports. On seaports and airports, it is electronically available while on land ports the form gets issued on paper and electronically.
The Exceptional Cases
Though the Form I-94 was issued to non-US citizens and non-permanent residents of the USA. Among these categories sometimes the form is not required if:
The people are re-entering the United States through automatic visa revalidation. In that case, the new entry is valid based on the previously issued I-94 and no new form is required.
If an individual belongs to the crew of an air and sea vessel, they will get issued form I-95 instead of I-94. If a foreigner comes from one of the countries in the compact of free association, he will get the form I-94A to fill in his all details. Apart from this, the CBP registers departure and arrival under the VWP by form I-94W.
